Dr. Sidi Chen Yale University School of Medicine, USA

Dr. Sidi Chen has been a faculty member at Yale since 2015, working in the Department of Genetics, Systems Biology Institute, and Yale Cancer Center. His work, particularly in genome editing and high-throughput screening technologies, has opened new avenues for understanding cancer, enabling scientists to map functional drivers of oncogenesis... read moreand metastasis with remarkable precision. His research team focuses on uncovering novel molecular targets and developing therapeutic modalities in cancer, with a strong emphasis on immunotherapy, cell therapy, and gene therapy. By engineering and refining versatile systems, the lab accelerates the identification of key drivers and actionable therapeutic targets. This commitment to understanding and controlling disease at a molecular level empowers Dr. Chen’s team to address critical needs in cancer therapy, particularly in overcoming challenges like treatment resistance and immune evasion in solid tumors.

Dr. Chen’s overarching vision is to create next-generation technologies and turn them into safe, effective therapies. By bridging the fields of gene editing and immunotherapy, he pioneered the concept of “gene editing for, of, and as immunotherapy.” This approach includes: 1) Gene editing for immunotherapy: Using high-throughput CRISPR screening technologies to discover novel immunotherapy targets; 2) Gene editing of immunotherapy: Directly editing next-generation therapeutic immune cells, such as CAR-T cells, to enhance their efficacy; 3) Gene editing as immunotherapy: Harnessing gene editing itself as an immunotherapy, directing genetic manipulations to modulate immune responses.

Dr. Chen currently leads a dynamic team of scientists, students, staff, and trainees, managing several multi-investigators, multi-laboratory research projects. His work has resulted in over 30 patents or patent applications in gene editing, genetic screening, tumor modeling, cancer immunotherapy, and cell therapy. His scientific innovations have also laid the foundation for two biotech startups backed by venture and pharmaceutical interests, focused on advancing immunotherapy and cell therapy for cancer treatment.