Zhixian Wang

Research

My scientific research focuses on identifying new targets in human cDC1 and T cells that shape anti-tumor immunity. One component of my research is the project “(Spatial) transcriptomic meta-analysis of tumor tissue mature DCs across multiple cancer types reveals cDC1 licensing in the tumor microenvironment (TME).” In this project, I aim to define the molecular programs of “licensed” cDC1 in patients who respond to immune checkpoint blockade (ICB) therapy by integrating multiple single-cell RNA sequencing datasets across cancer types. In addition, I aim to identify immune niches enriched for “licensed” cDC1 and tumor-reactive T cells in the TME using the CosMx whole-transcriptome spatial platform.

Curriculum Vitae

I obtained my Bachelor’s degree in Clinical Medicine (2020) and my Master’s degree in Otorhinolaryngology–Head and Neck Surgery (2023) from Anhui Medical University, and I am a licensed physician. During my Master’s training, I specialized in the molecular classification of head and neck squamous cell carcinoma using large-scale multi-omics datasets, gaining extensive experience in bioinformatic analyses and data integration.

In November 2023, I joined Dr. Yanling Xiao’s group and started my PhD in the Department of Immunology at Leiden University Medical Center. My doctoral research focuses on dendritic cell biology in anti-tumor immunity, integrating computational and experimental approaches to address clinically relevant questions.