Handan Xiang

Handan Xiang is an accomplished scientist with extensive experience in immunology and pharmacology. Currently serving as Associate Principal Scientist and previously as Senior Scientist in Discovery Immunology at Merck since June 2017, Handan focuses on novel therapeutic modalities targeting myeloid cells and conducts T-cell-centric CRISPR screenings to identify new targets. Prior roles include Associate Scientist and Postdoctoral Fellow in immuno-oncology, where Handan examined immune-modulatory functions of cancer-associated fibroblasts and utilized Single-cell RNA sequencing to explore stromal cell interactions. Handan's academic foundation includes a Ph.D. in Pharmacology from Duke University and a Bachelor's degree in Pharmaceutical Sciences from Sun Yat-sen University, where early research involved the effects of epigenetic factors on lung cancer and airway epithelium regeneration, as well as studies on oncogene expression.