Lili Wang, MD, PhD

  • Professor of Medical Sciences (in Medicine)

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Overview

Lili Wang is a professor of medical sciences (in Medicine) at Columbia University. Her research centers on the molecular mechanisms driving hematologic malignancies, with a particular emphasis on chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) and aggressive lymphoma transformation. She is a faculty member of CLL Program at Columbia. Dr. Wang’s laboratory investigates how RNA splicing factor mutations and dysregulation of RNA splicing and RNA epigenetic programs contribute to malignant transformation, disease progression, and therapeutic vulnerability in B-cell malignancies. The lab uses genetically engineered murine models and clinical samples coupled with functional genomics, RNA biology, and metabolism to identify clinically actionable biomarkers and therapeutic strategies for CLL and other aggressive lymphomas, ultimately bridging mechanistic discovery with translational impact.

Academic Appointments

  • Professor of Medical Sciences (in Medicine)

Languages

  • Chinese
  • English

Credentials & Experience

Education & Training

  • MD, 1994 China Medical University
  • MS, 1998 Immunology, China Medical University
  • PhD, 2003 Immunology, Tokai University
  • Fellowship: 2008 Immunology, Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL
  • Fellowship: 2013 Cancer Biology, Division of Hematologic Neoplasia, Department of Medical Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA

Research

The Wang Lab in the Division of Hematology & Oncology at Columbia University Irving Medical Center investigates how dysregulation of RNA splicing and RNA modification programs drives the initiation, progression, and therapeutic vulnerability of B-cell malignancies, with a particular focus on chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL). We define how splicing factor mutations and aberrant RNA regulatory mechanisms reprogram gene expression and cellular metabolism, reshape tumor–microenvironment interactions, and influence treatment response, thereby promoting disease progression, transformation, and relapse.

The Wang Lab integrates multi-omics analyses with genetically engineered and patient-derived murine models, CRISPR-based functional screens, RNA biology approaches, and metabolic profiling, together with well-annotated clinical samples and outcomes. By coupling mechanistic discovery with in vivo disease modeling, the lab aims to uncover RNA-driven vulnerabilities, identify clinically actionable biomarkers, and develop novel therapeutic strategies for CLL and other aggressive lymphomas, bridging fundamental RNA biology with translational and patient-centered impact.

Selected Publications

  1. Iyer P, Zhang B, Liu T, Jin M, Hart K, Zhang J, Siegert V, Remke M, Wang X, Yu L, Song J, Venkataraman G, Chan WC, Jia Z, Buchner M, Siddiqi T, Rosen ST, Danilov A, Wang L. MGA deletion leads to Richter's transformation via modulation of mitochondrial OXPHOS. Sci Transl Med. 2024.
  2. Cusan M, Shen H, Zhang B, Liao A, Yang L, Jin M, Fernandez M, Iyer P, Wu Y, Hart K, Gutierrez C, Nik S, Pruett-Miller SM, Stark J, Obeng E, Bowman TV, Wu CJ, Lin RJ, Wang L. SF3B1 mutation and ATM deletion co-drive leukemogenesis via centromeric R-loop dysregulation. J Clin Invest 2023.
  3. Wu Y, Jin M, Fernandez M, Fernandez M, Hart KL, Liao A, Ge X, Fernandes SM, McDonald T, Chen Z, Röth D, Ghoda LY, Marcucci G, Kalkum M, Pillai RK, Danilov AV, Li JJ, Chen J, Brown JR, Rosen ST, Siddiqi T, Wang L. METTL3-mediated m6A modification controls splicing factor abundance and contributes to aggressive CLL. Blood Cancer Discov. 2023 4(3):228-245. PMCID: 37067905.
  4. Yi S, Yan Y, Jin M, Bhattacharya S, Wang Y, Wu Y, Yang L, Gine E, Clot G, Chen L, Yu Y, Zou D, Wang J, Phan A, Cui R, Li F, Sun Q, Zhai Q, Wang T, Yu Z, Liu L, Liu W, Lyv R, Sui W, Huang W, Xiong W, Wang H, Li C, Xiao Z, Hao M, Wang J, Chen gT, Bea S, Herrera A, Danilov A, Campo E, Ngo V, Qiu L, Wang L. Genomic and transcriptomic profiling reveals distinct molecular subsets associated with outcomes in mantle cell lymphoma. J Clin Invest 2022. Feb 1; 132(3). PMCID: 8803323.
  5. Yin S, Gambe R, Sun, J, Martinez, AZ, Cartun JZ, Regis, F, Wan Y, Fan, J, Brooks, AN, Herman SE, ten Hacken E, Taylor-Weiner, A, Rassenti L, Ghia EM, Kipps TJ, Obeng EA, Cibulaskis C, Neuberg D, Campagna DR, Fleming MD, Ebert BL, Wiestner A, Leshchiner I, DeCaprio JA, Getz G, Reed R, Carrasco RD, Wu CJ, Wang L. A murine model of chronic lymphocytic leukemia based on B cell-restricted expression of Sf3b1 mutation and Atm deletion. Cancer Cell 2019 35(2):283-296.
  6. Wang L, Brooks AL, Fan J, Wan Y, Gambe R, Li S, Hergert S, Freeman SS, Levin JZ, Fan L, Seiler M, Buonamici S, Smith PG, Chau KF, Cibulskis CL, Zhang W, Rassent LZ, Ghia EM, Kipps TJ, Fernandes S, Bloch DB, Kotliar D, Landau DA, Shukla S, Aster JC, Reed R, DeLuca DS, Brown JR, Neuberg D, Getz G, Livak KJ, Meyerson MM, Kharchenko PV, Wu CJ. Transcriptomic characterization of SF3B1 mutation reveals its pleiotropic effects in chronic lymphocytic leukemia. Cancer Cell. 2016 30(5): 750-763.
  7. Wang L, Lawrence MS, Wan Y, Stojanov P, Sougnez C, Stevenson K, Werner L, Sivachenko A, Deluca DS, Zhang L, Zhang W, Vartanov AR, Fernandes SM, Goldstein NR, Folco EG, Cibulskis K, Tesar B, Sievers QL, Shefler E, Gabriel S, Hacohen N, Reed R, Meyerson M, Golub TR, Lander ES, Neuberg D, Brown JR, Getz G, Wu CJ. SF3B1 and other novel cancer genes in chronic lymphocytic leukemia. N Engl J Med, 2011 365(26):2497-506. PMC3685413

For a complete list of publications, please visit PubMed.gov