Weitao Lin

Weitao Lin is a Research Fellow at the UWA Medical School and the UWA Centre for Medical Research (affiliated with the Harry Perkins Institute of Medical Research) at The University of Western Australia. His work focuses on cancer research with expertise in single-cell RNA sequencing, spatial transcriptomics, and patient-derived models.

Dr. Lin's educational background includes:

• PhD in Cancer Biology from The University of Hong Kong (2017), with research focused on 'Establishment and characterization of patient-derived xenografts and cell lines from nasopharyngeal carcinoma'

Dr. Lin's research interests span multiple areas of cancer biology and technology application. He specializes in establishing and characterizing patient-derived xenografts and cell lines, with particular focus on nasopharyngeal carcinoma and Epstein-Barr virus-related cancers. His work employs cutting-edge technologies including single-cell RNA sequencing and spatial transcriptomics to investigate tumor microenvironments and cell-cell interactions. This research aims to identify novel therapeutic targets for cancer patients, with recent emphasis on metastatic uveal melanoma, circulating tumor cells across various cancer types, and immune checkpoint expression.

Dr. Lin's publications demonstrate a strong focus on applying single-cell and spatial genomic technologies to understand cancer heterogeneity, metastasis, and immune interactions. His work spans multiple cancer types including lung cancer, ovarian cancer, and uveal melanoma, with particular attention to circulating tumor cells and their molecular characteristics.

Scientific awards and recognition:

• Spatial Pioneers Fellowship (10x Genomics, 2021)
• Visium Spatial Biology Kickstarter Award (10x Genomics, 2021)

Dr. Lin has demonstrated strong leadership in research funding and academic service. As a chief investigator, he has secured over $170,000 in research funding since 2019, including a Cancer Council Western Australia Collaborative Grant as CIA for metastatic uveal melanoma research. He has supervised 3 PhD students (2 completed). Dr. Lin serves on the Telethon Kids Institute Animal Ethics Committee (2021-present), has served on the Pre-doctoral Grants Advisory Subcommittee at Cancer Council WA (2021-2022), and was part of the early-career research symposium organizing committee for the Human Genome Meeting in 2020. He has also served as a guest editor for Frontiers in Cellular and Infection Microbiology and as a reviewer for journals including Cancers, Frontiers in Microbiology, and Scientific Reports.

Dr. Lin leads the project on analysis of metastatic uveal melanoma across multiple laboratories and hospital departments as part of the Western Australian Cancer Single Cell Consortium. His research group applies state-of-the-art technologies to study cell-cell interactions in the tumor microenvironment, working collaboratively across institutions to translate findings into potential therapeutic approaches.