Yong-Chen Lu

Yong-Chen “William” Lu, Ph.D., is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Pathology at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS) College of Medicine and a Member of the Winthrop P. Rockefeller Cancer Institute. His research focuses on developing T cell-based immunotherapies targeting cancer-specific mutations and neoantigens, aiming to expand treatment options for underrepresented patient populations based on HLA compatibility. He holds the KL2 Mentored Research Career Development Award to advance this work.

Dr. Lu’s education includes a Ph.D. from the Princess Margaret Cancer Centre, University of Toronto (2009), followed by postdoctoral training at the NIH National Cancer Institute (2009–2016), where he progressed to Staff Scientist. His mentors include prominent figures like Dr. Mayumi Nakagawa and Dr. Terry Harville at UAMS.

Research interests emphasize translational approaches to identify neoantigen-specific T cell receptors via single-cell sequencing, improve adoptive cell therapies, and address disparities in immunotherapy accessibility. His work spans clinical trials for HPV vaccines (PepCan), KRAS mutation targeting, and p53 neoantigen therapies.

Notable contributions include studies on T cell receptor engineering, liquid biopsy applications in hepatocellular carcinoma, and molecular signatures of neoantigen-reactive T cells. His interdisciplinary collaborations bridge immunology, oncology, and genomics to advance personalized cancer treatments.