Dr WANG Xin    
王鑫

0000-0002-5122-2418

Biography

Dr. Xin Wang is an Associate Professor in the Department of Surgery at The Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK), leading the Division of Biomedical Informatics. He also serves as a Principal Investigator at Li Ka Shing Institute of Health Sciences, and Coordinator of the MPhil-PhD Programme in Translational Genomics. Dr. Wang obtained his Ph.D. in Oncology from University of Cambridge in 2014 (supervisor: Dr. Florian Markowetz), and subsequently conducted postdoctoral research in the Department of Biomedical Informatics at Harvard Medical School from 2013 to 2015 (supervisor: Dr. Peter Kharchenko).

Dr. Wang’s primary research area is translational genomics and bioinformatics. He focuses on mechanistic and translational studies of major human cancers, developing novel methodologies that integrate bioinformatics, systems biology, machine learning, and artificial intelligence. In close collaboration with cancer biologists, he is particularly interested in dissecting cancer heterogeneity and elucidating the mechanisms underlying specific cancer subtypes. Working alongside clinicians, his team is dedicated to multi-center studies on molecular biomarkers and medical image-based AI models for early cancer detection, diagnosis, prognosis, and molecular subtyping. Leveraging new drug targets identified through integrative multi-omics analysis, his lab also develops innovative cancer therapeutics, including RIBOTACs, PROTACs, and mRNA-LNP vaccines.

Dr. Wang has published over 100 peer-reviewed papers in high-impact journals including Nature Medicine, Gastroenterology, Gut, Hepatology, and Clinical Cancer Research. Committed to translating research into clinical practice, he holds 15 patents covering AI-assisted diagnosis using medical imaging and histopathology, miRNA liquid biopsies, mRNA-LNP vaccines, and RIBOTAC/PROTAC-based drug development. Over the last five years, he has secured over HK$30M in competitive funding as Principal Investigator or Project Coordinator (PC).

His notable scientific contributions include: co-establishing the consensus molecular subtypes (CMS) for colorectal cancer through large-scale multi-omics analysis, now a global standard (Nature Medicine 2013, 2015); co-establishing the first consensus molecular subtypes for esophageal squamous cell carcinomas and developing an AI-powered tool, imECMS, to advance and popularize precision medicine (Signal Transduction and Targeted Therapy 2026); elucidating cancer subtype-specific regulatory mechanisms via multi-omics and systems biology (Nature Communications 2021, 2023); co-developing non-invasive early detection biomarkers for esophageal, gastric, and ovarian cancers (Molecular Cancer 2022; JAMA Network Open 2021; Clinical Cancer Research 2021); and pioneering a liquid biopsy approach based on circulating exosomal small RNAs for pancreatic cancer via an international collaboration (Gastroenterology 2022).

Research Interests

• Cancer bioinformatics
• AI-powered precision oncology
• Innovative diagnostics and therapeutics development

Additional Information

Research Profile:
ORCiD: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5122-2418
Scopus: https://www.scopus.com/authid/detail.uri?authorId=56025128400
Google Scholar Webpage: https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=KJSLMFAAAAAJ


Honors & Awards:

• 2 Gold Medals & 1 Silver Medal, The 51st International Exhibition of Inventions Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland (Mar 2026)
• Second Prize, 2025 Wu Wenjun Artificial Intelligence Science and Technology Award (Natural Science), Chinese Association for Artificial Intelligence, China (Feb 2026)
• Second Prize, 2025 Outstanding Scientific Research Achievement Award (Natural Science), National Ministry of Education, China (Dec 2025)

