Suming Huang

Suming Huang serves as Professor and Chair of the Four Diamonds Epigenetics and Gene Regulation Research Program in Pediatric Oncology at Penn State University's College of Medicine. Holding dual appointments in the Department of Pediatrics Division of Hematology and Oncology and the Department of Molecular and Precision Medicine, Huang directs research within the Penn State Cancer Institute's Mechanisms of Carcinogenesis program. With an h-index of 36 and over 4,000 citations, Huang maintains an active research profile through the National Cancer Institute.

Huang's research centers on epigenetic mechanisms in leukemia development, specializing in transcriptional regulation, non-coding RNA functions, and chromatin organization. Key focus areas include TAL1/SCL regulation in T-cell leukemia, lncRNA-mediated genome organization in AML, and the role of histone modifiers like HDAC1 in tumor suppression. The research integrates hematopoietic stem cell biology with leukemogenesis pathways, particularly examining how non-coding RNAs reprogram chromatin architecture in NUP98-rearranged leukemias and other hematological malignancies.

Current publication trends reveal consistent output in high-impact oncology journals, with 2025 publications examining CK2α deletion effects on stem cells, IKAROS/HDAC1 heterochromatin regulation, guanine biosynthesis blockade in MLL leukemias, and HoxBlinc lncRNA functions. These works demonstrate Huang's shift toward therapeutic targeting of epigenetic vulnerabilities while maintaining core investigations into transcriptional dysregulation in pediatric cancers.

Huang leads eight major research projects including the active National Cancer Institute grant Role of lncRNA mediated R-loops in CTCF boundary function and AML genome organization (2021-2025). Past projects span leukemogenesis mechanisms, long non-coding RNA functions in hematopoiesis, and TAL1 regulation in T-cell leukemia, securing sustained NCI funding since 2008. The research program maintains strong collaborations across hematology-oncology and molecular medicine departments.

The Four Diamonds Epigenetics and Gene Regulation Research Program in Pediatric Oncology serves as Huang's primary research hub, focusing on translating epigenetic discoveries into therapeutic strategies for childhood leukemias. Current work integrates multi-omics approaches to dissect lncRNA-mediated chromatin reorganization in leukemic stem cells.