Ling Cai, PhD, has been promoted to associate professor. She joined Duke Pathology in 2023, and is dedicated to developing novel therapeutic approaches for cancers, including advanced prostate cancer.
Cai’s research group focuses on uncovering the genetic and epigenetic drivers of cancer, with the goal of identifying new treatment options. Her team investigates how key transcription factors and chromatin regulators influence tumor development, metastasis, and treatment resistance, using an integrated combination of biochemical, genomic, and cancer biology methods.
Cai’s research team has published numerous studies that contribute to the current understanding of advanced prostate cancer and other types of cancer and pave the way for breakthroughs that could lead to more tailored and effective therapies.
She received her PhD degree from the University of California, San Diego (UCSD) and conducted postdoctoral training at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center (MSKCC) and at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (UNC-Chapel Hill). Before her appointment at Duke, she was an assistant professor in the Department of Genetics at UNC-Chapel Hill.