Editor-in-Chief

Licun Wu, MD
Division of Thoracic Surgery, Toronto General Hospital, and Princess Margaret Cancer Centre, University Health Network, Toronto, Canada

Biography

Dr. Licun Wu is a biomedical scientist whose research focuses on the molecular mechanisms driving tumor progression, therapeutic resistance, and cellular plasticity in thoracic malignancies, particularly malignant mesothelioma. With a strong background in molecular oncology and translational research, Dr. Wu’s work integrates cancer biology, immunopathology, and biomarker discovery to elucidate how tumor–stroma interactions and epithelial–mesenchymal transition (EMT) contribute to aggressive disease behavior.

Dr. Wu received advanced training in cancer molecular biology and histopathology and has contributed to multiple peer-reviewed publications exploring cancer stemness, tumor microenvironment dynamics, and the role of heterogeneous nuclear ribonucleoproteins in cancer regulation. Dr. Wu is an author on multiple papers in journals such as PNAS, Science Translational Medicine, Cancer Research, Clin Cancer Res, Oncogene, Lancet Oncology, JAMA Oncology, BMC Cancer, JI, Scientific Reports, Molecular Cancer Ther, Lung Cancer, etc. Recent work from Dr. Wu’s group highlights cross-lineage mesenchymal transition (XMT) as a unifying framework to understand lineage plasticity and immune evasion in mesothelioma, providing novel insight into potential therapeutic vulnerabilities.

In addition to research, Dr. Wu actively participates in peer review for international journals such as International Journal of Cancer, International Journal of Oncology, Molecular Cancer Ther, Oncology Letters, World Journal of Oncology, and collaborates across disciplines to bridge molecular discoveries with clinical translation. Dr. Wu’s research vision centers on defining the molecular crosstalk between cancer-associated fibroblasts, EMT, and immune suppression to enable more effective combination therapies for mesothelioma and related cancers.

Through a combination of mechanistic inquiry and translational application, Dr. Wu continues to advance precision oncology approaches that aim to improve outcomes for patients with highly refractory thoracic malignancies.