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  • Posted Wednesday February 13, 2019

TGen Associate Professor and Director of Scientific Operations recognized as one of Arizona’s Outstanding Women in Business

Dr. Winnie Liang will be honored April 4 by the Phoenix Business Journal

PHOENIX, Ariz. — Feb. 13, 2019 — Dr. Winnie Liang, Director of Scientific Operations at the Translational Genomics Research Institute (TGen), an affiliate of City of Hope, has been named by the Phoenix Business Journal as one of Arizona’s 2019 Outstanding Women in Business.

Dr. Liang, who also serves as an Associate Professor in TGen’s Integrated Cancer Genomics and Neurogenomics Divisions, and is the founding Director of TGen’s Collaborative Sequencing Center, will be honored April 4 at an awards luncheon at the Fairmont Scottsdale Princess.

“I am incredibly flattered by this honor and to be recognized amongst other amazing women in Phoenix, but this is truly a testament to all the tremendous work being pursued here at TGen to benefit patients with health challenges, ranging anywhere from infectious diseases to diabetes to different types of cancer, and as well as my focus in Alzheimer’s disease research,” said Dr. Liang, who was selected as one of 25 Outstanding Women in Business from more than 280 nominations.

Dr. Liang received a Bachelor of Science in Biological Sciences from Carnegie Mellon University, and her Ph.D. in Molecular and Cellular Biology from Arizona State University.

As an Associate Professor at TGen, Dr. Liang has continued her graduate and post-doctoral work in Alzheimer’s disease research. She is an active member of the Arizona Alzheimer’s Consortium, and currently co-leads a multi-institutional study with ASU, the Banner Alzheimer’s Institute, Banner Sun Health Research Institute, and Mt. Sinai’s Icahn School of Medicine to characterize changes in gene expression in Alzheimer’s disease.

In 2010, Dr. Liang led the creation of TGen’s Collaborative Sequencing Center, which acts as TGen’s primary next-generation sequencing resource, using precision medicine to unlock the mysteries of the human genome and provide patients and their attending physicians with new insights into their diseases and conditions.

She is involved in her community, working as a volunteer for Save the Family Foundation, Joy Bus Diner and Circle the City. She is also committed to the environment, serving as a wilderness steward for the Arizona Wilderness Coalition, and initiating a recycling program at TGen through the institute’s culture committee, where she helps instill a sense of community and service among TGen employees.

Dr. Liang has mentored numerous high school and college students through Helios Scholars at TGen and the institute’s other internship and training programs.

“This recognition highlights Winnie’s commitment to making TGen the best institute possible, and in doing so unselfishly provides an environment in which our faculty can pursue research and clinical advances against many of today’s leading diseases,” said Dr. Jeffrey Trent, TGen President and Research Director. “All of TGen congratulates Winnie for her inclusion in the 2019 Outstanding Woman in Business.”

The Phoenix Business Journal previously recognized Tess Burleson, TGen Chief Operating Officer, in their 2015 class of Outstanding Women in Business.

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About TGen, an affiliate of City of Hope
Translational Genomics Research Institute (TGen) is a Phoenix, Arizona-based non-profit organization dedicated to conducting groundbreaking research with life changing results. TGen is affiliated with City of Hope, a world-renowned independent research and cancer and diabetes treatment center: www.cityofhope.org. This precision medicine affiliation enables both institutes to complement each other in research and patient care, with City of Hope providing a significant clinical setting to advance scientific discoveries made by TGen. TGen is focused on helping patients with neurological disorders, cancer, diabetes, and infectious diseases, through cutting edge translational research (the process of rapidly moving research towards patient benefit).  TGen physicians and scientists work to unravel the genetic components of both common and rare complex diseases in adults and children. Working with collaborators in the scientific and medical communities literally worldwide, TGen makes a substantial contribution to help our patients through efficiency and effectiveness of the translational process. For more information, visit: www.tgen.org. Follow TGen on FacebookLinkedIn and Twitter @TGen.

Media Contact:
Steve Yozwiak
TGen Senior Science Writer
602-343-8704
[email protected]


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