Q&A with Dr. Yu-Hsiang Chen: Tracking Residual Cancer Cells After Treatment to Prevent Relapse
October 2, 2025Yu-Hsiang Chen, a postdoctoral trainee at the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, is using single-cell technology to study the cancer cells that remain after stem cell transplant to treat blood cancer.
Yu-Hsiang Chen, PhD, hadn’t originally planned to be a cancer researcher. But when the disease directly affected his family, he changed course in his research pursuits.
Now a postdoctoral trainee at the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Chen received a PhRMA Foundation 2025 Postdoctoral Fellowship in Translational Medicine for his research using single-cell technology to study the cancer cells that remain after stem cell transplant to treat myelodysplastic syndrome, a blood cancer.
About half of patients still relapse and die after transplant treatment. Chen is inspecting the leftover malignant cells for their RNA, protein, and genetic features to figure out how the cells evolve to avoid attack from donor immune cells. Understanding these changes could help with the development of better treatments to prevent relapse and improve outcomes for patients.
Watch this video to learn more about Chen and his research.
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