Liling Wan, PhD, an assistant professor of Cancer Biology at Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, is one of 106 researchers in the United States to be awarded funding through the National Institutes of Health (NIH) High-Risk, High-Reward Research Program. This program catalyzes scientific discovery by supporting research proposals that, due to their inherent risk, may struggle in the traditional peer-review process, despite their transformative potential. Program applicants are encouraged to pursue trailblazing ideas to advance knowledge and enhance health.

Dr. Wan’s research project Illuminating Transcriptional Condensates Using an Integrated Approach was awarded $1.46M from NIH over a five-year period. The project will investigate the functions and mechanisms of a newly-recognized form of transcriptional assembly to increase our understanding of gene regulation. Successful completion of this project could establish a new model of gene control and have the potential to transform how we target gene dysregulation in cancers, including blood cancers.

Dr. Wan’s research project on gene regulation in acute leukemias was supported by the Leukemia Research Foundation in 2020.