1. 2024-2029, Project Coordinator, Development of Liquid Biopsy Assays Based on Exosomal Small Non-coding RNAs for Non-invasive Early Detection of Pancreatic Cancer, Research Impact Fund, Hong Kong Research Grants Council (HK$11,428,571)
2. 2023-2026, Project Coordinator, Multi-modal deep learning of multi-omics profiles, radiology, and histopathology images to advance colorectal cancer classification for precision oncology, Collaborative Research Fund, Hong Kong Research Grants Council (HK$7,520,000)
3. 2023-2027, Principal Investigator, Dissecting breast cancer subtype-dependent aging acceleration and developing molecular and histology image-based aging clocks for the prediction of high-risk young-onset patients, General Research Fund, Hong Kong Research Grants Council (HK$1,572,903)
4. 2022-2026, Principal Investigator, Targeting proton shifting by a novel MCT4 inhibitor in treating acute myeloid leukemia, Health and Medical Research Fund, Food and Health Bureau of Hong Kong, (HK$1,493,888)
5. 2022-2026, Principal Investigator, Histology-omics integrative subtyping of esophageal squamous cell carcinoma based on multi-scale geospatial characterizations of the tumor microenvironment, General Research Fund, Hong Kong Research Grants Council (HK$964,828)
6. 2022-2024, Principal Investigator, Overcoming the intratumor heterogeneity by multi-scale spatial characterizations of tumor microenvironment for integrative colorectal cancer classification, General Research Fund, Hong Kong Research Grants Council (HK$723,092)
7. 2021-2029, Co-Principal Investigator, Centre for Medical Engineering of Molecular and Biological Probes, The Areas of Excellence Scheme, Hong Kong Research Grants Council (HK$71,161,000 in total)
8. 2019-2024, Co-Principal Investigator, 腫瘤微環境異質性與食管鱗癌復發轉移及治療耐受研究, 廣東省基礎與應用基礎研究基金重大項目, Department of Science and Technology of Guangdong Province (CNY￥46,050,000 in total)
9. 2019-2022, Principal Investigator, Dissecting Age-dependent Molecular Heterogeneity of Colorectal Cancer and Establishing a Probabilistic Model for Robust Prediction of High-risk Young-onset Colorectal Cancer Patients, General Research Fund, Hong Kong Research Grants Council (HK$664,031)

