LuZhe Sun, Ph.D

Biography

LuZhe Sun, Ph.D.

Professor and Dielmann Chair in Oncology

Department of Cell Systems & Anatomy

Associate Director for Shared Resources, The Mays Cancer Center

University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, Texas, USA 

Investigator, Clayton Foundation for Research

Dr. LuZhe Sun received his Ph.D. degree in Physiology from Rutgers-The State University of New Jersey and UMDNJ-Robert Wood Johnson Medical School in 1990 and obtained his postdoctoral training in Cancer Biology in Baylor College of Medicine in the US.  He became an independent investigator in 1995 as Tenure-track Assistant Professor of Pharmacology in the University of Kentucky School of Medicine and is currently Professor of Cell Systems & Anatomy, Dielmann Chair in Oncology, and Associate Director for Shared Resources at the Mays Cancer Center in the University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio. Dr. Sun’s research is focused on investigating molecular mechanisms of tumorigenesis and metastasis, and novel experimental therapeutics in various models of carcinomas over the past three decades. He participated in the discovery of the tumor suppressor role of TGFβ type II receptor in hereditary non-polyposis colorectal cancer and pioneered the use of a soluble TGFβ type III receptor and the engineer of a soluble chimeric TGFβ receptor as TGFβ inhibitors for the inhibition of cancer growth, angiogenesis, and metastasis in various preclinical models of human cancers. Currently, his laboratory is investigating the effect of aging on the function, genomic integrity, and susceptibility to transformation of mammary stem/progenitor cells, and potential molecular etiology of hepatocellular carcinoma in South Texas Latinos. His research has been continuously supported with R29, R01 and P01 grants from National Institutes of Health since becoming an independent researcher, as well as grants from Department of Defense, Cancer Prevention and Research Institute of Texas, and Clayton Foundation for Research. He has served as chartered member of Cancer Biomarker Study Section and Tumor Progression and Metastasis Study Section of NIH and the Subcommittee F Initial Review Group of NCI. He has regularly been invited to participate in grant review panels by NIH and DOD. Dr. Sun has co-authored over 110 peer-reviewed research manuscripts. He was elected as AAAS Fellow by the Council of the American Association for the Advancement of Science in 2015.