Qiuchen Zhao

Department of Pathology

Qiuchen Zhao's research identified immunosuppressive steroids as a key barrier to effective anti-tumour immunity in aggressive cancers such as triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) and glioblastoma (GBM). The research demonstrated that genetic ablation of steroidogenesis via a Cyp11a1 conditional knockout mouse model significantly restricted TNBC tumour growth and reduced tumour-associated macrophage infiltration. Moreover, pharmacological inhibition of steroidogenesis using the AI-screened drug Posaconazole markedly reduced tumour expansion in a humanised mouse model, with further improvements observed when combined with a PD-L1 inhibitor.

Qiuchen aims to translate these scientific discoveries into practical applications, ultimately striving to improve patient outcomes by leveraging his research findings.