Pan Lab @ Tsinghua University
Deng Pan, PhD
Associate Professor
School of Basic Medical Sciences
Tsinghua University
Dr. Deng Pan received his Ph.D. from University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, where he worked in the laboratory of Dr.Xin Lin. He then joined the laboratory of Dr. Kai Wucherpfennig at the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute. In 2019, he was appointed Assistant Professor in the Department of Basic Medical Sciences at Tsinghua University School of Medicine. Outside the lab, Deng enjoys playing soccer and watching movies.
Current team members
Graduate Students
Changhe Li, Ph.D. Candidate
Changhe is a Ph.D. candidate in the School of Basic Medical Sciences at Tsinghua University, after receiving his B.S. from the College of Life Sciences at Sichuan University. His research focuses on co-stimulatory regulation and antibody applications in cancer immunotherapy. He is particularly interested in elucidating underlying mechanisms and translating findings into therapeutic strategies. Beyond the lab, he is a devoted food enthusiast who loves seeking out new and delicious flavors.
Jieyu Chu, Ph.D. Candidate
Jieyu Chu is a Ph.D. student in the PTN program. She received her B.S. degree in Bioengineering from Jiangnan University in 2022. She is dedicated to identifying potential therapeutic targets to advance cancer immunotherapy. Her research focuses primarily on the biology of dendritic cells within tumor microenvironment. Outside of her research, she enjoys traveling and classical dance.
Genyi Wu, Ph.D. Candidate
Genyi Wu is a Ph.D. student at the School of Basic Medical Sciences, Tsinghua University. He received his B.S. in Biological Science from the School of Life Sciences, Tsinghua University, in 2023. His research interests focus on the complex interactions of immune cells within the tumor microenvironment and their implications for targeted therapies and translational medicine. Outside the lab, He is passionate about basketball and movies, which bring both inspiration and balance to his life.
Xi Zhao, Ph.D. Candidate
Xi is a Ph.D. candidate in Basic Medicine at Tsinghua University, with a research focus on cancer immunology. She is particularly interested in strategies to reprogram dendritic cell functions within the tumor microenvironment. In her spare time, she enjoys traveling and live music.
Yuanzhi Hu, Ph.D. Candidate
Yuanzhi Hu is a Ph.D. student at the School of Basic Medical Sciences, Tsinghua University. He received his B.S. degree in Biology from Tsinghua University in 2024 and has participated in a summer research program at Yale University. His previous research primarily focused on elucidating mechanisms of tumor immunology and developing tumor immunotherapy approaches. Currently, his work centers on the interactions between the tumor microenvironment and immune cells.
Kaiyang Tang, Ph.D. Candidate
Kaiyang Tang is a Ph.D. candidate in School of Basic Medical Sciences, Tsinghua University. She received her B.S. in Biological Sciences from Tsinghua University in 2022, and continued to pursue a Ph.D. degree here. Her interest mainly lies in unraveling the regulation of antigen presentation with an aim to improve the efficacy of tumor immunotherapy.
Xuerong Yu, Ph.D. Candidate
Xuerong Yu is a Ph.D. candidate at the School of Basic Medical Sciences, Tsinghua University. She received her B.S. degree in Science from Henan University in 2021. Her research focuses on elucidating how tumor cells escape immune surveillance, with particular emphasis on the interactions of solid tumors with NK and CD8⁺ T cell cytotoxic responses.
Fangting Zhao, Ph.D. Candidate
Fangting earned his Bachelor's degree from Tsinghua University. He joined Pan Lab in 2021 to pursue his PhD. His research primarily focuses on the interaction between KRAS signaling pathway and immune response. His work aims to uncover novel therapeutic strategies to target KRAS-driven cancers by understanding how KRAS signaling regulate anti-tumor immunity.
Hao Gong, Ph.D. Candidate
Hao received his B.S. from Xiamen University. His research focuses on T cell exhaustion in cancer immunotherapy. Beyond the lab, he enjoys the challenge and freedom of bodyweight training, which helps him maintain physical strength, mental clarity, and overall well-being. This discipline in fitness complements his scientific work by fostering focus, resilience, and a balanced lifestyle.
Diya Zhang Ph.D. Candidate
Diya completed her undergraduate studies at the School of Life Sciences at Nanjing University. Her research interest lies in understanding the complex role of immune cells within the tumor microenvironment, and her current work is focused on regulatory T cells (Tregs). Outside of her research, she enjoys music and sleeping.
Postdoctoral Fellow
Mengni Qiu, Ph.D.
Mengni received her doctorate in 2025 from the Shanghai Institute of Nutrition and Health, Chinese Academy of Sciences. Her research interests lie in tumor immunotherapy, ranging from TCR-engineered T cell therapy for pancreatic cancer during her doctoral studies to her current work on T cell–engaging bispecific antibodies (TCEs).
Lab Manager
Xinyu Li, M.S.
Xinyu graduated from Hong Kong Baptist University with a master's degree, joined Tsinghua University's School of Basic Medicine in 2022 as a laboratory administrator. Her hobbies are acupuncture and camping.
Lab Alumni
Lijian Wu, PhD Student (2019-2023), Current Position: Postdoctoral Fellow, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, MA, USA
Jiahui Li, PhD Student (2019-2024), Current Position: Governmental work.
Xindi Zhou, PhD Student (2019-2025), Current Position: Postdoctoral Fellow, FMMU, Xi'an, China.
Youxue Lu, PhD Student (2019-2025), Current Position: Postdoctoral Fellow, Columbia Univ., NY, USA
Hefei Wang, Postdoc (2019-2025), Current Position: Senior Research Associate, Capital Medical Univ, Beijing, China.
Jie Zhao, Postdoc (2020-2025), Current Position: Senior Research Associate, Changping Laboratory, Beijing, China.
Linjie Tong, Undergraduate Student (2024), Current Position, PhD Student, Scripps Institute, FL, USA.