New Haven, Conn. — Yale Cancer Center Director, Dr. Thomas J. Lynch, Jr., has appointed Lieping Chen, MD, PhD as Director of Cancer Immunology at the Center. Dr. Chen is an internationally known expert in cancer immunobiology. His laboratory work is focused on the understanding of molecular, biochemical, and structural aspects of cell surface molecule pathways and their functions in the control of innate and adaptive immunity and subsequent development of cancer.
“Lieping’s appointment at Yale Cancer Center will ensure Yale continues as a leader in cancer immunobiology, not only in our basic science laboratories but in our clinics as well. His commitment to translating basic discoveries from the lab to develop new strategies to treat cancer using novel biologics in clinical trials will benefit patients at Smilow Cancer Hospital and throughout the world,” Lynch said.
Throughout his career, Dr. Chen has played a leading role in the discovery and characterization of costimulatory molecules in the B7-CD28 and the TNF receptor/ligand superfamilies. His laboratory has made seminal contributions to the development of cancer therapeutic monoclonal antibodies against CD137, PD-1, and B7-H1, which are currently in clinical trials.
Prior to his appointment at Yale Cancer Center, Dr. Chen was a Professor of Oncology and Dermatology, Director of Research for the department of Dermatology, and Investigator in the Immunobiology Program at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine.
Dr. Chen received his Medical Degree from Fujian Medical College in Fuzhou City, China and completed his internship and residency training in Medicine at Fujian Union Hospital and Beijing Union Medical College and followed with his PhD from Drexel University in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. After a postdoctoral fellowship at University of Washington-Seattle, Dr. Chen spent seven years in research and development in Oncology Drug Discovery at the Bristol-Myers Squibb Pharmaceutical Research Institute in Seattle, Washington and six years in research and education at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota before joining Johns Hopkins.
Dr. Chen has published more than 250 scientific papers, review articles, and book chapters, and has edited two books. He has delivered more than 150 seminars and invited lectures and has served on many committees and advisory boards for the United States Government. He is a member of the American Association of Immunologists, American Association for Cancer Research, Federation of Clinical Immunology Societies, and the International Society for Biological Therapy of Cancer. Dr. Chen is also a co-founder of the Amplimmune Biotechnology Company based in Bethesda, Maryland.
Established in 1974, Yale Cancer Center was one of the first university-based comprehensive cancer centers designated by the National Cancer Institute. Today, it is one of a select network of only 40 in the United States, and the only one in Southern New England. Yale Cancer Center works in partnership with Smilow Cancer Hospital at Yale-New Haven.