Dr. Wenlong Chen

Wenlong Chen is a cancer genetic epidemiologist whose work centers on the molecular and population determinants of cancer risk in African and African-ancestry populations. Affiliated with major collaborative initiatives in South Africa and international consortia, Chen contributes to large-scale genomic and clinical studies aimed at addressing disparities in cancer research and precision medicine.

Research spans genome-wide association studies of breast and prostate cancer, genetic architecture of prostate-specific antigen levels, and ancestry-specific risk loci discovery. This work highlights the limited transferability of polygenic risk models across populations and advances understanding of African-specific variants, fine-mapping, and evolutionary influences on disease susceptibility.

Additional contributions include studies on HIV-associated breast cancer subtypes, colorectal cancer epidemiology, esophageal squamous cell carcinoma genomics, and biomarker reference ranges in diverse populations. Collectively, this portfolio demonstrates expertise in integrating genomics, epidemiology, and clinical data to improve risk prediction, disease classification, and equitable cancer care.