Doctorate Xuemei Xie: Assistant Professor at University of Hawaii Cancer Center, United States
Dr. Xuemei Xie is a cancer biologist and translational oncology researcher currently serving as an Assistant Professor in the Cancer Biology Program at the University of Hawai‘i Cancer Center. With a research career spanning over two decades across China, Canada, and the United States, she has developed an internationally recognized profile in aggressive breast cancer research, particularly in triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) and inflammatory breast cancer. Her work bridges basic science and clinical translation, focusing on the tumor microenvironment, signal transduction pathways, and novel therapeutic strategies. Through extensive collaborations, grant-funded projects, and impactful publications, Dr. Xie has established herself as a leading voice in breast cancer translational research.
Online Profiles
Dr. Xie maintains an active academic presence through several professional and scholarly platforms. Her Google Scholar profile tracks over 50 peer-reviewed publications in oncology and immunology, while her ResearchGate profile shares research updates, project summaries, and full-text access. She also contributes to editorial and peer review efforts for leading journals such as Cancer Immunology, Immunotherapy, Biomedicines, and Frontiers in Medicine. Additionally, she may be listed on her institutional faculty page at the University of Hawai‘i Cancer Center and may maintain a presence on LinkedIn for networking and academic outreach.
Education
Dr. Xie received her foundational training in biology with a B.Sc. in Zoology from Lanzhou University in China (1988–1992). She later pursued advanced graduate studies in Canada, earning her M.Sc. in Reproductive Immunology at the University of Guelph (2002–2004), where she focused on murine immune cell function during pregnancy. She continued her doctoral research at the same institution in Recombinant Antibody Engineering Technology (2004–2009), with her Ph.D. research funded by competitive Canadian scholarships including the NSERC Canada Graduate Scholarship D. She then completed a prestigious postdoctoral fellowship at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, where she specialized in breast and ovarian cancer biology.
Research Focus
Dr. Xie’s research centers on understanding and targeting key signaling pathways and immune mechanisms that promote tumor progression, metastasis, and therapy resistance in breast cancer. She is particularly focused on the immunosuppressive role of the JNK pathway in the tumor microenvironment, and how it drives immune evasion in TNBC. Her team investigates targeted therapies, including immunoproteasome inhibitors, CDK7 and androgen receptor inhibitors, and antibody-drug conjugates. Her work also integrates pharmacologic, transcriptomic, and immunologic methods to identify synergistic drug combinations and predictive biomarkers, with the long-term goal of advancing personalized therapy for breast cancer patients.
Experience
Dr. Xie brings a rich combination of academic and industry experience. She began her career as a faculty member in the Department of Biology at Qinghai Normal University, then transitioned to biomedical research in Canada and the U.S. She spent over a decade at MD Anderson Cancer Center in roles ranging from postdoctoral fellow to senior research scientist, leading preclinical projects and mentoring trainees. In the biotech sector, she served as Principal Scientist and Director of Oncology and Pharmacology at Wuhan YZY Biopharma, where she led immunotherapy programs and contributed to FDA IND applications. In 2023, she joined the University of Hawai‘i Cancer Center as Assistant Professor, launching her independent research program on TNBC.
Research Timeline
Dr. Xie’s scientific career spans more than 30 years and reflects a continuous evolution in cancer research. Between 1992 and 1999, she taught and conducted reproductive ecology research in China. From 2002 to 2009, she conducted graduate and doctoral research in immunology and antibody engineering in Canada. From 2010 to 2023, she held research appointments at MD Anderson Cancer Center, contributing significantly to preclinical therapeutic development. Her recent transition to faculty leadership at the University of Hawai‘i Cancer Center in 2023 marked the launch of her NIH R01-funded independent lab focused on immunomodulatory therapies in breast cancer.
Awards & Honors
Dr. Xie has been widely recognized for her scientific contributions and mentoring excellence. Her accolades include the 1st Prize Poster Award at the 2025 International Workshop on Inflammatory Breast Cancer in Tunisia, the 2021 Zeta Tau Alpha (ZTA) Fellowship Award at MD Anderson, and multiple Employee Performance Awards for research excellence. She is also a past recipient of the Susan G. Komen Postdoctoral Fellowship and NSERC Canada Scholarships. Her consistent recognition—from early academic scholarships to competitive international research grants—underscores her sustained impact in oncology research and her commitment to scientific advancement.
Top-Noted Publication
Among her many influential publications, one of the most impactful is: Xie X, et al. Targeting CDK7 enhances the antitumor efficacy of enzalutamide in androgen receptor-positive triple-negative breast cancer by inhibiting c-MYC-mediated tumorigenesis. Molecular Cancer Therapeutics (2025); 24(6):870–883. This study identified a promising strategy for overcoming resistance to androgen receptor inhibitors by dual-targeting CDK7, providing a foundation for future clinical trials. The work is notable for its mechanistic depth and translational relevance, marking a key advancement in targeted therapy for a challenging breast cancer subtype.
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Targeting CDK7 Enhances the Antitumor Efficacy of Enzalutamide in Androgen Receptor–Positive Triple-Negative Breast Cancer by Inhibiting c-MYC–mediated Tumorigenesis
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Type: Preprint
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Date: 2025-06-04
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Contributors: Xuemei Xie, Maroua Manai, Dileep R. Rampa, Jon A. Fuson, Elizabeth S. Nakasone, Troy Pearson, Bharat S. Kuntal, Debu Tripathy, Naoto T. Ueno, Jangsoon Lee
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Source: Crossref
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LMP7-Specific Inhibitor M3258 Modulates the Tumor Microenvironment of Triple-Negative Breast Cancer and Inflammatory Breast Cancer
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Type: Journal article
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Date: 2025-06-04
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Contributors: Xuemei Xie, Jangsoon Lee, Ganiraju C. Manyam, Troy Pearson, Gina Walter-Bausch, Manja Friese-Hamim, Sheng Zhao, Julia Jabs, Angela A. Manginelli, Nadine Piske et al.
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Source: Crossref
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Supplementary Figure S1 from Targeting CDK7 Enhances the Antitumor Efficacy of Enzalutamide in Androgen Receptor–Positive Triple-Negative Breast Cancer
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Type: Preprint Supplementary
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Date: 2025-06-04
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Contributors: Same as main preprint
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Source: Crossref
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Supplementary Figure S2 from Targeting CDK7 Enhances the Antitumor Efficacy of Enzalutamide in Androgen Receptor–Positive Triple-Negative Breast Cancer
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Type: Preprint Supplementary
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Date: 2025-06-04
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Contributors: Same as main preprint
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Source: Crossref
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Supplementary Figure S3 from Targeting CDK7 Enhances the Antitumor Efficacy of Enzalutamide in Androgen Receptor–Positive Triple-Negative Breast Cancer
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Type: Preprint Supplementary
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Date: 2025-06-04
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Contributors: Same as main preprint
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Source: Crossref
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