CAHON Connect April Newsletter
April 2025
Message from the President and Chair of Board
Dear CAHON Members, Colleagues, and Friends,
It is with great enthusiasm that we welcome you to the second issue of CAHON Connect, where we continue to celebrate the remarkable work, spirit, and impact of our growing community.
Since our inaugural issue, we have continued to witness the incredible momentum driven by our members and committees. This past quarter has been especially energizing, with every committee contributing meaningfully to CAHON’s mission through new initiatives and events. From the Post-ASH Virtual Update to the record-setting Community Oncology Forum, from the inaugural Spring Symposium during AACR to the Fellowship Application Seminar and ongoing mentorship efforts, CAHON’s commitment to education, collaboration, and leadership is on full display.
As we mark CAHON’s 20th anniversary this year, we are reminded of the unity and purpose that define our network. Whether you are a lifetime member or newly joined, your engagement helps shape a more connected and empowered oncology community. We look forward to seeing many of you at our upcoming events, including the Summer Symposium during ASCO and new virtual programming this summer and fall.
Thank you for your continued support and inspiration. We hope this issue of CAHON Connect keeps you informed, engaged, and proud to be part of the CAHON family.
Together, we are CAHON. Together, we make a difference.
Liang Deng, MD, PhD, CAHON President and Jing-Zhou Hou, MD, PhD, CAHON Board Chair
Chinese American Hematologist and Oncologist Network (CAHON)
Featured News
Meet the 2025 President-Elect Candidates
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Dr. Cynthia Ma, MD, PhD, Professor of Medicine
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Dr. Iris Zhi, MD, PhD |
CAHON will be holding a President-Elect Election from May 1-May 15, 2025. Regular/Lifetime Regular Members current in dues are eligible to vote in the 2025 Election.
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CAHON Statement on NIH Funding Cuts
February 21, 2025
The Chinese American Hematologist and Oncologist Network (CAHON) is a professional organization dedicated to fostering collaboration, education, and career development among Chinese American hematologists, oncologists, and cancer researchers. CAHON recognizes the importance of fiscal responsibility and the need for efficiency in government spending. However, we are deeply concerned that the proposed reductions to the National Institutes of Health (NIH) budget and the cap on indirect cost reimbursements at 15% will have unintended consequences that undermine scientific progress and patient care.
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Committee Corner
Academic Committee
Hong Zheng, MD, PhD (Chair)
Wanqing Iris Zhi, MD, PhD (Co-Chair)
Minggui Pan, MD, PhD
Huichun Zhan, MD, MS
Elizabeth Budde, MD, PhD
Jeffrey Pu, MD, PhD
The Academic Committee established a new Young Investigator Award at our inaugural Spring Symposium event. The committee proudly honored five exceptional researchers for their outstanding American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) abstracts. These awardees demonstrated remarkable scientific insight and innovative approaches in their respective areas of investigation.
The recognition program not only celebrates the achievements of early-career researchers but also reinforces our organization's dedication to advancing cancer research through the support of promising new investigators. Each honoree received recognition in front of their peers and established leaders in the field, providing valuable visibility for their work.
There are a few more award opportunities this year! YIA's at the upcoming Summer Symposium in May and the JIA's and YIA Travel Awards at the New York Oncology Forum in October.
Learn more and apply here: https://www.cahon.org/awards
Career Development Committee
Hongtao Liu, MD, PhD (Chair)
Mary Li, MD, PhD (Co-Chair)
Jane Liu, MD
Lei Deng, MD
Haoran Li, MD, PhD
Eric Chen, MD, PhD
The Career Development Committee has been working tirelessly to create meaningful mentorship opportunities for CAHON members at all career stages. Their commitment to fostering professional growth has resulted in several programs designed to address the evolving needs of our community.
Most recently, the committee organized a successful roundtable discussion during the Community Oncology Forum. This interactive session brought together a distinguished panel of experts representing diverse career paths within oncology. Participants had the unique opportunity to engage directly with established leaders in the field, receiving personalized guidance on navigating complex career decisions.
If you are interested in signing up as a mentee or a mentor, please email info@cahon.org for more information.
Clinical Practice Committee
Shuang Fu, MD, PhD (Chair)
Joyce Huang, MD, PhD (Co-Chair)
Yongli Ji, MD, PhD
Vincent The-Luc Ma, MD
Fengming Zhong, MD, PhD
The Clinical Practice Committee recently organized our Community Oncology Forum, which exceeded all expectations with record attendance numbers! The event reports can be found in the next section under Recent Events.
