Top Chinese cancer scientist quits US post for Shenzhen as Trump cuts varsity funds
Feng, who was promoted to distinguished professor at the University of California, San Diego (UCSD) earlier this year, has joined the Shenzhen Bay Laboratory (SZBL) as director of its Cancer Research Institute, the South China Morning Post reported last night.
'I have fully joined the SZBL, and of course, I will not retain my position at UCSD, which ended as of July 31, 2025,' he was quoted as saying.
SZBL is a research platform established by Guangdong province and the city of Shenzhen to develop leading science and technology innovation centres.
Feng's research focuses on the mechanisms of liver cancer recurrence and immunotherapy for liver cancer, with his most notable contribution being the discovery of SHP2, a new enzyme.
According to the Hong Kong news outlet, Feng's departure comes as US President Donald Trump's administration imposed funding cuts on public universities, with UCSD facing possible losses ranging from US$75 million (RM330 million) to more than US$500 million (RM2.2 billion) annually.
Born in 1961 in Jiashan, Zhejiang province, Feng reportedly wanted to study mathematics before switching to biology at Hangzhou University, where elective courses in tumour biology and immunology changed his career path.
'After taking these two elective courses, I developed a strong interest in tumour immunology, particularly in immunotherapy for tumours,' he was quoted as saying.
Feng went on to earn a master's degree in immunology from the Second Military Medical University in 1984 and a PhD in molecular biology from Indiana University Bloomington in 1990, later making his mark with the 1993 discovery of SHP2 published in Science.
His recent work aims to develop new immunotherapy strategies for liver cancer that do not rely on immune checkpoint inhibitors.
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