Selected Publications

1. Luo T, Wang Y, Chen D, Zhang Y, Shuai Y, Yao H, Jiang T, Jiang H, Zhong M, Wang X, Wang Z, Xu C, Goel A, MA HT, Gao F, Wang X*, Cell-Selective Delivery of RIBOTACs via an anti-EGFR Nanobody for Pancreatic Cancer Treatment, Advanced Science 2026, e76575
2. Shuai Y, Yao H, Wang B, Chung GTY, Wang X, Zhong M, Zhu Z, Li CS, Tsang CM, Lo KW*, Wang X*, Long-read sequencing reveals widespread novel splicing and neojunction-derived neoantigens in nasopharyngeal carcinoma, Genome Research 2026, doi: 10.1101/gr.281467.125
3. Cui H^†, Zhu Z^†, Xu E^†, Qi L^†, Cheng Y^†, Zhang Y^†, Ling Zhang, Matthew Yibo Cheng, Bin Yang, Ruifang Sun, Xiaofei Zhuang, Yanfeng Xi, Ting Yan, Caixia Cheng, Ning Ding, Huijuan Liu, Lu Wang, Min Guo, Dinghe Guo, Haoyu Zhang, Meilan Peng, Zhekun An, Yongjia Weng, Fang Wang, Meng Liu, Ruixin Xiong, Bin Song, Weihua Yin, Zhang W*, Cheng X, Liu Z, Zhan Q*, Wang X*, Cui Y*, The consensus molecular subtypes of esophageal squamous cell carcinoma. Signal Transduction and Targeted Therapy 2026, 11(1):65.
4. Chen D, Jiang X, Duan T, Tian Y, Zhang J*, Wang X*, Tan J*, NCOA4-mediated ferritinophagy: emerging role and novel therapeutic target in precision oncology. Autophagy 2026, 1-17
5. Ke J^†, Li Y^†, Qi L, Li X, Wang W, Hoorn ST, Zhu Y, Huang H, Gao F, Vermeulen L, Wang X*, Poor-prognosis young-onset colorectal cancer is defined by the mesenchymal subtype and can be predicted by integrating molecular and histopathological characteristics. ESMO Gastrointestinal Oncology 2025, 9:100181.
6. Li J, He L, Zhang X, Li X, Wang L, Zhu Z, Song K, Wang X*, GCclassifier: an R package for the prediction of molecular subtypes of gastric cancer. Computational and Structural Biotechnology Journal 2024. 23, 752–758.
7. Zhu Y^†, Huang C^†, Zhang C^†, Zhou Y^†, Zhao E, Zhang Y, Pan X, Huang H*, Liao W*, Wang X*, LncRNA MIR200CHG inhibits EMT in gastric cancer by stabilizing miR-200c from target-directed miRNA degradation. Nature Communications 2023, 14: 8141
8. Li J, Wu T, Song K, Zhu L, Wang Y, Chen T, Wang X*, Integrative network analysis reveals subtype-specific long non-coding RNA regulatory mechanisms in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma. Computational and Structural Biotechnology Journal 2023, 21: 535–549
9. Wu T^†, Huang H^†, Wang X*, Dissecting super-enhancer heterogeneity: time to re-examine cancer subtypes? Trends in Genetics 2022, 38:1199–1203
10. Miyoshi J^†, Zhu Z^†, Luo A^†, Toden S, Zhou X, Izumi D, Kanda M, Takayama T, Parker IM, Wang M, Gao F, Zaidi AH, Baba H, Kodera Y, Cui Y, Wang X*, Liu Z* and Goel A*, A microRNA-based liquid biopsy signature for the early detection of esophageal squamous cell carcinoma: a retrospective, prospective and multicenter study. Molecular Cancer 2022, 21:1–13
11. Nakamura K^†, Zhu Z^†, Roy S^†, Jun E^†, Han H, Munoz RM, Nishiwada S, Sharma G, Cridebring D, Zenhausern F, Kim S, Roe DJ, Darabi S, Han IW, Evans D, Yamada S, Demeure MJ, Becerra C, Celinski SA, Borazanci E, Tsai S, Kodera Y, Park JO, Bolton J, Wang X*, Kim SC*, Hoff DV*, Goel A*, An Exosome-based Transcriptomic Signature for Noninvasive, Early Detection of Patients With Pancreatic Ductal Adenocarcinoma: A Multicenter Cohort Study. Gastroenterology 2022, 163:1252–1266.e2
12. Wu J^†, Liu Q^†, Zhang X^†, Tan M^†, Li X, Liu P, Wu L, Jiao F, Lin Z, Wu X*, Wang X*, Zhao Y*, Ren J*, The interaction between STING and NCOA4 exacerbates lethal sepsis by orchestrating ferroptosis and inflammatory responses in macrophages. Cell Death & Diseases 2022, 13:1–17
