Jia Shen, PhD
Assistant Professor of Medical & Molecular Genetics
- Phone
- (812) 855-4724
- Address
-
Biology Building 202
MSCI
BL
Bloomington, IN
Bio
Dr. Shen earned his Ph.D. degree from Chinese Academy of Sciences in 2014, where he focused on cancer mechanistic study and drug screens. He then worked as a drug development scientist at AstraZeneca Pharmaceuticals. Dr. Shen pursued postdoctoral training at the NCI-Designated Cancer Center at Sanford Burnham Prebys Medical Discovery Institute in La Jolla, California, with a focus on functional genomics and targeting tumor-intrinsic mechanisms to augment cancer immunotherapy responses. In 2023, Dr. Shen joined the IU School of Medicine as an Assistant Professor in the Department of Medical and Molecular Genetics and the Medical Sciences Program. His laboratory utilizes various patient-derived samples and employs a combination of bioinformatic and experimental techniques, including functional genomics, single-cell and spatial omics, mouse models, and drug screens, to unveil the mechanisms of cancer stem cell maintenance and resistance to immunosurveillance, with the goal of developing cancer stem cell-based targeted therapies and immunotherapies for brain cancers.
Lab: https://sites.google.com/view/shen-laboratory/welcome
Key Publications
Selected Publications:
- Li C, Xie Q, Ghosh S, Cao B, Du Y, Vo GV, Huang TY, Spruck C, Carpenter RL, Wang YA, Lu QR, Nephew KP, Shen J. SUV39H1 maintains cancer stem cell chromatin state and properties in glioblastoma. JCI Insight. 2025 Mar 10;10(5).
- Xie Q, Du Y, Ghosh S, Rajendran S, Cohen-Gadol AA, Baizabal JM, Nephew KP, Han L, Shen J. Multi-omics analysis identifies glioblastoma dependency on H3K9me3 methyltransferase activity. NPJ Precis Oncol. 2025 Mar 20;9(1):78.
- Poorva P, Mast J, Cao B, Shah MV, Pollok KE, Shen J. Killing the killers: Natural killer cell therapy targeting glioma stem cells in high-grade glioma. Mol Ther. 2025 Mar 3:S1525-0016(25)00168-6.
- Cao B, Liu M, Xiao Z, Leng D, Zhou Y, Zhang Z, Wang L, Huang X, Ni Q, Cheng W, Assaraf YG, Zhao Q*, Shen J*, Zhu K*. CV1-secreting sCAR-T cells potentiate the abscopal effect of microwave ablation in heterogeneous tumors. Cell Rep Med. 2025 Feb 18;6(2):101965. *: co-corresponding authors
- Shen J, Qiu Z, Wu Q, Finlay D, Garcia G, Sun D, Rantala J, Barshop W, Hope JL, Gimple RC, Sangfelt O, Bradley LM, Wohlschlegel J, Rich JN, Spruck C. FBXO44 promotes DNA replication-coupled repetitive element silencing in cancer cells. Cell. 2021 Jan 21;184(2):352-369.e23.
| Year | Degree | Institution |
|---|---|---|
| 2020 | Postdoctoral Training | Sanford Burnham Prebys Discovery Institute |
| 2014 | PhD | Chinese Academy of Sciences |
| 2011 | MS | East China Normal University |
| 2008 | BS | Zhejiang Sci-Tech University |
In close collaboration with clinical physicians and surgeons, the Shen laboratory harnesses patient-derived samples to advance brain cancer research. Employing a fusion of cutting-edge computational and experimental methodologies, including single-cell and spatial omics analyses, mouse models, and drug screening, we are dedicated to unraveling the intricate mechanisms underlying brain tumor development and treatment resistance. Our primary mission is to pioneer innovative immunotherapies for brain tumors in adults and children, with a specialized focus on targeting the unique characteristics of cancer stem cells.