Yaohe Wang

Professor Yaohe Wang is a Professor and Group Leader at the Barts Cancer Institute, Queen Mary University of London, specializing in Cancer Cell and Gene Therapy. His research focuses on developing tumor-targeted oncolytic viruses (particularly vaccinia and adenovirus) for cancer immunotherapy and prevention, with emphasis on pancreatic cancer. He leads translational programs aimed at enhancing systemic delivery and efficacy of viral therapies.

Research Focus: Dr. Wang's work integrates virology, immunology, and molecular engineering to design novel therapeutic regimes. Key areas include:

• Engineering systemically deliverable oncolytic viruses to overcome tumor microenvironment barriers
• Combination therapies (e.g., PI3Kδ inhibitors + oncolytic vaccinia)
• Reprogramming somatic cells for cancer prevention (VIReST technology)
• Safety optimization of immunotherapeutic agents (e.g., redesigned IL-12)

Leadership & Activities:

• Chief Scientific Officer and Founder, VacV Biotherapeutics Ltd (2022–present)
• Founding Chairman, Syrian Hamster Disease Models Association (2018–present)
• Editorial Board Member: Journal of Clinical Immunology and Immunotherapy (2015–present) and Molecular Therapy-Oncolytics (2014–present)

Major Funding: Secured £4.7M+ in grants, including:

• Medical Research Council (2021–2026): £3.68M for oncolytic vaccinia virus development
• Innovate UK (2024–2026): £498K for metastatic colorectal cancer therapy
• Pancreatic Cancer Research Fund (2022–2024): £220K targeting tumor microenvironment