The Wistar Institute Appoints Bin Tian, Ph.D., as Professor in the Cancer Center and Co-director of the Center for Systems & Computational Biology

PHILADELPHIA — (May, 1, 2020) — The Wistar Institute, an international biomedical research leader in cancer, immunology and infectious diseases, announces the appointment of molecular systems biologist Bin Tian, Ph.D., as professor in the Cancer Center.

“I am excited to join the high-caliber faculty and collaborative culture at Wistar, a premier research institution with a long, distinguished history of fundamental achievements,” said Tian. “The wide spectrum of technology support at the Institute will be instrumental to advance my work. I look forward to further expanding my research into cancer and immunity through collaboration with Wistar colleagues.”

A molecular biologist by training, Tian focuses on RNA biology and understanding how gene expression is regulated at the post-transcriptional level. His research involves interdisciplinary approaches, including molecular biology, genomics and computational biology, to study RNA biogenesis and metabolism. His lab was among the first to characterize the functional genomics of alternative polyadenylation and has uncovered its role in many diverse cellular processes.

“Bin’s research has led to groundbreaking advances understanding the role of alternative polyadenylation in development and cell differentiation as well as in the context of cancer and cellular stress,” said Dario C. Altieri, M.D., Wistar president and CEO, director of the Cancer Center, and the Robert and Penny Fox Distinguished Professor. “Bin’s work strengthens our RNA biology research and brings expertise in complex computational and genomic methods that will synergize with the work of our scientists across our research programs.”

Tian joins Wistar from Rutgers New Jersey Medical School where he was a professor. Tian serves on several editorial boards and review panels, and has published more than 150 research articles, reviews, and book chapters. In 2000, he received a Ph.D. degree in molecular biology from Rutgers Biomedical and Health Sciences (formerly UMDNJ). After receiving his Ph.D., Tian was appointed a postdoctoral fellow in bioinformatics and genomics at Johnson & Johnson Pharmaceutical Research & Development in La Jolla, CA. Then in 2003, he established his research group at Rutgers New Jersey Medical School where he became a tenured professor in 2014.

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The Wistar Institute is an international leader in biomedical research with special expertise in cancer, immunology, infectious diseases and vaccine development. Founded in 1892 as the first independent nonprofit biomedical research institute in the United States, Wistar has held the prestigious Cancer Center designation from the National Cancer Institute since 1972. The Institute works actively to ensure that research advances move from the laboratory to the clinic as quickly as possible. wistar.org.