Clinical Research Committee
Tian Zhang, MD, MHS (Chair)
Bo Wang, MD (Co-Chair)
Ronan Hsieh, MD, MS
Jingsong Zhang, MD, PhD
Feng-ming (Spring) Kong, MD, PhD
Xiaolin Zhu, MD, PhD
The Clinical Research and Industry Committees are hosting a Virtual Seminar, “Investigator-Initiated Trials (IITs): Perspectives from Academia and Industry” on May 17, 2025 - Register here
Event and Education Committee
Yucai Wang, MD, PhD (Chair)
Christine Ye, MD, MS (Co-Chair)
Richard J. Lin, MD, PhD
Charles Jiang, MD, MPH
Gary Lu, MD, PhD
The Event and Education Committee worked alongside the Clinical Research Committee to organize the Community Oncology Forum.
Fellow Committee
Zhengrui Xiao, MD (Chair)
Chen Zhang, MD (Co-Chair)
Xiao Hu, MD, MPH
Tien-Chan Hsieh, MD
Emily Liang, MD
Xiaocao Xu (Haze), MD
The Fellow Committee has been exceptionally active in recent months, pursuing multiple initiatives to support and expand our membership base. Their efforts have focused on three key areas of development.
First, the committee has launched a recruitment campaign to attract new members, helping to strengthen our organization with fresh perspectives and diverse expertise. This outreach has already shown promising results, bringing in talented individuals who will contribute to our continued growth.
The Fellow Committee recently developed and hosted our first virtual event, "Applying for Fellowship." This inaugural online program offered comprehensive guidance on the fellowship application process, featuring expert speakers who shared strategies for creating competitive applications, navigating interviews, and selecting the right program. The virtual format allowed for broad participation from members across different geographic locations, setting a successful precedent for future online initiatives.
Industry Committee
Jianda Yuan, MD, PhD (Chair)
Ke Liu, MD, PhD (Co-Chair)
Yufeng Li, PhD
Chung-Han Lee, MD, PhD
Zhaohui Jin, MD
Oliver Kong, MD
Jerry Huang, MD, PhD, MBA
The Clinical Research and Industry Committees are hosting a Virtual Seminar, “Investigator-Initiated Trials (IITs): Perspectives from Academia and Industry” on May 17, 2025 - Register here
Membership Committee
Yong Ji, MD, PhD (Chair)
Haixia Qin, MD, PhD (Co-Chair)
Zach Liu, MD
Yiyi Yan, MD, PhD
Deng Zhang, MD, PhD
The Membership Committee has been exceptionally busy during the first quarter of 2025. Their dedicated efforts have yielded impressive results as they've processed an unprecedented influx of applications from talented professionals across the oncology landscape.
We're delighted to announce that the committee has successfully welcomed 20 exceptional new members since January. This significant growth brings valuable new perspectives to our organization from diverse practice settings, including academic centers, community practices, research institutions, and industry partners.
The committee has implemented a streamlined application process, with most applications taking under a week to process.
Welcome new members to the CAHON community!
Public Relations Committee
Ligeng Tian, MD, PhD (Chair)
Faye Yin, MD, FACP (Co-Chair)
Peter Q Jiang, MD, PhD
Hui Chen, MD, PhD
Yumeng Zhang, MD
The Public Relations Committee has been actively capturing the essence of our organization's recent activities through professional photography at our events. Their dedicated team has been working diligently behind the scenes to ensure that every significant moment is preserved.
Be sure to check out the Community Oncology Forum (COF) meeting report, which showcases the exceptional efforts of this hardworking committee. The report provides an insightful glimpse into the committee's behind-the-scenes contributions that often go unnoticed but are vital to our organization's success and public image.
The comprehensive documentation they've created not only serves as a valuable record of our activities but also highlights the collaborative spirit and professional excellence that defines our community. Their work ensures that members who couldn't attend in person can still experience the value and impact of these important gatherings.
CAHON Mentorship Initiative
Dr. Cynthia Ma, Vice President of CAHON, has been working closely with the Career Development and Fellow Committees to develop a mentorship program. In March, they launched an interactive open forum in WeChat where mentees can directly engage with mentors by posting questions, creating a dynamic knowledge-sharing environment.
They are also planning a virtual seminar in June focusing on career development and mentorship.
If you are interested in signing up as a mentee or a mentor, please email info@cahon.org for more information.
Recent Events
Post-ASH Virtual Update
On February 8th, 2025 CAHON hosted a virtual CME event following the American Society of Hematology (ASH) meeting. The event was recorded for CAHON Members, and can be accessed by logging into your account here.
Community Oncology Forum
On March 29-30, 2025, the Community Oncology Forum was held at the MGM National Harbor in Oxon Hill, MD.
