Pei-Ling Chen, MD, PhD

I am a board-certified dermatopathologist with clinical expertise in melanoma and cutaneous lymphoma. I am also a translational researcher with extensive experience in skin cancer genomics, single-cell biology and spatial multi-omics. The overarching goal of my research program is to elucidate the spatial molecular predictors of response/resistance to neoadjuvant immunotherapies in metastatic melanoma and identify novel therapeutic vulnerabilities in the melanoma tumor microenvironment at disease progression. My recent research work has focused on characterizing the molecular features of melanoma and cutaneous lymphoma tumor microenvironment by leveraging cutting-edge spatial transcriptomics, computational pathology and 3D imaging approaches with generative AI.

Associations

• Pathology
• Machine Learning
• Melanoma & Skin Cancer Center of Excellence
• Immuno-Oncology Program

Education & Training

Graduate:

• Brown University, Fellow - Gynecologic and Breast Pathology

Fellowship:

• The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center - Surgical Pathology
• The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center - Postdoctoral Research Fellowship, Genomic Medicine
• The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center - Dermatopathology

Residency:

• Washington University in St. Louis/Barnes-Jewish Hospital - Anatomic Pathology

Medical School:

• The Warren Albert Medical School of Brown University - MD
• Stanford University - PhD

https://marcene.moffitt.org/marcene/enrollment/ccsg_submission/detail/5772/34793/192848/#My research interest is on applying computational pathology, spatial transcriptomics and single-cell profiling using machine learning approaches in skin cancer multiomics datasets.

