I am a tenure-track Assistant Professor in the Department of Cell and Cancer Biology at the University of Toledo College of Medicine and Life Sciences. My long-term career goal is to become a nationally recognized leader in cancer research, focusing on defining how proteostasis and metabolic signaling pathways regulate tumor progression.

My academic training began with a Ph.D. in Physiology from National Yang-Ming University in Taiwan. I studied endothelial biology and the molecular related to cardiovascular diseases, such as atherosclerosis. After completing my mandatory military service as a Second Lieutenant in the Taiwanese Air Force, I pursued postdoctoral associate training in Physiology from National Yang-Ming University in Taiwan, following The Jackson Laboratory and later as a Research Fellow at the National Cancer Institute (NCI), NIH. Through these postdoctoral experiences, my research focuses on and is proficient in understanding proteotoxic stress responses in cancer and discovered noncanonical, transcription-independent roles for heat shock factor 1 (HSF1) in tumor growth. I found that HSF1 directly modulates mTORC1 and AMPK activity through protein-protein interactions, the results of which were published as the first author in Nature Cell Biology and Molecular Cell.

Since joining the University of Toledo, I have established an independent research program focused on the role of HSF1 in pancreatic tumorigenesis. My laboratory investigates cholesterol trafficking, lipid metabolic reprogramming, autophagy, and programmed cell death processes, including ferroptosis and cuproptosis. Our lab uses in vitro systems, genetically engineered mouse models, and preclinical approaches to uncover the vulnerabilities in pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma. Our study projects are supported by a K22 award from the NIH/NCI and the American Cancer Society Research Scholar Grant, both of which reflect my trajectory toward sustained research independence.

In the short term, I am working on expanding my research program through multidisciplinary collaboration with different research experts, including basic and translational studies. I also actively publish high-impact research and review articles and am dedicated to receiving competitive grant applications, including the NIGMS R35 MIRA, NCI R01, and DoD grants. I am also committed to mentoring the next generation of scientists through graduate teaching, course direction, and research training. I serve on multiple departmental and college committees, co-chair national or international conferences and symposiums, serve on the editorial board of famous journals, and serve as a peer reviewer in NIH study sections.

Taken together, my research program reflects a strong commitment to advancing cancer research, fostering interdisciplinary collaboration, and contributing to the university's academic mission. I am excited to continue building a productive and impactful career in biomedical science.