Wang Lab Staff

Ruoning Wang, PhD
Principal Investigator

Ruoning Wang, PhD, is a principal investigator in the Center for Childhood Cancer for The Research Institute at Nationwide Children’s Hospital, a principal investigator for the Division of Hematology and Oncology at Nationwide Children's Hospital and a professor in the Department of Pediatrics at The Ohio State University College of Medicine.

Dr. Wang earned his bachelor's degree in Medicinal Chemistry from China Pharmaceutical University, followed by a master's degree in Biochemistry from Nanjing Medical University and a doctorate in Gene & Development from the University of Texas, MD Anderson Cancer Center (UT-MDACC). He trained in Immunology and Cancer Biology at St Jude Children’s Research Hospital as a postdoctoral fellow and joined The Research Institute at Nationwide Children’s Hospital as a principal investigator and The Ohio State University as an assistant professor of pediatrics in August 2013.

View Dr. Wang's Publications

Kanika Chandra, PhD
Postdoctoral Scientist
Kanika.Chandra@NatiowideChildrens.org

Kanika obtained her doctorate from Dr Reddy’s Institute of Life Sciences, Hyderabad, India in September of 2023, where her work focused primarily on understanding the Mitochondrial forms and functions. She joined the Wang Lab in December of 2023 and her current research focuses on understanding the molecular significance of metabolic checkpoint during G2/M phase progression.

Xindi Dang, PhD
Postdoctoral Scientist
Xindi.Dang@NatiowideChildrens.org

Xindi obtained her doctorate at East Tennessee State University before she joined Wang Lab in 2023. Her research focuses on T cells metabolic reprogramming, cell cycle and DNA damage.

Tingting Fan, PhD
Postdoctoral Scientist
Tingting.Fan@NatiowideChildrens.org

Tingting obtained her doctorate at The University of Chinese Academy of Sciences. Her research focuses on exploring metabolic checkpoints that control T cell activation, polarization, and plasticity, particularly in the context of autoimmune diseases. Besides immuno-metabolism, she has a keen interest in investigating the intricate interplay between gut microbiota and the immune system.

Siwen Kang, PhD
Postdoctoral Scientist
Siwen.Kang@NatiowideChildrens.org

Siwen's research is focused on metabolic reprogramming and T cell response to modulate inflammation, and the crosstalk between neural and immune system. She obtained her doctoral degree in Molecular Immunology from Tokyo Medical and Dental University Graduate School of Sciences in Japan, and then pursued postdoctoral training for CAR-T cell immunotherapy at The Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center before joining Wang Lab. Siwen’s long-term career goal is to discover novel therapeutic approaches for pediatric cancers.

Bhavana Kushwaha, PhD
Postdoctoral Scientist
Bhavana.Kushwaha@NatiowideChildrens.org

Since she joined Wang Lab in 2022, Bhavana has been studying the interplay between metabolic reprogramming and T cell differentiation to enhance anti-tumor immune responses. Her research extends beyond cancer biology; she is also focusing on identifying metabolic pathways that regulate T-cell responses for the benefit of treating immune-mediated disease. Bhavana received her doctorate in 2021 at CSIR- Central Drug Research Institute, where she worked on the interrelations between infection, inflammation, and prostate cancer.

Jie Li, PhD
Postdoctoral Scientist
Jie.Li@NatiowideChildrens.org

Jie joined Wang Lab in 2023 and her current research is T cell metabolism, proliferation and differentiation. Jie obtained her doctorate at the State Key Laboratory of Molecular Development, Institute of Genetics and Developmental Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences. Her research primarily focused on lipid metabolism, specifically studying the function of acyl-CoAs in Drosophila’s fat body.

Hongmiao Yu, PhD
Postdoctoral Scientist
Hongmiao.Yu@NatiowideChildrens.org

Hongmiao obtained her doctorate from Fudan University, China in 2023, she joined Wang Lab in February 2024, and her current research focuses on cell metabolism.

Lingling Liu, PhD
Senior Research Scientist / Lab Manager
Lingling.Liu@NatiowideChildrens.org

Lingling’s research interest is T cells and Tumor cell Metabolism. She coordinates and supervises lab projects, develops assays, trains lab members, and manages lab supplies and mouse colonies. Lingling obtained her doctorate at Fudan University, followed by postdoctoral training at MD Anderson Cancer center and St. Jude Children’s Hospital. She was a research scientist at GTx inc before she joined Wang Lab in 2013.

Dechao Cao
Research Associate
Dechao.Cao@NatiowideChildrens.org

Dechao joined the Wang Lab as a research associate in 2023, his role encompasses assay development, project coordination, equipment and supplies maintenance.

Sushma Kambala, MD
Research Associate
Sushma.Kambala@NatiowideChildrens.org

Sushma joined the Wang Lab as a research associate in July 2022, where she aids postdoctoral fellows in their research pursuits. Her primary responsibilities include genetic sequencing of mice strains and the management of animal colonies. She obtained her medical degree from Meenakshi Medical College and Research Institute in Kanchipuram, India.