Lab News
Lab members in the news.
Dr. Xue Wang received the fellowship from Cholangiocarcinoma Foundation
Dr. Xue Wang's research project "YAP Inhibition–Based Combination Immunotherapy for Intrahepatic Cholangiocarcinoma" was selected as awarded Team Cure Cholangio Research Fellowship Grant Honoring Steve Wilger and Hayes Calvin. Congrats!
.jpeg)
Jonathan Haynes Defended His Master’s Thesis
On July 22, 2026, Jonathan Haynes presented his master’s thesis, “Investigating the Role of Cytokines in Intrahepatic Cholangiocarcinoma Development.” His thesis defense was well received, and he successfully completed the requirements for his master’s degree.
Jonathan will now begin a new chapter of his journey by pursuing a law degree. We congratulate Jonathan on this accomplishment and wish him all the best in his exciting new adventure!
.jpeg)
Suhas Sampige Phaniraj Defended His Master’s Thesis
On July 23, 2026, Suhas Sampige Phaniraj presented his master’s thesis, “Targeting the Hippo Pathway as a Treatment for Cholangiocarcinoma.” His thesis defense was well received, and he successfully completed the requirements for his master’s degree.
Suhas will continue his PhD studies in the Chen Lab at UH Cancer Center, where he will further investigate the molecular pathways driving cholangiocarcinoma pathogenesis and work toward developing novel therapeutic strategies for this malignancy. Congratulations to Suhas on this important achievement! We look forward to his continued contributions to our research and wish him great success in the next stage of his academic journey.
.jpeg)
1
Congrats Beegees Romero for completing his summer internship in Chen lab!
Beegees Romero is a student from Reed University. He was a CREATE intern who worked in our lab in Summer 2026. With the help from many lab members, Beegees completed the studies investigating YAP/TAZ-TEAD pathways for the treatment of liver cancers using both cell lines and mouse HCC models. Beegees presented her research at the CREATE poster session.
Jonathan Haynes Selected as Graduate Mentor for Summer 2025 CREATE Program
Jonathan Haynes was selected as the graduate mentor for undergraduate students in the Summer 2025 CREATE Program. As part of his research, he examined the tumor immune microenvironment in mouse cholangiocarcinoma models with either activated or inactivated NOTCH signaling. Jonathan presented his data at the CREATE program poster session.
Dr. Jinqiu Zhao receives best oral presentation award
Dr. Jinqiu Zhao, a postdoc fellow from the Chen lab presented her work "Distinct molecular pathways regulated by activated AKT and YAP signaling during intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma progression" at the 2025 Asian Pacific Association for the Study of the Liver (APASL) annual meeting. Her abstract was selected for oral presentation and also received the award for best oral presentation. Congrats to Jinqiu!
Congrats Emily for completing her summer internship in Chen lab!
Emily Phanphongsa is a student from Johns Hopkins University. She was a CREATE intern who worked in our lab in Summer 2024. With the help from many lab members, Emily completed several experiments including molecular cloning, virus production and cell cultures. Emily presented her research at the CREATE poster session.
Read more about the UH Cancer Center CREATE Program
Congrats Royce for completing his summer internship in Chen lab!
Royce Ilaga is a student from USC. He was a summer CREATE intern who worked in our lab. Under the guidance of Drs Green and Wang, Royce completed several experiments from molecular cloning to immunoprofiling. Royce presented his research at the CREATE poster session.
Read more about the UH Cancer Center CREATE Program
UH Cancer Center developing new vaccines to treat aggressive liver cancer
Congratulations to Ben and other former Chen lab members for the recent publication about liver cancer immunotherapy at JCI!
--Xin Chen
Liver cancer is the fourth deadliest cancer in Hawaiʻi, particularly affecting Native Hawaiian, Filipino, and Japanese men. Currently, immunotherapy, a treatment that uses a person's immune system to fight cancer, is the standard of care for liver cancer patients. However, it is not a cure for liver cancer, as many patients continue to relapse or have minimal effects after receiving treatment.
Interview on KITV News
Read more
Congratulations, Ben for getting the fellowship from Cholangiocarcinoma Foundation
Kathleen & Paul Sidenblad Research Fellowship:
Benjamin Green, University of Hawaiʻi Cancer Center
A peptide vaccine targeting WT1 for immunotherapy against intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma
Supported by Kathleen and Paul Sidenblad, the Kathleen and Paul Sidenblad research fellowship grant is being awarded to Benjamin Green from University of Hawaiʻi Cancer Center. Benjamin will be investigating a peptide vaccine targeting WT1 for immunotherapy against intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma.
Read more