Event Photos and Event Report
"Applying for Fellowship" Virtual Seminar
On April 12th, 2025, the Fellowship Committee hosted a virtual seminar to discuss tips for fellowship applications. Core faculty, current fellows, and residents who matched this year shared their experiences in an interactive Q&A panel. The event was recorded for CAHON Members, and can be accessed by logging into your account.
Spring Symposium
On April 25th, 2025, the inaugural Spring Symposium during AACR was held at Hyatt Regency McCormick Place in Chicago, IL.
Event Photos
Upcoming Events
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New! Virtual Investigator-Initiated Trials (IITs): Perspectives from Academia and Industry
May 17, 2025 -
New! CAHON/JHO ASCO Premium Educational Event
May 30, 2025
Chicago, IL -
Summer Symposium & Reception (during ASCO)
May 31, 2025
Chicago, IL -
New! Virtual Post ASCO Update
Date TBD -
12th New York Oncology Forum
CAHON’s 20th Anniversary Gala
October 4-5, 2025 -
Winter Symposium & Reception (during ASH)
December 6, 2025
Orlando, FL
Read more: Upcoming in-person events and Upcoming virtual events
CAHON Awards
Since 2015, CAHON has proudly presented more than 170 prestigious awards.
- Young Investigator Awards: 90+
- Junior Investigator Awards: 20
- CAHON-CSCO Travel Awards: 20+
- NYOF Young Investigator Travel Awards: 40+
CAHON Young Investigator Awardees – 2025 Spring Symposium
Congratulations to our Young Investigator Award recipients, Hong Chen, PhD, Simo Du, MD, MHS, Yiqun Han, MD, Daniel Hua, and Lauren Jia-Yi Li. This prestigious award recognizes the scientific excellence of abstracts accepted to the American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) Annual Meeting.
Award Presenter: Cynthia Ma, MD, PhD, Professor of Medicine - Washington University
Leadership: Liang Deng, MD, PhD - Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center and Jing-Zhou Hou, MD, PhD - University of Pittsburgh Medical Center Cancer Center.
Member Highlights
Erxi Wu, PhD
Dr. Erxi Wu, a Lifetime CAHON member and accomplished cancer researcher, was recently awarded a $3 million Core Facility Award from the Cancer Prevention and Research Institute of Texas (CPRIT), grant number RP240537. He serves as Professor and Vice Chair for Research in Neurosurgery at Baylor College of Medicine–Temple and Baylor Scott & White Health (BSWH).
Dr. Wu, PI and Director, leads the newly established Cancer Agent Target Discovery and Aptamer Development (CATDAD) Core, a state-of-the-art platform for advanced cancer drug discovery, target identification, precision oncology, and aptamer technologies. The core provides cutting-edge resources and expertise to support innovative cancer research, from fundamental discoveries to translational applications.
CAHON members and the broader community are invited to collaborate and leverage CATDAD Core’s unique resources to accelerate cancer research and therapeutic development.
Learn more: https://cprit.texas.gov/grants-funded/grants/rp240537
Liang Cheng, MD
Dr. Liang Cheng is profoundly honored to assume the role of President of the International Society of Urologic Pathology (ISUP). It is a privilege to serve this esteemed community and work alongside colleagues dedicated to advancing the field of Urologic Surgical Pathology.
He looks forward to collaborating with CAHON to drive innovation, education, and excellence in our specialty. These are exciting times for our field, and together, we will continue to shape the future of urologic pathology!
Read more
Binbin Zheng-Lin, MD, MSc
Dr. Binbin Zheng-Lin is happy to share that they are the recipient of the 2024 AACR-AstraZeneca immuno-oncology training grant (awarded $100,000 for one year) and was officially recognized in the AACR annual meeting in April.
Do you have member highlights or news? Please submit them to info@cahon.org for a chance to be featured in the next CAHON Newsletter.
Membership Updates
CAHON Bylaws Revision - Membership Eligibility
As part of our ongoing efforts to support CAHON’s strategic goals for growth and engagement, we’ve been working to identify and remove barriers to membership recruitment and retention. This led us to take a closer look at our bylaws.
One key area of focus was the Associate Membership category. We recognized that the robust application process already ensures a strong commitment from applicants, making the requirement for annual renewal unnecessarily burdensome—especially for trainees. Moving forward, Associate Members will now be reassessed for membership based on their expected training completion dates (e.g., the end of residency or fellowship), rather than on an annual basis. This change required a formal revision to the bylaws, which was approved by the Board on October 4, 2024.
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Congratulations to our Associate Members who have successfully completed their training and have now become Regular CAHON Members! We're proud of your achievement and welcome you to full membership status.
