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Alexander Tong

CWRU SOM MSTP Student, 2013-2017
Email: alexander.tong@case.edu

Alex is originally from Dallas, TX and attended Cistercian in Irving through secondary school. Thereafter, he matriculated at Rhodes College in Memphis, TN to pursue his B.S. in Biochemistry & Molecular Biology. As an undergraduate, Alex was a St. Jude Children's Research Hospital Summer Plus Fellow and subsequently a Pediatric Oncology Education Fellow in the Taosheng Chen Lab, where he studied nuclear hormone receptor protein-protein interactions and alveolar rhabdomyosarcoma oncoprotein regulation. At St. Jude, Alex fell in love with bench-to-bedside oncology research and was inspired to pursue MD-PhD training at Case Western Reserve to further his dream of developing novel cures for childhood and adult cancers.

 

In the Huang Lab, Alex’s thesis investigated lymphocyte trafficking in physiological and inflammatory conditions, with a special focus on regulatory T cells (Tregs) and natural killer (NK) cells and with the overarching goal of developing and improving cellular immunotherapies for cancer. He studied physiological Treg and tumor NK trafficking in syngeneic and xenograft mouse models as well as developed a novel platform for intravital 2-photon laser scanning microscopy of gut lymphoid organs. He also collaborated heavily in diverse research areas with intramural and extramural colleagues, co-authoring papers exploring human mesenchymal stromal cell enhancement of hematopoietic stem cell engraftment, chemokine tumor vaccines for colon cancer, transcompartmental antigen presenting cell behavior, and mechanisms of alloimmune T cell mediated graft-versus-host disease.

 

In his free time, Alex is an avid musician and volunteered for several years as a violin teacher at the Joyful Noise Neighborhood Music School in Cleveland, a non-profit organization that provides free music lessons to children who cannot otherwise afford them. He also enjoys supporting his church, mentoring students in and outside of lab, fundraising for cancer research, reading science fiction, and spending time with his wife and daughter.

 

Education:

2007-2011 B.S. with Honors, summa cum laude, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Rhodes College, Memphis, TN

2011-present M.D./Ph.D. candidate, Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, Medical Scientist Training Program, Cleveland, OH

 

Professional Memberships:

2014-present American Association of Immunologists, American Association for the Advancement of Science

2016-present American Association for Cancer Research

 

Awards & Honors:

2007 National Merit Finalist

2007-2011 Rhodes College Bellingrath Fellowship

2007-2011 Rhodes College Honor Roll

2010 Phi Beta Kappa

2011 Outstanding Achievement Award in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Rhodes College

2011 Rhodes College Hall of Fame

2014 First Place Poster Award, 37th Annual Biomedical Graduate Student Symposium, CWRU

2014 Best Poster Award, 8th Annual Immunology Training Program Retreat, CWRU

2014 Best Poster Award, APSA Midwest Regional Meeting, Cleveland, OH

2015 Best Poster Award, MSTP Winter Retreat, CWRU

2015 AAI Trainee Abstract Award and Oral Presentation, New Orleans, LA

2015 Best Poster Award, Department of Pathology Annual Retreat, CWRU

2016 AAI Trainee Abstract Award and Oral Presentation, Seattle, WA

2016 Best Oral Presentation Award, 10th Annual Immunology Training Program Retreat, CWRU

 

Graduate School Research Rotations:

2011 Alex Y. Huang, M.D., Ph.D., Associate Professor, Department of Pediatrics, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH

2012 Shigemi Matsuyama, D.V.M., Ph.D., Associate Professor, Department of Medicine, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH

2012 Robert Fairchild, Ph.D., Staff, Department of Immunology, Cleveland Clinic Lerner Research Institute, Cleveland, OH

 

Publications:

  1. Pondugula SR, Tong AA, Wu J, Cui J, Chen T. Protein phosphatase 2Cbetal regulates human pregnane X receptor-mediated CYP3A4 gene expression in HepG2 liver carcinoma cells. Drug Metab Dispos. 2010 Sep;38(9):1411-6. doi: 10.1124/dmd.110.032128. PMID: 20538721.

  2. Allen F*, Tong AA*, Huang AY. Unique transcompartmental bridge: antigen-presenting cells sampling across endothelial and mucosal barriers. Front Immunol. 2016 Jun 10;7:231. doi: 10.3389/fimmu.2016.00231. Review. PMID: 27375624. (*co-first author)

  3. Metheny L, Eid S, Lingas K, Reese J, Meyerson H, Tong A, de Lima M, Huang AY. Intra-osseous co-transplantation of CD34-selected umbilical cord blood and mesenchymal stromal cells. Hematol Med Oncol. 2016;1(1):25-29. Epub 2016 Oct 20. PMID: 27882356.

  4. Chung J, Ebens CL, Radojcic V, Perkey E, Koch U, Scarpellino L, Tong A, Allen F, Wood S, Feng J, Friedman A, Granadier D, Tran IT, Chai Q, Onder L, Yan M, Reddy P, Blazar BR, Huang AY, Brennan TV, Bishop DK, Ludewig B, Siebel CW, Radtke F, Luther SA, Maillard I. Fibroblastic niches prime T cell alloimmunity through Delta-like Notch ligands. J Clin Invest. 2017 Apr 3;127(4):1574-1588. doi: 10.1172/JCI89535. PMID: 28319044.

