Qian Tan, MD, PhD

Qian Susie Tan, MD, MSc, Ph.D. is a postdoctoral fellow with Prof. Branimir I. Sikic in the division of oncology at Stanford University School of Medicine. She received her bachelor’s (1999) in medicine from Tianjin Medical University in China. She was conferred master’s (2009) in science at York University in Canada. She obtained her doctorate (2015) in medical biophysics at University of Toronto with major in oncology under the guidance of Prof. Ian F. Tannock (Order of Canada recipient). As a result of Dr. Tan’s scientific work, Dr. Tannock obtained a 3-year CIHR grant to perform a Phase II study in prostate cancer patients. Dr. Tan also nominated for rising star Prostate Cancer Canada award in 2013.

Dr. Tan is currently investigating the role of activated macrophages as a novel cancer therapy for ovarian cancers, by inhibiting the “don’t-eat-me” signal CD47, in collaboration with Irving Weissman’s group, who have pioneered this approach. Her CD47 research is supported by NIH grant to Prof. Sikic, and the Virginia and D.K. Ludwig Fund for Cancer Research to Prof. Weissman.