13. Kandimalla R^†, Wang W^†, Yu F, Zhou N, Gao F, Spillman M, Moukova L, Slaby O, Salhia B, Zhou S*, Wang X*, Goel A*, OCaMIR – A noninvasive, diagnostic signature for early stage ovarian cancer: a multi-cohort retrospective and prospective study, Clinical Cancer Research 2021, 27:4277–4286
14. Huang H^†, Hu J^†, Maryam A, Huang Q, Zhang Y, Ramakrishnan S, Li J, Ma VW, Cheuk W, So GYK, Wang W, Cho WCS, Zhang L, Chan M, Wang X*, Chin YR*, Defining super-enhancer landscape in triple-negative breast cancer by multi-omic profiling, Nature Communications 2021, 12:1–16
15. Chen Y^†, Wu T^†, Zhu Z^†, Huang H, Zhang L, Goel A, Yang M, Wang X*, An integrated workflow for biomarker development using microRNAs in extracellular vesicles for cancer precision medicine. Seminars in Cancer Biology 2021, 74:134–155
16. Xie K^†, Wang Z^†, Qi L^†, Zhao X, Wang Y, Qu J, Huang L, Zhang W, Yang Y*, Wang X*, Shi P*, Profiling MicroRNAs with Associated Spatial Dynamics in Acute Tissue Slices, ACS Nano 2021, 15:4881-4892
17. Shao X^†, Tan M^†, Xie Y, Wang T, Huang H, Zhang Y, Liu J, Zhang W, Wang X*, Deng X*, Integrated regulatory network in Pseudomonas syringae reveals dynamics of virulence, Cell Reports 2021, 34:108920
18. Wan YCE^†, Liu J^†, Zhu L^†, Kang TZE, Zhu X, Lis J, Ishibashi T, Danko CG*, Wang X*, Chan KM*. The H2BG53D oncohistone directly upregulates ANXA3 transcription and enhances cell migration in pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma. Signal Transduction and Targeted Therapy 2020, 5: 106
19. Wang Z^†, Qi L^†, Yang Y^†, Lu M, Xie K, Zhao X, Cheung EHC, Wang Y, Jiang X, Zhang W*, Huang L*, Wang X* & Shi P*, High-throughput intracellular biopsy of microRNAs for dissecting the temporal dynamics of cellular heterogeneity, Science Advances 2020, 6: eaba4971
20. Wan YCE^†, Leung TCS^†, Ding D^†, Sun X, Liu J, Zhu L, Kang TZE, Yang D, Zhang YC, Zhang J, Qian C, Huen MSY, Li Q, Chow MZY, Zheng Z, Han J, Goel A, Wang X*, Ishibashi T*, Chan KM*. Cancer-associated histone mutation H2BG53D disrupts DNA–histone octamer interaction and promotes oncogenic phenotypes. Signal Transduction and Targeted Therapy 2020, 5: 27
21. Gao F, Wang W, Tan M, Zhu L, Zhang Y, Fessler E, Vermeulen L* & Wang X*, DeepCC: a novel deep learning-based framework for cancer molecular subtype classification, Oncogenesis 2019, 8:44
22. Huang H^†, Shao X^†, Xie Y^†, Wang T, Zhang Y, Wang X*, Deng X*, An integrated genomic regulatory network of virulence-related transcriptional factors in Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Nature Communications 2019, 10: 2931
23. Kandimalla R^†, Gao F^†, Li Y^†, Huang H, Ke J, Deng X, Zhao L, Zhou S, Goel A*, and Wang X*, RNAMethyPro: A biologically conserved signature of N6-methyladenosine regulators for predicting survival at pan-cancer level, npj Precision Oncology 2019, 3:13
24. Kandimalla R^†, Ozawa T^†, Gao F^†, Wang X*, Goel A* and the T1 Colorectal Cancer Study Group, Gene Expression Signature in Surgical Tissues and Endoscopic Biopsies Identifies High-risk T1 Colorectal Cancers, Gastroenterology 2019, 156(8), 2338-2341.e3
25. Izumi D^†, Gao F^†, Toden S, Sonohara F, Kanda M, Ishimoto T, Kodera Y, Wang X*, Baba H and Goel A*, A genome-wide transcriptomic approach identifies a novel gene expression signature for the detection of lymph node metastasis in patients with early stage gastric cancer, EBioMedicine 2019, 41:268-275
26. Chen H^†, Gao F^†, He M^†, Ding XF, Wong AM, Sze SC, Yu AC, Sun T, Chan AWH, Wang X*, Wong N*, Long-read RNA Sequencing identifies Novel Splice Variants in Hepatocellular Carcinoma and Tumor-specific Isoforms, Hepatology 2019, 70:1011–1025
27. Zhao L^†, Wang W^†, Xu L, Yi T, Zhao X, Wei Y, Vermeulen L, Goel A, Zhou S* and Wang X*, Integrative network biology analysis identifies miR-508-3p as the determinant for the mesenchymal identity and a strong prognostic biomarker of ovarian cancer, Oncogene 2019, 38:2305–2319
