COLUMBUS, Ohio – Yiping Yang, MD, PhD, has been appointed director of the Division of Hematology, a central clinical and research leadership role at both The Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center – Arthur G. James Cancer Hospital and Richard J. Solove Research Institute (OSUCCC – James) and The Ohio State University College of Medicine. His appointment is effective Aug.1, 2019

Yang most recently served as co-director of the hematologic malignancies and cell therapies program and professor of medicine/immunology at the Duke Cancer Institute and Duke University School of Medicine, where he has been on the faculty since 2002.

During his time at Duke, Yang was instrumental in building the cancer institute’s tumor immunology and viral immunity research program. An engaged clinician and active scientist, Yang specializes in the treatment of lymphoma, leukemia and virus-associated malignancies.

Yang brings two National Institutes of Health-funded research studies to the OSUCCC – James. The first focuses on strategies for cancer immunotherapy in stem cell transplant, and the second supports research of T memory stem cells. His research interests focus on tumor immunology and viral immunity, with the ultimate goal of developing effective immunotherapy approaches for treating cancer. Current projects include investigating novel NK and T cell-mediated strategies for cancer immunotherapy with stem cell transplant, understanding mechanisms for the generation of long-lived tumor-specific memory T cells and numerous studies focused on enhancing scientific understanding of the elements of the tumor-microenvironment in cancer development and progression.

Yang will be a key collaborator in the Pelotonia Institute for Immuno-Oncology (PIIO), a comprehensive bench-to-bedside research initiative at the OSUCCC – James launched in July 2019. The PIIO is focused on harnessing the body’s immune system to fight cancer at all levels — from prevention to treatment and survivorship. Zihai Li, MD, PhD, serves as founding director of the PIIO.

“We are building an exceptional immuno-oncology team here that will propel us forward in the field of immuno-oncology. We are excited that Dr. Yang has decided to bring his research and clinical expertise to Columbus for the benefit of central Ohio,” says Raphael Pollock, MD, PhD, director of the OSUCCC.

Yang will serve as a professor of medicine in the Ohio State College of Medicine Division of Hematology. The division includes 65 total faculty (clinical, translational and basic research) who hold more than $10 million in industry clinical research support and more than $12 million in annual competitive grant funding.

Yang’s work has generated more than 100 published, peer-reviewed manuscripts in leading scientific journals and has culminated in two current principal investigator R01 grants from the National Institutes of Health. Yang has also assumed numerous national leadership roles related to research and education, including serving on the National Institutes of Health’s Immune Mechanisms of Viral Control Program committee, and the American Society of Gene and Cell Therapy’s Immunology of Gene & Cell Therapy and Cancer Gene & Cell Therapy committees. A recognized leader in the field of immune mechanisms, he is a past associate editor of the Journal of Clinical Investigation and current associate editor of the Journal of Clinical Investigation Insight.

To learn more about the hematology research and treatment teams at the OSUCCC – James, visit cancer.osu.edu.

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About the OSUCCC – James
The OSUCCC – James strives to create a cancer-free world by integrating scientific research with excellence in education and patient-centered care, a strategy that leads to better methods of prevention, detection and treatment. Ohio State is one of only 50 National Cancer Institute (NCI)-designated Comprehensive Cancer Centers and one of only a few centers funded by the NCI to conduct both phase I and phase II clinical trials on novel anticancer drugs sponsored by the NCI. As the cancer program’s 356-bed adult patient-care component, The James is one of the top cancer hospitals in the nation as ranked by U.S. News & World Report and has achieved Magnet® designation, the highest honor an organization can receive for quality patient care and professional nursing practice. At 21 floors and with more than 1.1 million square feet, The James is a transformational facility that fosters collaboration and integration of cancer research and clinical cancer care. For more information, visit cancer.osu.edu.

Media Contact:
Amanda J. Harper
OSUCCC – James Media Relations
614-685-5420
Amanda.Harper2@osumc.edu