Education & Training:
Ph.D., Tongji University, 2001.09- 2004.10
Postdoctoral Associate, Roswell Park Cancer Institute, USA, 2008.09-2010.10

Research Interests:
1. Peptide Chemistry and Biochemistry; 
2. Development of photosensitizers for the treatment of various cancers by Photodynamic Therapy (PDT). 
3. Development of agents for the detection (imaging) of various cancers. 

Research Description:
1. Conotoxins are characterized by their small molecular weight, hypervariability, diversified physiololgical function and high specificity for their targets. We will try to find new conotoxins and do research on the relationship of their function and structure. 
2. Photodynamic therapy (PDT) is a minimally invasive treatment modality that destroys tumor cells in the presence of oxygen when light of appropriate wavelength irradiates a photosensitizer and then generates highly reactive single oxygen. Current clinical applications of PDT include the treatment of solid tumors in skin, lung, esophagus, bladder, head and neck, brain, ocular melanoma, ovarian, prostate, et al. Besides as therapeutic agents, porphyrin-based compounds are also characteristic of emitting strong fluorescence in the near-infrared (NIR) region; so that these agents can be used for detecting tumors by fluorescence imaging. Another utility of photosensitizers is that their tumor-avidity can be used be utilized to deliver other imaging agents (for example, I-124 for PET imaging) to tumor site, so to image tumors. 

Key Word: conotoxin, function, structure, Photodynamic therapy, photosensitizer, Tumor imaging. 

Representative Publication (less than 20 papers)：

1. Yihui Chen, Munawwar Sajjad, Yanfang Wang, Carrie Batt, Hani A. Nabi, Ravindra K. Pandey. TSPO 18 kDa (PBR) Targeted Photosensitizers for Cancer Imaging (PET) and PDT. ACS Med. Chem. Lett. 2011, 2: 136–141.
2. Avinash Srivatsan, Yanfang Wang, Penny Joshi, Munawwar Sajjad, Yihui Chen, Chao Liu, Krishnakumar Thankppan, Joseph R. Missert, Erin Tracy, Janet Morgan, Nestor Rigual, Heinz Baumann, and Ravindra K. Pandey. In Vitro Cellular Uptake and Dimerization of Signal Transducer and Activator of Transcription-3 (STAT3) Identify the Photosensitizing and Imaging-Potential of Isomeric Photosensitizers Derived from Chlorophyll-a and Bacteriochlorophyll-a. J. Med. Chem. 2011, 54:6859–6873.
3. Can Peng1, Mingyu Ye1, Yanfang Wang1, Xiaoxia Shao, Duoduo Yuan, Jing Liu, Edward Hawrot, Chunguang Wang, Chengwu Chi. A new subfamily of conotoxins belonging to the A-conotoxin superfamily. Peptides. 2010, 31(11): 2009-2016. (1: co-first author).
4. Yanfang Wang, Xiaoxia Shao, Ming Li, Shumin Wang, Chengwu Chi, Chunguang Wang. mr1e, a conotoxin from Cnus marmoreus with a novel disulfide pattern. Acta Biochimica rt Biophysica Sinica. 2008,40(5):426-431
5. Suming Wang1, Jinbo Han1, Yanfang Wang1, Wuyuan Lu, and Chengwu Ch. Design of peptide inhibitors for furin based on the C-terminal fragment of histone H 1.2. Acta Biochimica rt Biophysica Sinica.2008, 40(10):848-854. (1: co-first author).
6. Yuhong Han, Feijuan Huang, Hui Jiang, Li Liu, Qi Wang, Yanfang Wang, Xiaoxia Shao，Chengwu Chi, Weihong Du, Chunguang Wang. Purification and structural characterization of a D-amina acid-containing conopeptide, conomarphin, from Conus marmoreus. The FEBS Journal. 2008, 275(9):1976-1987.