Nianli Sang

Nianli Sang, PhD, is an Associate Professor in the Department of Biology at Drexel University. Her research focuses on cellular responses to nutrient insufficiency in tumor microenvironments and ischemic conditions, with emphasis on hypoxia-inducible factor 1 (HIF-1α), ER stress pathways, and metabolic reprogramming. She leads the Sang Lab located in PISB 401 H2, investigating mechanisms of tumor migration, metastasis, and chemotherapy resistance.

• Education: BMed (Fudan University), MSurgery (Zhongshan Hospital), PhD (Thomas Jefferson University), Postdocs (University of Pennsylvania, Thomas Jefferson University).

Research interests include nutrient sensing systems, oncogenic signaling, and therapeutic targets for nutrient stress. She secured a $1.56M NIH/NCI R01 grant (2008–2013) as PI for studying HIF-1 repression mechanisms. Her work bridges basic science and translational applications in cancer biology and gene therapy.

Publications span over 40 peer-reviewed articles, covering HIF regulation, AAV vector engineering, and metabolic pathways in cancer. Her lab explores interdisciplinary approaches to understand how cells adapt to low oxygen, glucose, and glutamine levels, with implications for cancer therapy and ischemic diseases.