• Kuilman T, Schrikkema DS, Gadiot J, Gomez-Eerland R, Bies L, Walker J, Spaapen RM, Kok H, Houg D, Viyacheva M, Claassen YB, Saornil M, Krijgsman O, Stringer B, Ding H, Geleijnse A, Meinema AC, Weissbrich B, Lancee M, Engele CG, Sabatino M, Chen PL, Tsai KY, Mulé JJ, Sondak VK, van den Bulk J, de Miranda NF, Jedema I, Haanen JG, van Heijst JWJ, Schumacher TN, Linnemann C, Bendle GM. Enabling next-generation engineered TCR-T therapies based on high-throughput TCR discovery from diagnostic tumor biopsies. Nat Commun. 2025 Jan.16(1):649. Pubmedid: 39809767. Pmcid: PMC11733228.
• Bordeaux J, Blitzblau R, Aasi SZ, Alam M, Amini A, Bibee K, Bolotin D, Chen PL, Contreras CM, DiMaio D, Donigan JM, Farma JM, Ghosh K, Harms K, LeBoeuf N, Lukens JN, Manber S, Mark L, Medina T, Nehal KS, Nghiem P, Olino K, Paragh G, Park S, Patel T, Rich J, Shaha AR, Sharma B, Sokumbi Y, Srivastava D, Thomas V, Tomblinson C, Venkat P, Xu YG, Yu S, Yusuf M, McCullough B, Espinosa S. Dermatofibrosarcoma Protuberans, Version 1.2025, NCCN Clinical Practice Guidelines In Oncology. J Natl Compr Canc Ne. 2025 Jan.23(1). Pubmedid: 39819674.
• Xu YG, Lim Y, Bordeaux JS, Aasi SZ, Alam M, Chen PL, Contreras CM, DiMaio D, Donigan JM, Farma JM, Grekin RC, Mark L, Nehal KS, Nghiem P, Olino K, Patel T, Scott J, Shaha AR, Srivastava D, Schmults CD. Achieving Adherence With NCCN Guidelines for Nonmelanoma Skin Cancer Regarding Peripheral and Deep En Face Margin Assessment (PDEMA). J Natl Compr Canc Ne. 2024 Nov.22(9). Pubmedid: 39536442.
• Schmults CD, Blitzblau R, Aasi SZ, Alam M, Amini A, Bibee K, Bolotin D, Bordeaux J, Chen PL, Contreras CM, DiMaio D, Donigan JM, Farma JM, Ghosh K, Harms K, Ho AL, Lukens JN, Manber S, Mark L, Medina T, Nehal KS, Nghiem P, Olino K, Park S, Patel T, Puzanov I, Rich J, Sekulic A, Shaha AR, Srivastava D, Thomas V, Tomblinson C, Venkat P, Xu YG, Yu S, Yusuf M, McCullough B, Espinosa S. NCCN Guidelines® Insights: Merkel Cell Carcinoma, Version 1.2024. J Natl Compr Canc Ne. 2024 Jan.22(1D):e240002. Pubmedid: 38244274.
• Tarhini AA, Eroglu Z, Eljilany I, Zager JS, Gonzalez RJ, Sarnaik AA, Cruse CW, Khushalani NI, De Aquino DB, Abraham E, Acevedo DM, Richards A, Schell MJ, Kalos D, Chen PL, Messina JL, Canton DA, Sondak VK. Neoadjuvant Intratumoral Plasmid IL-12 Electro-Gene-Transfer and Nivolumab in Patients with Operable, Locoregionally Advanced Melanoma. Clin Cancer Res. 2024 Dec.30(23):5333-5341. Pubmedid: 39417680. Pmcid: PMC11611651.
• Markowitz J, Shamblott M, Brohl AS, Sarnaik AA, Eroglu Z, Khushalani NI, Dukes CW, Chamizo A, Bastawrous M, Garcia ET, Delhawi A, Chen PL, De Aquino DB, Sondak VK, Tarhini AA, Kim Y, Lawman P, Pilon-Thomas S. First-in-Human Stage III/IV Melanoma Clinical Trial of Immune Priming Agent IFx-Hu2.0. Mol Cancer Ther. 2024 Aug.23(8):1139-1143. Pubmedid: 38657233. Pmcid: PMC11292317.
• Harro CM, Sprenger KB, Chaurio RA, Powers JJ, Innamarato P, Anadon CM, Zhang Y, Biswas S, Mandal G, Mine JA, Cortina C, Nagy MZ, Martin AL, Handley KF, Borjas GJ, Chen PL, Pinilla-Ibarz J, Sokol L, Yu X, Conejo-Garcia JR. Sézary syndrome originates from heavily mutated hematopoietic progenitors. Blood Adv. 2023 Sep.7(18):5586-5602. Pubmedid: 37531660. Pmcid: PMC10514084.
• Schmults CD, Blitzblau R, Aasi SZ, Alam M, Amini A, Bibee K, Bordeaux J, Chen PL, Contreras CM, DiMaio D, Donigan JM, Farma JM, Ghosh K, Harms K, Ho AL, Lukens JN, Mark L, Medina T, Nehal KS, Nghiem P, Olino K, Park S, Patel T, Puzanov I, Rich J, Sekulic A, Shaha AR, Srivastava D, Thomas V, Tomblinson C, Venkat P, Xu YG, Yu S, Yusuf M, McCullough B, Espinosa S. Basal Cell Skin Cancer, Version 2.2024, NCCN Clinical Practice Guidelines in Oncology. J Natl Compr Canc Ne. 2023 Nov.21(11):1181-1203. Pubmedid: 37935106.
• Abraham J, Wei G, Desai SR, Chen PL, Seminario-Vidal L. Perspectives on and Quality of Life in Skin of Color Patients With Mycosis Fungoides/Sézary Syndrome: A Qualitative Analysis. Cureus. 2023 Jan.15(1):e34054. Pubmedid: 36824562. Pmcid: PMC9941020.
