Allen Xiaofeng Su

Dr. Allen Xiaofeng Su is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Surgery at the School of Medicine, Uniformed Services University. His research focuses on oncology, particularly prostate cancer, with emphasis on genomic instability, aneuploidy, DNA damage repair, replication stress, and cancer metabolism. He leads the Su Laboratory which develops innovative cancer models and explores therapeutic targets.

Dr. Su's educational background includes:

• Postdoctoral Fellow at Massachusetts Institute of Technology (2021)
• Ph.D. from Tufts University (2016)
• B.S. from University of Science and Technology of China (2008)

Dr. Su's research program centers on understanding how genomic instability and tumor-specific aneuploidy influence cancer development, using prostate cancer as a primary model. His laboratory investigates why certain chromosomes are frequently gained or lost during cancer progression. Key research areas include:

• Mechanisms of aneuploidy-associated genes (RAD21, SQLE) in prostate cancer aggressiveness
• Patient-specific alterations in DNA damage repair genes (RAD51, RAD54) and their impact on cancer disparities
• Development of novel ex vivo models and pharmacological approaches to identify cancer vulnerabilities
• Spatial and single-cell profiling technologies to understand tumor progression and microenvironment

His work bridges basic molecular mechanisms with translational applications for developing new cancer therapies.

Dr. Su has received numerous scientific awards and honors, including:

• Prostate Cancer Foundation - Young Investigator (2026-2028)
• ASBMB Annual Conference 2025 - Early Career Faculty Award
• Congressionally Directed Medical Research Programs (CDMRP) - Idea Development Award
• Koch Institute Image Award (2022)
• DeLill Nasser Award for Professional Development in Genetics (2021)

Dr. Su's research is supported by significant funding including:

• Congressionally Directed Medical Research Programs (CDMRP) - Prostate Cancer Research Program - Idea Development Award (as PI)
• PROject for Military Exposures and Toxin History Evaluation in U.S. service members (PROMETHEUS) - Prostate cancer exposure and DNA damage repair gene (as co-PI)
• Center for Prostate Disease Research Core Award (as co-PI)

His laboratory collaborates with multiple institutions including the National Cancer Institute - Genitourinary Malignancies Branch and the Koch Institute at MIT.