Yun "Claudia" Wei, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor
Department of Pediatrics | Hematology and Oncology
Harold C. Simmons Comprehensive Cancer Center
Dr. Wei's Academic Profile
Dr. Wei received her Bachelor of Science from the College of Life Sciences at Wuhan University. She worked as a technician at the Chinese Academy of Sciences under her advisor, Guohong Li, for one year, then transitioned to the U.S. to attend Emory University, where she earned her Ph.D. in cancer biology, studying medulloblastoma, under the advisorship of Anna M. Kenney. Afterwards, Dr. Wei moved to Boston and completed her postdoctoral studies on rhabdomyosarcoma, under her mentor, David M. Langenau, at Mass General Hospital and Harvard Medical School. She has broad interests in the new technologies of single-cell multiomics, especially the dynamics of cell state transitions, that is regulated by the interaction between TF and chromatin regulators, which could contribute to cancer cell plasticity. Dr. Wei is interested in less studied pediatric tumors, and sometimes the rarer, forms due to the lack of attention these tumors receive. For example, recurrent fusion genes were reported in young patients that normally associate with worse a prognosis, yet patient tumors were not modeled in the lab setting. Dr. Wei hopes to model these patient tumors either with 2-D stem cell culture, 3-D organoids, or even with transgenic zebrafish or mouse models. Comprehensive profiling and mechanism work will be performed to understand how these putative oncogenes contribute to malignant transformation. Proposed research topics were funded by National Cancer Institute K99/R00 Transition Award, Texas CPRIT Award, and UT Southwestern Department of Pediatrics start-up money.
In her life outside of work, Dr. Wei likes to spend time with her two little ones, loves badminton, cycling, andhiking, and is really into Japanese animations, classic action movies, and horror books/TV shows.
Lab Members
Kyungho "Paul" Park, M.S.
Research Scientist/Lab Manager
Mr. Park, has special interests in gene therapy, immunotherapy, and tumor biology. His previous research focused on the development and optimization of gene therapy delivery systems, including viral and non-viral vectors to treat genetic disorders and cancer. Mr. Park has worked extensively on CAR T-cell therapy, gene editing (e.g., CRISPR-Cas9), and pre-clinical studies of tumor biology, particularly in the context of PTEN-related tumors such as glioblastoma and neuroblastoma. His ultimate goal is to improve the safety and efficacy of gene therapy and immunotherapy strategies for cancer treatment. Mr. Park was an active participant in several professional societies related to gene therapy, oncology, and immunology. He contributed to the scientific community through his research and involvement in academic and clinical collaborations.
In his free time, Mr. Park plays tennis and bowls. He also enjoys watching science fiction movies and reading novels.
Cheng Hao Liu, B.S.
Research Technician II
Mr. Liu recently graduated from The University of Texas at Dallas with a degree in medical neuroscience and a minor in biology. He has gained valuable experience as a medical scribe in diverse healthcare settings and is a certified emergency medical technician with aspirations of attending medical school. Mr. Liu is passionate about advancing his understanding of medicine through research. In his free time, he enjoys staying active through fitness, experimenting with cooking, and exploring the art of photography.