Hong Qian

Hong Qian is a Professor of Molecular Hematology at Karolinska Institutet's Department of Medicine, Huddinge (MedH). She leads the Leukemia niche research group at the Center for Hematology and Regenerative Medicine (HERM). Her work focuses on understanding how the bone marrow microenvironment protects leukemia stem cells (LSCs), aiming to identify therapeutic targets for drug-resistant leukemia. She holds a PhD in Stem Cell Biology from Lund University (2007) and completed postdoctoral research at Linköping University (2008–2011). She became an Assistant Professor at HERM in 2012, was promoted to Associate Professor (Docent) in 2022, and full Professor in 2024. Her research employs advanced techniques like RNA sequencing and CRISPR-based gene editing.

Research Interests:

• Role of mesenchymal niches in leukemia progression and treatment resistance
• Molecular pathways mediating interactions between LSCs and their niches
• Identification of prognostic markers and therapeutic targets for AML and CML

Funded Projects:

• Swedish Cancer Society grants (2014–2024) targeting niche-driven therapy resistance
• Swedish Research Council grants (2020–2026) for niche-LSC interplay studies

Team & Education:

• Guides a diverse team of 7 researchers (PhD students, research staff) focused on translational leukemia research
• Teaches advanced courses on cancer stem cells and hematology at Karolinska Institutet