• Lester DK, Burton C, Gardner A, Innamarato P, Kodumudi K, Liu Q, Adhikari E, Ming Q, Williamson DB, Frederick DT, Sharova T, White MG, Markowitz J, Cao B, Nguyen J, Johnson J, Beatty M, Mockabee-Macias A, Mercurio M, Watson G, Chen PL, McCarthy S, MoranSegura C, Messina J, Thomas KL, Darville L, Izumi V, Koomen JM, Pilon-Thomas SA, Ruffell B, Luca VC, Haltiwanger RS, Wang X, Wargo JA, Boland GM, Lau EK. Fucosylation of HLA-DRB1 regulates CD4+ T cell-mediated anti-melanoma immunity and enhances immunotherapy efficacy. Nat Cancer. 2023 Feb.4(2):222-239. Pubmedid: 36690875. Pmcid: PMC9970875.
• Glinos G, Wei G, Nosewicz J, Abdulla F, Chen PL, Chung C, Kaffenberger BH, Querfeld C, Shinohara MM, Sokol L, Zain J, Kumar A, Seminario-Vidal L. Characteristics and Outcomes for Hospitalized Patients With Cutaneous T-Cell Lymphoma. JAMA Dermatol. 2023 Feb.159(2):192-197. Pubmedid: 36598766. Pmcid: PMC9857769.
• Krenitsky A, Klager S, Hatch L, Sarriera-Lazaro C, Chen PL, Seminario-Vidal L. Update in Diagnosis and Management of Primary Cutaneous B-Cell Lymphomas. Am J Clin Dermatol. 2022 Sep.23(5):689-706. Pubmedid: 35854102.
• Song X, Chang S, Seminario-Vidal L, de Mingo Pulido A, Tordesillas L, Song X, Reed RA, Harkins A, Whiddon S, Nguyen JV, Moran Segura C, Zhang C, Yoder S, Sayegh Z, Zhao Y, Messina JL, Harro CM, Zhang X, Conejo-Garcia JR, Berglund AE, Sokol L, Zhang J, Rodriguez PC, Mule JJ, Futreal AP, Tsai KY, Chen PL. Genomic and Single-Cell Landscape Reveals Novel Drivers and Therapeutic Vulnerabilities of Transformed Cutaneous T-cell Lymphoma. Cancer Discov. 2022 May.12(5):1294-1313. Pubmedid: 35247891. Pmcid: PMC9148441.
• Gibbs JD, Ma S, Kim A, Seminario-Vidal L, Sokol L, Zhang H, Zhang X, Sagatys E, Chen PL, Messina JL. Utility of flow cytometry and gene rearrangement analysis in tissue and blood of patients with suspected cutaneous T‑cell lymphoma. Oncol Rep. 2021 Jan.45(1):349-358. Pubmedid: 33416132.
• Schmults CD, Blitzblau R, Aasi SZ, Alam M, Andersen JS, Baumann BC, Bordeaux J, Chen PL, Chin R, Contreras CM, DiMaio D, Donigan JM, Farma JM, Ghosh K, Grekin RC, Harms K, Ho AL, Holder A, Lukens JN, Medina T, Nehal KS, Nghiem P, Park S, Patel T, Puzanov I, Scott J, Sekulic A, Shaha AR, Srivastava D, Stebbins W, Thomas V, Xu YG, McCullough B, Dwyer MA, Nguyen MQ. NCCN Guidelines® Insights: Squamous Cell Skin Cancer, Version 1.2022. J Natl Compr Canc Ne. 2021 Dec.19(12):1382-1394. Pubmedid: 34902824.
• Cohen L, Shah V, Chen PL, Messina J, Seminario-Vidal L. Cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma causing a rhinophymatous mass in a patient with clinically occult hypertrophic lupus erythematosus. Lupus. 2020 May.29(6):644-648. Pubmedid: 32202198.
• Chen PL, Neishaboori N, Tetzlaff MT, Chen WS, Aung PP, Curry JL, Nagarajan P, Ivan D, Hwu WJ, Prieto VG, Torres-Cabala CA. BAP-1 Expression Status by Immunohistochemistry in Cellular Blue Nevus and Blue Nevus-like Melanoma. Am J Dermatopathxxx. 2020 May.42(5):313-321. Pubmedid: 32310893.
• Muradova E, Patel N, Chen PL, Seminario-Vidal L. Cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma arising within a mycosis fungoides patch: Case report and review of the literature. JAAD Case Rep. 2020 Dec.6(12):1288-1290. Pubmedid: 33294566. Pmcid: PMC7701026.
• Malachowski SJ, Sun J, Chen PL, Seminario-Vidal L. Diagnosis and Management of Cutaneous B-Cell Lymphomas. Dermatol Clin. 2019 Oct.37(4):443-454. Pubmedid: 31466585.
• Cohen L, Chen PL, Zhang L, Sokol L, Seminario-Vidal L. Skin-first nodulotumoral adult T-cell lymphoma mimicking cutaneous T-cell lymphoma. JAAD Case Rep. 2019 Aug.5(8):650-652. Pubmedid: 31388529. Pmcid: PMC6677771.
• Romano G, Chen PL, Song P, McQuade JL, Liang RJ, Liu M, Roh W, Duose DY, Carapeto FCL, Li J, Teh JLF, Aplin AE, Chen M, Zhang J, Lazar AJ, Davies MA, Futreal PA, Amaria RN, Zhang DY, Wargo JA, Kwong LN. A Preexisting Rare Subpopulation Confers Clinical Resistance to MEK plus CDK4/6 Inhibition in Melanoma and Is Dependent on S6K1 Signaling. Cancer Discov. 2018 May.8(5):556-567. Pubmedid: 29496665. Pmcid: PMC5932238.
