Jing Chen, PhD, has been appointed the Associate Director for Translational Sciences for the University of Chicago Medicine Comprehensive Cancer Center, effective November 1, 2023.

Dr. Chen joined the University of Chicago in August 2020 and is the Janet Davison Rowley Distinguished Service Professor of Medicine, Director of Basic and Translational Science in the Section of Hematology/Oncology, Associate Vice Chair for Translational Science in the Department of Medicine, and the inaugural Director of the Cancer Metabolomics Research Center. As a renowned researcher in the area of cancer metabolism, Dr. Chen is interested in elucidating the signaling basis underlying cancer metabolism and nutritional influences on cancer and response to cancer therapy for improved clinical outcomes.

In his role as the first AD for Translational Sciences at the UCCCC, he will have oversight of translational research activities across the Center and oversee the current infrastructure, which includes existing working groups and the newly developing Translational Groups of Research Excellence (TGRE). Dr. Chen will play a leading role in developing and supporting TGREs that will be added over the next couple of years.

Additionally, he will partner closely with other Associate Directors, particularly the AD for Basic Sciences (Geoffrey L. Greene, PhD) and the AD for Clinical Investigation (Russell Szmulewitz, MD) to develop a translational research strategy and foster team science grants such as P01s, U01s and SPOREs.

The AD for Translational Sciences is a member of the Cancer Center’s senior leadership team and will be a critical member of the Executive Committee.