Peng Xu is a Postdoctoral Associate in Dr. Qin Yan’s laboratory in the Department of Pathology at Yale School of Medicine. His research focuses on identifying druggable targets that are essential for cancer metastasis and developing innovative strategies to prevent and treat metastatic tumors.
Peng received his PhD in Medical Systems Biology (Cancer Epigenetics) from the Institutes of Biomedical Sciences (IBS) at Fudan University in Shanghai, China. From December 2019 to March 2020, he conducted research as a visiting scholar at the University of Southern California. Following his PhD defense in December 2021, Peng joined a biomedical start-up as Director of the Creative R&D Department, where he led the development of early cancer biomarkers as well as related commercial kits and devices. In September 2022, he joined Dr. Qin Yan’s lab at Yale as a postdoc, committed to basic cancer research and a long-term career as a cancer biologist.
Peng has been deeply involved in the postdoc community through his leadership in the Yale Postdoctoral Association (YPA). From March 2023 to October 2024, he served as Coordinator of the Buddy Program under the Mentorship Committee and received the Outstanding Contribution Award for excellence in program development and operation. From January to December 2025, he served as Co-Coordinator of the Belonging Committee, where he sustained signature initiatives such as the Winter Care Package, Pride Month Celebration, and Unhappy Hour, while launching new programs including Storytelling Nights and Resource Sheets. As Co-Chair of YPA, Peng is dedicated to building YPA as “Your Place, Always (YPA)”—a welcoming, inclusive, and empowering home for all postdocs.
Outside the lab, Peng enjoys playing tennis, exploring art museums, hiking, and road trips.