Hien T. Dang, PhD, and Yotsawat Pomyen, PhD, first began collaborating in 2016 while they were both working at the National Cancer Institute’s Laboratory of Human Carcinogenesis (LHC). In 2024, Dr. Pomyen again joined forces with Dr. Dang–this time in her laboratory at Jefferson, where he has been working as a Fulbright Thai Visiting Scholar (see sidebar).
Dr. Pomyen, a computational biologist, specializes in primary liver cancer research and is a member of Thailand’s Initiative on Gene Expression Research–Liver Cancer (TIGER-LC). His academic background includes a Master of Science in Bioinformatics from King Mongkut’s University of Technology Thonburi, as well as a Master of Science in Modern Epidemiology and a Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) in Biostatistics & Bioinformatics from Imperial College London.
As a computational biologist, Dr. Pomyen’s expertise lies at the intersection of mathematics, biology and computer science: “With my background in bioinformatics and biostatistics, I am able to utilize, modify and manipulate any statistical and mathematical methods and combine them with a high-performance computing (HPC) facility to solve biological problems,” he says.
In addition to liver cancer, he has studied tumors of the breast, lung and bile ducts–and his computational methods can be applied to any type of cancer. While working in the Dang Lab, Dr. Pomyen has been focusing on pancreatic cancer, which often spreads to the liver, lungs or lymph nodes.
Using data from the Jefferson Molecular Profiling of Pancreatic Cancer Program, he is performing spatial transcriptome analyses in the tumor microenvironment. This work supports three key goals: understanding how normal cells and cancer cells communicate with each other; studying the specific signals they send to or exchange with each other; and identifying changes in these cellular behaviors that occur in response to existing cancer treatments.
“By applying advanced statistical methods to huge quantities of data, we can start to identify biomarkers that might help us diagnose pancreatic cancer much sooner,” he says. “In addition, we want to support development of highly targeted therapies so patients can be treated more effectively and with fewer side effects and less risk of the pancreatic cancer spreading to other organs.”
“This is the beginning of a blossoming research collaboration that will not only help us understand the biology of pancreatic cancer but also the diverse risk factors associated with pancreatic cancer,” said Dr. Dang. For more information about the Dang Laboratory, visit jefferson.edu/danglab.
The Fulbright Thai Visiting Scholar Program
Each year, the Thailand-United States Educational Foundation (Fulbright Thailand) offers up to three grants to mid-career Thai national scholars in a variety of fields to lecture, pursue research or undertake special academic-related projects in the United States.
Yotsawat Pomyen, PhD, a research scientist in the Translational Research Unit of Chulabhorn Research Institute in Bangkok, developed a proposal in collaboration with Hien T. Dang, PhD, J. Wallace Davis and Gail G. Davis Chair in Surgery and Vice Chair for Research at Jefferson.
The proposal was selected, and Dr. Pomyen began his tenure as Thai Visiting Scholar and Foster Fellow in the Dang Laboratory at Jefferson in September 2024. He is expected to return to Thailand in February 2025, with aspirations for continued collaboration with Dr. Dang.
Recommended Citation
(2024)
"Dang Laboratory Hosts Computational Biologist Studying Pancreatic Tumor Microenvironment,"
Jefferson Surgical Solutions: Vol. 20:
Iss.
2, Article 1.
Available at:
https://jdc.jefferson.edu/jss/vol20/iss2/1
Former NCI colleagues Drs. Hien Dang and Yotsawat Pomyen (seated center and left) are working together again with the dedicated Dang Laboratory team in the College Building.