28. Lin X^†, Duan X^†, Jacobs C, Ullmann J, Chan CY, Chen S, Cheng SH, Zhao WN, Poduri A, Wang X*, Haggarty SJ*, Shi P*, High-throughput Brain Activity Mapping and Machine Learning as a Foundation for Systems Neuropharmacology, Nature Communications 2018, 9:5142
29. Wang W^†, Kandimalla R^†, Huang H^†, Zhu L, Li Y, Gao F, Goel A*, Wang X*, Molecular subtyping of colorectal cancer: recent progress, new challenges and emerging opportunities, Seminars in Cancer Biology 2019, 55:37-52
30. Kandimalla R^†, Gao F^†, Matsuyama T, Ishikawa T, Uetake H, Takahashi N, Yamada Y, Becerra C, Kopetz S, Wang X* and Goel A*. Genome-wide discovery and identification of a novel miRNA signature for recurrence prediction in stage II and III colorectal cancer. Clinical Cancer Research 2018, 24(16):3867-3877
31. Sonohara F^†, Gao F^†, Iwata N, Kanda M, Koike M, Takahashi N, Yamada Y, Kodera Y, Wang X*, Goel A*, Genome-wide Discovery of a Novel Gene-expression Signature for the Identification of Lymph Node Metastasis in Esophageal Squamous Cell Carcinoma, Annals of Surgery 2019, 269(5):879-886
32. Fessler E, Jansen M, De Sousa E Melo F, Zhao L, Prasetyanti PR, Rodermond H, Kandimalla R, Linnekamp JF, Franitza M, van Hooff SR, de Jong JH, Oppeneer SC, van Noesel CJM, Dekker E, Stassi G, Wang X*, Medema JP*, and Vermeulen L*, A multidimensional network approach reveals microRNAs as determinants of the mesenchymal colorectal cancer subtype, Oncogene 2016, 35: 6026–6037
33. Guinney J^†, Dienstmann R^†, Wang X^†, de Reyniès A^†, Schlicker A^†, Soneson C^†, Marisa L^†, Roepman P^†, Nyamundanda G^†, Angelino P, Bot BM, Morris JS, Simon I, Gerster S, Fessler E, De Sousa E Mello F, Missiaglia E, Ramay H, Barras D, Homicsko K, Maru D, Manyam GC, Broom B, Boige V, Laderas T, Salazar R, Gray JW, Hanahan D, Tabernero J, Bernards R, Friend SH, Laurent-Puig P§, Medema JP§, Sadanandam A§, Wessels L§, Delorenzi M§, Kopetz S§, Vermeulen L§, Tejpar S§, The Consensus Molecular Subtypes of Colorectal Cancer, Nature Medicine 2015, 21(11):1350-6 (co-first author, commented by BMJ 2015)
34. Alekseyenko AA^†, Walsh EM^†, Wang X^†, Grayson AR, Kharchenko PV, Kuroda MI§, Christopher A. French§, The oncogenic BRD4-NUT chromatin regulator drives aberrant transcription within large topological domains, Genes & Development 2015, 29:1507-1523 (co-first author, highlighted in Nature Rev Cancer).
35. Wang X, Yuan K, Hellmayr C, Liu W and Markowetz F, Reconstructing evolving signaling networks by hidden Markov nested effects models, Annals of Applied Statistics 2014, 8(1):448-480
36. Sadanandam A^†, Wang X^†, Felipe de Sousa E, Gray JW, Vermeulen L, Hanahan D, & Medema JP, Reconciliation of classification systems defining molecular subtypes of colorectal cancer, Cell Cycle 2014, 13(3):353-357
37. De Sousa E Mello, F^†, Wang X^†, Jansen M, Fessler E, Trinh A, et al., Poor prognosis colon cancer is defined by a distinct molecular subtype and develops from serrated precursor lesions, Nature Medicine 2013, 19(5):614-618 (co-first author, recommended by Faculty of 1000, commented or highlighted in Nature Rev Cancer, Nature Rev Clin Onc, Nature Rev Gastro, etc.)
38. Wang X, Castro MA, Mulder KW and Markowetz F, Posterior association networks and functional modules inferred from rich phenotypes of gene perturbations. PLoS Computational Biology 2012, 8(6):e1002566
39. Wang X^†, Terfve C^†, Rose JC, Markowetz F, HTSanalyzeR: an R/Bioconductor package for integrated network analysis of high-throughput screens. Bioinformatics 2011, 27(6):879