  5. Tong AA*, Hashem H*, Eid S, Allen F, Kingsley D, Huang AY. Adoptive natural killer cell therapy is effective in reducing pulmonary metastasis of Ewing Sarcoma. Oncoimmunology 2017 Mar 16;6(4):e1303586. doi: 10.1080/2162402X.2017.1303586. PMID: 28507811. (*co-first author)

  6. Allen F, Rauhe P, Askew D, Tong AA, Nthale J, Eid S, Myers JT, Tong C, Huang AY. CCL3 enhances antitumor priming in the lymph node via IFNγ with dependency on natural killer cells. 2017 Oct 23. https://doi.org/10.3389/fimmu.2017.01390

  7. Tong AA*, Forestell B*, Murphy DV, Nair A, Allen F, Myers J, Heim D, Klauschen F, Huang AY*, Mandl JN*. Regulatory T cells differ from conventional CD4+ T cells in their recirculatory behavior and lymph node residency times. (*co-author) Submitted.

 

Oral & Poster Presentations:

  1. Tong A, Pondugula S, Chen T. A phosphomimetic mutation at threonine-40 abolishes transactivation activity of human vitamin D receptor in HepG2 liver carcinoma cells. Poster presented at: Undergraduate Research and Creative Activity Symposium; 2009 May 1; Rhodes College, Memphis, TN.

  2. Tong A, Pondugula S, Chen T. Protein phosphatase 2Cβl regulates human pregnane X receptor-mediated CYP3A4 gene expression in HepG2 liver carcinoma cells. Oral presentation at: Undergraduate Research and Creative Activity Symposium; 2010 April 30; Rhodes College, Memphis, TN.

  3. Tong A, Liu L, Chen T. Elucidating the role of glycogen synthase kinase 3 beta in regulating the function of PAX3-FOXO1 by phosphorylation. Oral presentation at: Undergraduate Research and Creative Activity Symposium; 2011 April 29; Rhodes College, Memphis, TN.

  4. Tong A, Allen F, Huang AY.  Regulatory T cell trafficking in peripheral lymph nodes. Poster presented at: MSTP Winter Retreat; 2014 Mar 4; Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH.

  5. Tong A, Allen F, Huang AY. Regulatory T cell trafficking in peripheral lymph nodes. Poster presented at: Research ShowCASE; 2014 Apr 18; Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH.

  6. Huang AY, Scrimieri F, Tong A, Askew D, Eid S, Bobanga I, Corn D. VCAM-1 enhances immune evasion in a murine model of metastatic cervical cancer. Poster presented at: Cancer Immunobiology Poster Session. 101st Annual American Association of Immunologists Meeting; 2014 May 5; Pittsburgh, PA.

  7. Tong A, Allen F, Huang AY. Regulatory T cell trafficking in peripheral lymph nodes. Poster presented at: 37th Annual Biomedical Graduate Student Symposium; 2014 May 9; Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH.

  8. Tong A, Allen F, Huang AY. Regulatory T cell trafficking in peripheral lymph nodes. Poster presented at: 8th Annual Immunology Training Program Retreat; 2014 Sep 26; Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH.

  9. Tong A, Allen F, Huang AY. Regulatory T cell trafficking in peripheral lymph nodes. Poster presented at: APSA Midwest Regional Meeting; 2014 Nov 15; Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH.

  10. Tong A, Allen F, Huang AY. Homeostatic regulatory T cell trafficking in peripheral lymph nodes. Poster presented at: MSTP Winter Retreat; 2015 March 3; Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH.

  11. Tong A, Allen F, Huang AY. Homeostatic regulatory T cell trafficking in peripheral lymph nodes. Oral presentation and poster presented at: 102nd Annual American Association of Immunologists Meeting; 2015 May 8-12; Ernest N. Morial Convention Center, New Orleans, LA.

  12. Tong A, Allen F, Huang AY. Homeostatic regulatory T cell trafficking in peripheral lymph nodes. Poster presented at: Case Comprehensive Cancer Center Annual Scientific Retreat; 2015 July 10; Corporate College East, Warrensville Heights, OH.

  13. Tong A, Allen F, Huang AY. Regulatory T cell trafficking in peripheral lymph nodes. Poster presented at: 9th Annual Immunology Training Program Retreat; 2015 Oct 23; Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH.

  14. Tong A, Allen F, Huang AY. Regulatory T cell trafficking in peripheral lymph nodes. Poster presented at: Department of Pathology Annual Retreat; 2015 Nov 7; Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH.

  15. Tong A, Allen F, Huang AY. Quantification of lymph node transit times reveals differences in regulatory T versus conventional CD4+ T cell trafficking. Oral presentation and poster presented at: 103rd Annual American Association of Immunologists Meeting; 2016 May 13-17; Washington State Convention Center, Seattle, WA.

  16. Tong A, Allen F, Huang AY. Quantification of lymph node transit times reveals differences in regulatory T versus conventional CD4+ T cell trafficking. Poster presented at: Case Comprehensive Cancer Center Annual Scientific Retreat; 2016 July 8; Corporate College East, Warrensville Heights, OH.

  17. Tong A, Allen F, Huang AY. Quantification of lymph node transit times reveals differences in regulatory T versus conventional CD4+ T cell trafficking. Oral presentation at: 10th Annual Immunology Training Program Retreat; 2016 Sept 23; Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH.

  18. Tong A, Allen F, Huang AY. Quantification of lymph node transit times reveals differences in the trafficking behavior of regulatory versus conventional CD4+ T cells. Poster presented at: CRI-CIMT-EATI-AACR International Cancer Immunotherapy Conference; 2016 Sept 25-28; Sheraton New York Times Square Hotel, New York, NY.

  19. Tong AA*, Forestell B*, Murphy DV, Nair A, Allen F, Myers J, Heim D, Klauschen F, Mandl JN*, Huang AY*. Regulatory T cells exhibit distinct lymph node homing and trafficking kinetics as compared to conventional CD4+ T cells. Poster presented at: 104th Annual American Association of Immunologists Meeting; 2017 May 12-16; Walter E. Washington Convention Center, Washington, D.C.

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