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Zhaohui L. Arter, MD, UCI Health
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Zimu Gong, MD, PhD, OU Health Cancer Center
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Shenduo Li, MD, PhD, Mayo Clinic
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Xuan Ge, MD, PhD, Kaiser Permenente
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Changchuan (Charles) Jiang, MD, MPH, UT Southwestern Medical Center
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Fei Song, MD, Beth Israel Lahey Health
Congratulations to our Regular Members who have achieved Lifetime Member status after maintaining their membership for 8 years. Your long-standing commitment and contributions to our organization are deeply appreciated. We're honored to recognize your loyalty with this well-deserved milestone.
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Li Chai, MD, Harvard Medical School
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Richard Lin, MD, PhD, Stony Brook University and Northport VA Medical Center
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Ying Zhuo, MD, Kedlec Hematology and Oncology Clinic
Welcome to our new members in 2025!
Associate Members:
Yenong Cao, MD, PhD
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Yihan Cao, MD
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Yu-Cheng Chang, MD
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Fangyuan Chen, MD
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Yiqun Han, MD
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Chengyue Jin, MD
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Viviane Liao
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Wenyuan Li, MD
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Tong Ren, MD, PhD
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Yu Shao, MD, PhD
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Tin Tun, MD
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Yuqing Wang, MD, PhD
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Jingyao Zhang, MD
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Xianghui Zou, MD, PhD
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Regular Members:
Xia Bi, MD
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Hongmei Liang, MD, PhD
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Chenyang Zhan, MD, PhD
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Ping Zhou, MD, PhD
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Allied Members:
Lianne L. Hu, MD, PhD
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Paul P. Liu, MD, PhD
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Zhen Zhang, PharmD
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CAHON Membership
In the last four years, CAHON membership has grown significantly. With expanded opportunities for engagement and career development, there has never been a better time to be a member of CAHON.
We welcome new members to join CAHON!
Membership Categories:
Associate Member: Dues Waived, including first year following medical training as a regular member
Regular Member: $100.00 (USD) annually
Allied Member: $100.00 (USD) annually
Lifetime membership status will be conferred to regular or allied members if they have maintained their membership for at least eight years!
For more information on membership categories and to apply for membership, visit here.
The Journal of Hematology & Oncology (JHO) - Official Journal of CAHON
The Journal of Hematology & Oncology provides a forum for top-quality research and is the leading title in hematology and oncology, with an Impact Factor ranked in Q1 in both categories. The journal also publishes reviews and research highlights from leading experts in the field. Research is shared with fast turnaround times in an open access format among laboratory scientists, physician scientists, hematologists and oncologists.
Prof Delong Liu, Editor-in-Chief
Journal of Hematology & Oncology
Impact factor 29.9!
Link to articles: https://jhoonline.biomedcentral.com/articles
DON'T MISS! Advances in Cancer Immunotherapy: Translating Discoveries into Clinical Applications
2 hours of AMA PRA Category 1 Credit(s)™
This event is hosted by the Chinese American Hematologist and Oncologist Network (CAHON) and the Journal of Hematology and Oncology (JHO). Held in conjunction with the American Society of Clinical Oncology’s (ASCO) annual meeting, this CME event will educate healthcare providers about the latest advances in immunotherapy research and its growing impact on cancer treatment. By fostering collaboration and knowledge exchange, this gathering aims to accelerate the translation of discoveries into real-world applications, ultimately improving cancer care. (Not an official event of the 2025 ASCO® Annual Meeting. Not sponsored, endorsed, or accredited by ASCO®, Association for Clinical Oncology, or Conquer Cancer® the ASCO Foundation)
Event Details:
Friday, May 30, 2025 - 6:00 - 9:00 pm
Hyatt Regency McCormick Place
2233 S Martin Luther King Dr.
Chicago, IL 60616
Register
CAHON Social Media
In October 2024, CAHON officially launched its X and LinkedIn accounts. Follow us for member highlights, updates, and more.
We also have an exclusive Members-Only WeChat group. To join, please send the following details to info@cahon.org.
- Your WeChat ID (adjusted to reflect your professional name, affiliation or location, and specialty)
- A short introduction that includes your current role/position, and ALL prior education and work experience
Please review our social media policy: Social Media Policy
We Need Your Support - Consider a Donation to CAHON
Easy Ways to Support:
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Visit https://www.cahon.org to make a tax-deductible donation
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Request a Corporate Match - Many companies will match a donation if you provide them with CAHON tax ID number
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Include CAHON in your Donor-Advised Fund providing CAHON tax ID number
Thank You to Our 2025 Corporate Partners!
Thank You to Our 2025 Annual Oncology Supporter!
The next CAHON Connect issue will be released in August 2025!