Tien Laboratory
About
We actively pursue new drug combination clinical trials for brain tumor patients. The newly developed Phase 0 platform combined with precision medicine allows us to understand pharmacodynamic endpoints in the tumor, providing insights for overcoming the brain-blood barrier and drug target inhibition. The newly established Ivy Pharmacodynamics Core is CLIA-certified where our assays and biosamples are validated and carefully monitored to provide trustworthy clinical quality results. Our long-term goal is to understand cellular and molecular mechanisms underlying glioma formation, thereby speeding current drug discovery processes for glioma treatment in patients.
Current Research
Some of the ongoing projects are focused on addressing following:
- Biomarker and genomic analyses with next generation sequencing (IvySeq) to provide personalized enrollment recommendation.
- Pharmacodynamic analysis to assess treatment response and target modulation.
- Understanding resistance mechanisms of targeted inhibitors underlying disease progression.
Lab Members
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Siddhi Desai, PhDPostdoctoral Fellow
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Hualin Zhang, PhDPostdoctoral Fellow
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Jordan FakhouryResearch Technician
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Sophie HaberskiResearch Technician
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Eymi McDanielResearch Technician
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Brian PhamResearch Technician
Publications
- Sanai et al., An early clinical trial of 5-ALA sonodynamic therapy in recurrent high-grade glioma. November 2025.
- Johnson et al., Single-nucleus transcriptomics, pharmacokinetics, and pharmacodynamics of CDK4/6 and mTOR inhibition in a Phase 0/1 trial of recurrent high-grade glioma . November 2025.
- Monje et al., Intravenous and intracranial GD2-CAR T cells for H3K27M+ diffuse midline gliomas. November 2024.
- Lo Casio et al., Quisinostat is a brain-penetrant radiosensitizer in glioblastoma . November 2023.
- Tien et al., A Phase 0 Trial of Ribociclib in Recurrent Glioblastoma Patients Incorporating a Tumor Pharmacodynamic- and Pharmacokinetic-Guided Expansion Cohort. July 8, 2019.
- Griveau et al., A glial signature and Wnt7 signaling regulates glioma-vascular interactions and tumor microenvironment Cancer Cell April 19, 2018.
- Zhou et al., A sequentially priming phosphorylation cascade activates the gliomagenic transcription factor Olig2 Cell Reports April 18, 2017.
- Kupp et al., Lineage-restricted Olig2-RTK signaling governs the molecular subtype of glioma stem-like cells September 13, 2016.
- Tsai et al., Oligodendrocyte precursors migrate along vasculature in the developing nervous system. January 22, 2016.
- Yang et al., Rapamycin ameliorates age-dependent obesity associated with increased mTOR signaling in hypothalamic POMC neurons. August 9, 2012.
- Tien et al., Temporal-spatial regulation of astrocyte precursor cell proliferation by BRAF signaling in mammalian spinal cord. July 2012.
- Sun et al., Phosphorylation state of Olig2 regulates proliferation of neural progenitor. March 10, 2011.
Resources
Job Openings
Pharmacodynamics Research Technologist III
In this role, the Research Technologist will be responsible for independently performing and validating advanced laboratory techniques, contributing to experimental design, and supporting the successful execution of research projects. The candidate should have a Bachelor’s degree in scientific discipline (e.g. biology, chemistry, biomedical sciences) and four (4) years of experience in research clinical, or other scientific environment.