Medical College of Wisconsin
Medical College of Wisconsin Medical College of Wisconsin
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Hematology and Oncology

Dong Molecular Epidemiology Laboratory

Research undertaken by the Dong Lab is focused on integrating cutting-edge omics technology into large epidemiologic cohorts to build a multidisciplinary research program for developing approaches to reduce cancer burden and cancer disparities. Specifically, we use genome-wide association study (GWAS) and next-generation sequencing (NGS) techniques, as well as large administrative database such as the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) program and TriNetX, to identify genetic and non-genetic factors that are associated with cancer development, progression, and cancer disparities. We also leverage these risk factors to develop polygenic risk score and risk prediction models for cancer.

About the PI

Jing Dong, PhDJing Dong, PhD, Assistant Professor, received her PhD in Epidemiology at Nanjing Medical University, China in 2012. During her PhD training under the supervision of Dr. Hongbing Shen, she focused on identifying potential functional/tagging single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) that are associated with cancer susceptibility and prognosis. She participated in a multicenter GWAS of lung cancer in the Han Chinese population and identified five novel susceptibility loci for lung cancer and one locus specifically for lung squamous cell carcinoma in Chinese populations. After completing her doctoral degree, Dr. Dong joined the laboratory of Drs. Honglei Chen and Stephanie London at NIEHS/NIH as a visiting fellow to expand her training in large cohort-based epidemiological study. In 2017, she was awarded by Cancer Prevention and Research Institute of Texas (CPRIT) to join a training program in Integrative Cancer Epidemiology at the Dan L. Duncan Comprehensive Cancer Center at Baylor College of Medicine (Margaret Spitz, PI). She worked with Dr. Aaron Thrift to investigate risk factors of Barrett’s esophagus and esophageal adenocarcinoma and developed the first polygenic risk score and risk prediction models for these two diseases. Under the guidance of Dr. Lee-Jun Wong, she also established a pipeline in applying NGS to decipher the mitochondrial genomic landscape in cancer for population-based studies.

In 2020, Dr. Dong joined the Division of Hematology and Oncology, Department of Medicine, Medical College of Wisconsin. She is also a member of the Cancer Center and the Mellowes Center for Genomic Sciences and Precision Medicine.

Current Research

Prognostic implications of mitochondrial inheritance in myelodysplastic syndromes after stem-cell transplantation.
This project is funded by the NHLBI (1K01HL164972-01A1). The goal is to identify mitochondrial genetic and epigenetic alterations associated with inferior outcomes in MDS patients after allogeneic HCT. This study will be the first to use cutting-edge NGS technology to decipher the connections between mtDNA alterations and posttransplant outcomes in MDS. We hope to improve the identification of patients most likely to benefit from allo-HCT and spare those at high risk of inferior allo-HCT outcomes unnecessary transplant-related morbidity and mortality.

Genome-wide scan for susceptibility loci of multiple myeloma and it’s precursors
This project was funded by the Advancing a Healthier Wisconsin. The goal is to identify additional genetic susceptibility loci for patients with multiple myeloma and its precursor, monoclonal gammopathy of undetermined significance (MGUS).

Genomic landscape and evolutional trajectory of multiple myeloma and its precursors in African Americans.
This project was funded by the MCW-Cancer Center/Mellowes Center. The goal is to characterize the somatic landscape of nuclear and mitochondrial genomes in multiple myeloma and its precursors in African Americans and identify genomic determinants of progression to myeloma and describe their temporal activities. These findings will improve our understanding of disease etiology and offer premalignant patients at “high-risk” of progression appropriate follow-up and early intervention, thereby avoiding the burden of incurable disease.

Landscape of pathogenic germline variants in multiple myeloma and its precursor in African Americans.
This project was funded by the American Cancer Society-Institutional Research Grant. The goal is to characterize the germline landscape of nuclear and mitochondrial genomes in multiple myeloma and its precursor monoclonal gammopathy of undetermined significance (MGUS) in African Americans and identify pathogenic germline variants for MGUS progression to MM.

Join Our Lab

Please contact us if you are a medical student, resident, fellow, faculty, post-doctoral associate, or graduate student interested in pursuing further training or research in molecular epidemiology.
Contact Jing Dong, PhD

Current Members

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Shahram Arsang, PhD

Postdoctoral Fellow

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Benjamin Massat, DO

Research Assistant

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Gokul Pareek, BS

Research Assistant

Recent Publications

Publications of Jing Dong PhD from the Faculty Collaboration Database