Dr. TIAN’s research interest lies in tumor microenvironment (TME), and more specifically, extracellular matrix (ECM) in the TME. Her research goal is to spatially and functionally delineate TME to understand the functional consequences and use TME components as drug and diagnostic reagent delivery targets.

2002-2006.   B.S. in Biological Sciences, Tsinghua University, Beijing, China

2006-2013.   Ph.D in Genetics, Genomics and Development, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, USA

2013-2021.   Postdoctoral fellow (2013-2018), Research scientist (2019-2021), Massachusetts Institution of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA

   

1. Tian C, Huang Y, Clauser KR, Rickelt S, Lau AN, Carr SA, Vander Heiden MG, Hynes RO*. Suppression of pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma growth and metastasis by fibrillar collagens produced selectively by tumor cells. Nature Communications, 2021 Apr 20, 12(1):2328

 

2. Tian C, Öhlund D, Rickelt S, Lidström T, Huang Y, Hao L, Zhao RT, Franklin O, Bhatia SN, Tuveson DA, Hynes RO*. Cancer-cell-derived matrisome proteins promote metastasis in pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma. Cancer Research, 2020 Apr 1, 80(7):1461-1474

 

3. Tian C, Clauser KR, Öhlund D, Rickelt S, Huang Y, Gupta M, Mani, DR, Carr SA, Tuveson DA and Hynes RO*. Proteomic study of ECM during pancreatic cancer progression reveals different contributions by tumor and stromal cells. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A, 2019 Sep 24, 116(39):19609-19618

 

4. Tian C, Shi H, Xiong S, Hu F, Xiong WC, Liu J*. The neogenin/DCC homolog UNC-40 promotes BMP signaling via the RGM protein DRAG-1 in C. elegans. Development, 2013 Oct, 140(19):4070-80

 

5. Tian C, Colledge C, Shi H, Stern MJ, Waterson RH, Liu J*. The C. elegans SoxC protein SEM-2 opposes differentiation factors to promote a proliferative blast cell fate in the postembryonic mesoderm. Development, 2011 Mar, 138(6):1033-43

 

6. Tian C, Sen D, Shi H, Foehr ML, Plavskin Y, Vatamaniuk OK, Liu J*. The RGM protein DRAG-1 positively regulates a BMP-like signaling pathway in Caenorhabditis elegans. Development, 2010 Jul, 137(14):2375-84

 

7. Tian C, Liu J*. Repulsive guidance molecules (RGMs) and neogenin in bone morphogenetic protein (BMP) signaling. Mol Reprod Dev, 2013 Sep, 80(9):700-17

1. Characterization of tumor spatial microenvironment by developing antibody-barcode-conjugate to localize extracellular proteins and transcriptomes by spatial RNA sequencing.

2. Functional interrogation of cell-cell and cell-matrix interactions in the TME

3. Using the tumor-specific/associated ECM changes to develop tumor-targeting nanobodies for non-invasive diagnostic imaging and therapeutics.

现指导学生

王志文  硕士研究生  0710Z1-基因组学  

龚锦钰  硕士研究生  0710Z1-基因组学  

潘钇橦  博士研究生  0710Z1-基因组学  

李俊  博士研究生  0710Z1-基因组学