Advancing Human Disease Research with Long-Read and Single-Cell Technologies

Lan Lin, Ph.D.

Assistant Professor of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine

The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia

Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania


Seminar Information

Seminar Date
October 31, 2025 - 2:00 PM

Location
The FUNG Auditorium - PFBH

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Abstract

Mammalian cells generate remarkable regulatory and functional complexity from a finite set of genes. Transcript isoform variation is a key mechanism underlying this diversity. Dr. Lin’s research harnesses the power of long-read and single-cell RNA sequencing to explore human transcriptome variations. Her lab has developed innovative platforms for RNA-based diagnostics and therapeutics of rare genetic diseases and cancer. Together, these technologies enable the systematic elucidation of transcriptomic alterations in health and disease and pave the way for RNA-based precision medicine.

Speaker Bio

Dr. Lan Lin is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia and the University of Pennsylvania. She received her B.S. in Biotechnology from Beijing University and her Ph.D. in Cellular and Molecular Pathology from UCLA.

Dr. Lin’s lab develops advanced long-read and single-cell technologies to investigate transcriptional variation in mammalian systems to advance genomic medicine, with focuses on RNA-guided diagnostics and therapeutics. Her group led the development of TEQUILA-seq, a cost-effective method for targeted long-read RNA sequencing that overcomes key limitations in isoform analysis. They also developed ATLAS-seq, an innovative microfluidic single-cell platform for identifying antigen-reactive T-cell receptors, enabling precision immunotherapies for hard-to-treat cancers.

Dr. Lin has published extensively in high-impact journals, including Nature Communications, Science Advances, EMBO Journal, Genome Biology and PNAS. She is a co-developer of widely used computational tools such as rMATS and ESPRESSO for isoform identification and quantification. Her research is supported by major funding from NIH, including an NIGMS R35 MIRA award, as well as state and institutional programs focused on childhood cancers and precision medicine.