Faculty News
Yibo Fan
Gastric Cancer Researcher Joins Pharmacy Practice and Translational Research Faculty
October 9 — The 91ÁÔÆæ College of Pharmacy welcomes Yibo Fan, M.D., Ph.D., as an assistant professor in the Department of Pharmacy Practice and Translational Research.
Fan earned her M.D. and Ph.D. at China Medical University. Most recently, Fan was an instructor at the University of Texas–MD Anderson Cancer Center, where she previously completed postdoctoral training in the Department of Gastrointestinal Medical Oncology and Cancer Biology.
Fan's research focuses on gastric cancer (GAC), which has persistently high mortality rates, including in the United States. Patients diagnosed with advanced GAC face limited treatment options due to the disease's complexity and the lack of preclinical models that accurately mirror human cancer biology. Through an innovative, multi-platform approach, Fan aims to uncover the molecular mechanisms behind GAC progression and drug resistance.
By integrating spatial transcriptomics, single-cell RNA sequencing and bulk RNA sequencing data from gastric cancer patients, Fan generated a detailed molecular map of the disease. Additionally, she has established a panel of genetically engineered murine models and patient-derived orthotopic models that reflect human gastric cancer. These cutting-edge resources enable systematic investigations of target genes and provide a foundation for preclinical testing of drug responses. Fan's combination of discovery-based research and technological innovation is driving new insights into gastric cancer biology and therapy.
Fan and her research have been recognized with numerous honors including the National Cancer Institute's Early Investigator Advancement Program Associate in 2025, Junior Paper Award from the National Institutes of Health Program on the Origins of Gastroesophageal Cancer in 2024, and MD Anderson Cancer Center's Outstanding Performance Award in 2023.
Fan has authored or coauthored over 50 peer-reviewed publications in such journals as Gut, Cancer Research, iScience, Cancer Letters, Journal of Experimental and Clinical Cancer Research, and Annals of Surgical Oncology.
—&²Ô²ú²õ±è;Kristin Marie Mitchener