5 Questions with New Faculty Member Qian Yin
For many years, Qian Yin has been on a mission to develop advanced cancer immunotherapies and universal vaccines against influenza and SARS-CoV-2. She joined the Department of Biomedical Engineering in 2024, where she will continue her immunology research and leverage her expertise to create a unique research program at UT.
What was your previous position and where?
I was an instructor in the Institute for Immunology, Transplantation, and Infection at Stanford University.
What is your research area, and what does it aim to achieve?
My research lies at the intersection of engineering and immunology, employing a biomaterials-centric approach to precisely modulate the immune system and develop efficient therapies. I have designed material tools that enable answering fundamental questions in immunology and developing advanced therapies against cancer and infectious diseases.
What is your current specific research focus?
I will leverage my expertise in both engineering and immunology to create a unique research program at UT Austin. Specifically, I will employ the biomaterials I developed to address the fundamental questions related to anti-tumor immune responses in glioblastoma or germinal center responses in vaccination. Then, I will apply the obtained knowledge to optimize my technologies for developing new cancer immunotherapies and universal vaccines for influenza or SARS-CoV-2 viruses. I will also establish human tumor and immune organoid models in my lab to advance these therapies to treat human diseases.
Where did you obtain your degrees and previous educational experience?
I obtained my Ph.D. in materials science and engineering at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign in 2015. I obtained my bachelor’s degree in chemistry at the University of Science and Technology of China in 2010. My work as a postdoc and later as an instructor at Stanford University has led to three patent applications.
Any publications and or notable awards?
I have 11 first-authored publications in prestigious journals. I am the recipient of the CPRIT First-Time, Tenure Track Faculty award, Stanford Cancer Institute Fellowship/Ellie Guardino Research Fund, NCI CCNE-TD Pilot Project award, CRI Lloyd J Old Memorial Fellowship and Irvington Postdoctoral Fellowship, NCI M-CNTC Fellowship, Nadine Barrie Smith Memorial Fellowship, Beckman Institute Graduate Fellowship, 3M Graduate Fellow, and Racheff-Intel Award.