The research direction of Liqin's lab is closely integrated with clinical practice, mainly using high-throughput functional genetic and compound screens to explore new drug targets or new treatment strategies for anti-cancer treatments. The lab also studies the molecular mechanisms for treatment responses or resistance, to develop precise, rational and effective drug combinations. The lab also focuses on exploiting senescence for cancer treatment, developing senolytic drugs, and the connection between cancer cell senescence and the immune system.

Rational drug combinations, cellular senescence and senolytics

2012.11-2018.06 Netherlands Cancer Institute        Molecular Carcinogenesis PhD

2011.09-2012.08 University van Amsterdam        Biomedical sciences MSc  

2004.09-2008.06 Han University of applied sciences    Life sciences BSc

1. Wang L#, Lankhorst L, Bernards R*. Exploiting senescence for the treatment of cancer. Nature reviews cancer. 2022 Jun;22(6):340-355 (Issue cover)
2. Jin H*, Wang L*, Bernards R*. Rational combinations of targeted cancer therapies: background, advances and challenges. Nature Reviews Drug Discovery. 2022,Dec 12. (Issue cover)
3. Wang L#, Leite de Oliveira R#, Pencheva N, Brunen D, Bosma A, de Vries T, and Bernards R*. An acquired vulnerability of drug resistant melanoma with therapeutic potential. Cell.2018 May 31;173(6):1413-1425.e14. 
4. Sun C#, Wang L#, Huang, S#, Heynen G.J.J.E, Prahallad A, Robert C, Haanen J, Blank C, Wesseling J,Willems S.M, Zecchin D, Hobor S, Bajpe P.K, Lieftink C, Mateus C, Mateus C, Vagner S, GrernrumW, Hofland I, Schlicker A, Wessels L, Beijersbergen R.L, Bardelli A, Di. Nicolantonio F, Eggermont A.M.M and Bernards R*. (2014). Reversible and adaptive resistance to BRAF(V600E) inhibition in melanoma. Nature 508, 118-122
5. Wang L#*, Jin H, Jochems F, Wang S, Lieftink C, Martinez I, De Conti G, Edwards F, Leite de Oliveira R, Schepers A, Zhou Y, Zheng J, Wu W, Zheng X, Yuan S, Ling J, Jastrzebski K, Dias M, Song J, Celie P, Yagita H, Yao M, Zhou W, Beijersbergen R, Qin W*, Bernards R*. cFLIP suppression and DR5 activation sensitize senescent cancer cells to senolysis. Nature Cancer. 2022 Nov;3(11):1284-1299. 
6. Wang L#, Sustic T#, Leite de Oliveira R#, Lieftink C, Halonen P, van de Ven M, Beijersbergen RL, van den Heuvel MM, Bernards R, van der Heijden MS*. (2017). A Functional Genetic Screen Identifies the Phosphoinositide 3-kinase Pathway as a Determinant of Resistance to Fibroblast Growth Factor Receptor Inhibitors in FGFR Mutant Urothelial Cell Carcinoma. European Urology. 2017 Jan 17. pii: S0302- 2838(17)30037-4.