As a physician-scientist, Dr. Wang is the principal investigator of several translational research projects on aberrant signal transduction pathways in B-cell lymphoma and leukemia.

1. Targeting B-cell receptor signaling (BCR) in lymphoid malignancies. Wang lab is one of the pioneers who explored the idea of targeting BCR signaling in lymphoid malignancies before BCR-directed therapies become well-known and successful. Using inhibitors of LYN, SYK and BTK, the lab has demonstrated the critical role of BCR signaling in lymphoma cell proliferation and survival in diffuse large B cell lymphoma (DLBCL), CLL and mantle cell lymphoma. Their work helped open a new therapeutic area.

2. Mechanisms of resistance to BCR-targeted therapies. An important aspect of Dr. Wang’s work on BCR signaling-targeted therapies focuses on the characterization of the molecular mechanisms underlying drug sensitivity and resistance. In particular, Wang lab contributed significantly to the understanding of the mechanisms leading to primary and secondary resistance to BTK inhibition including their discovery of the BTK C481S mutation. Their innovative work had resulted in two US patents besides publications.

3. Strategies to overcome BCR resistance. Besides revealing the resistance mechanisms to BCR-targeted therapies, Wang Lab also works on developing strategies to overcome such resistance. The research has helped shape the development of second generation of BTK inhibitors as well as development of new strategies to overcome resistance by the lab and by the scientific community at large.