Rate My Professor Qi Zeng

Qi Zeng is an Adjunct Professor in the Department of Biochemistry at the Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore (NUS). She serves as Research Director and Senior Principal Investigator at the Institute of Molecular and Cell Biology (IMCB), Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR) in Singapore. She is also the founder of Intra-immuSG (IISG), an A*STAR spin-off biotech company. Zeng graduated from Xiamen University in China and obtained her PhD in Biochemistry from NUS in 1993, following studies at Roswell Park Memorial Institute in the USA. As part of her graduate work, she genetically engineered the first transgenic rat in Asia, a project featured in Fortune Magazine in October 1991.

Zeng’s research centers on the PRL-3 phosphatase and its role in cancer. In 1998, she discovered the PRL3 (PTP4A3) gene and demonstrated its promotion of cancer cell hallmarks including migration, proliferation, angiogenesis, and epithelial-mesenchymal transition through pathways such as PTEN-PI3K and EGFR. Her team has shown that PRL-1 and PRL-3 monoclonal antibodies can inhibit metastatic tumors. In 2011, she proposed targeting intracellular oncoproteins with antibody therapy or vaccination, a concept published in Science Translational Medicine. This led to the development of PRL3-zumab, a first-in-class humanized antibody now in Phase 2 clinical trials after successful Phase 1 safety studies. Key publications include works in Nature Communications (2019), JCI Insight (2016), and Theranostics (2023–2024) detailing PRL3 mechanisms and therapeutic applications. Zeng has secured major funding, including a 2009 A*STAR Flagship Grant of $3.1 million and a 2014 GAP Grant of $1.5 million. Her contributions advance unconventional cancer immunotherapy approaches targeting intracellular proteins.