• Gopalakrishnan V, Spencer CN, Nezi L, Reuben A, Andrews MC, Karpinets TV, Prieto PA, Vicente D, Hoffman K, Wei SC, Cogdill AP, Zhao L, Hudgens CW, Hutchinson DS, Manzo T, Petaccia de Macedo M, Cotechini T, Kumar T, Chen WS, Reddy SM, Szczepaniak Sloane R, Galloway-Pena J, Jiang H, Chen PL, Shpall EJ, Rezvani K, Alousi AM, Chemaly RF, Shelburne S, Vence LM, Okhuysen PC, Jensen VB, Swennes AG, McAllister F, Marcelo Riquelme Sanchez E, Zhang Y, Le Chatelier E, Zitvogel L, Pons N, Austin-Breneman JL, Haydu LE, Burton EM, Gardner JM, Sirmans E, Hu J, Lazar AJ, Tsujikawa T, Diab A, Tawbi H, Glitza IC, Hwu WJ, Patel SP, Woodman SE, Amaria RN, Davies MA, Gershenwald JE, Hwu P, Lee JE, Zhang J, Coussens LM, Cooper ZA, Futreal PA, Daniel CR, Ajami NJ, Petrosino JF, Tetzlaff MT, Sharma P, Allison JP, Jenq RR, Wargo JA. Gut microbiome modulates response to anti-PD-1 immunotherapy in melanoma patients. Science. 2018 Jan.359(6371):97-103. Pubmedid: 29097493. Pmcid: PMC5827966.
• Boddu P, Chen PL, Nagarajan P, Prieto VG, Won A, Chambers M, Kornblau S. Necrotizing fungal gingivitis in a patient with Acute Myelogenous Leukemia: visible yet obscure. J Oral Maxillofac Surg Med Pathol. 2018 Jan.30(1):50-54. Pubmedid: 29404266. Pmcid: PMC5796543.
• Roh W, Chen PL, Reuben A, Spencer CN, Prieto PA, Miller JP, Gopalakrishnan V, Wang F, Cooper ZA, Reddy SM, Gumbs C, Little L, Chang Q, Chen WS, Wani K, De Macedo MP, Chen E, Austin-Breneman JL, Jiang H, Roszik J, Tetzlaff MT, Davies MA, Gershenwald JE, Tawbi H, Lazar AJ, Hwu P, Hwu WJ, Diab A, Glitza IC, Patel SP, Woodman SE, Amaria RN, Prieto VG, Hu J, Sharma P, Allison JP, Chin L, Zhang J, Wargo JA, Futreal PA. Integrated molecular analysis of tumor biopsies on sequential CTLA-4 and PD-1 blockade reveals markers of response and resistance. Sci Transl Med. 2017 Mar.9(379). Pubmedid: 28251903. Pmcid: PMC5819607.
• Gao J, Shi LZ, Zhao H, Chen J, Xiong L, He Q, Chen T, Roszik J, Bernatchez C, Woodman SE, Chen PL, Hwu P, Allison JP, Futreal A, Wargo JA, Sharma P. Loss of IFN-γ Pathway Genes in Tumor Cells as a Mechanism of Resistance to Anti-CTLA-4 Therapy. Cell. 2016 Oct.167(2):397-404.e9. Pubmedid: 27667683. Pmcid: PMC5088716.
• Feldmeyer L, Hudgens CW, Ray-Lyons G, Nagarajan P, Aung PP, Curry JL, Torres-Cabala CA, Mino B, Rodriguez-Canales J, Reuben A, Chen PL, Ko JS, Billings SD, Bassett RL, Wistuba II, Cooper ZA, Prieto VG, Wargo JA, Tetzlaff MT. Density, Distribution, and Composition of Immune Infiltrates Correlate with Survival in Merkel Cell Carcinoma. Clin Cancer Res. 2016 Nov.22(22):5553-5563. Pubmedid: 27166398. Pmcid: PMC5857157.
• Peng W, Chen JQ, Liu C, Malu S, Creasy C, Tetzlaff MT, Xu C, McKenzie JA, Zhang C, Liang X, Williams LJ, Deng W, Chen G, Mbofung R, Lazar AJ, Torres-Cabala CA, Cooper ZA, Chen PL, Tieu TN, Spranger S, Yu X, Bernatchez C, Forget MA, Haymaker C, Amaria R, McQuade JL, Glitza IC, Cascone T, Li HS, Kwong LN, Heffernan TP, Hu J, Bassett RL, Bosenberg MW, Woodman SE, Overwijk WW, Lizée G, Roszik J, Gajewski TF, Wargo JA, Gershenwald JE, Radvanyi L, Davies MA, Hwu P. Loss of PTEN Promotes Resistance to T Cell-Mediated Immunotherapy. Cancer Discov. 2016 Feb.6(2):202-216. Pubmedid: 26645196. Pmcid: PMC4744499.
• Chen PL, Roh W, Reuben A, Cooper ZA, Spencer CN, Prieto PA, Miller JP, Bassett RL, Gopalakrishnan V, Wani K, De Macedo MP, Austin-Breneman JL, Jiang H, Chang Q, Reddy SM, Chen WS, Tetzlaff MT, Broaddus RJ, Davies MA, Gershenwald JE, Haydu L, Lazar AJ, Patel SP, Hwu P, Hwu WJ, Diab A, Glitza IC, Woodman SE, Vence LM, Wistuba II, Amaria RN, Kwong LN, Prieto V, Davis RE, Ma W, Overwijk WW, Sharpe AH, Hu J, Futreal PA, Blando J, Sharma P, Allison JP, Chin L, Wargo JA. Analysis of Immune Signatures in Longitudinal Tumor Samples Yields Insight into Biomarkers of Response and Mechanisms of Resistance to Immune Checkpoint Blockade. Cancer Discov. 2016 Aug.6(8):827-837. Pubmedid: 27301722. Pmcid: PMC5082984.
• Chen WS, Chen PL, Lu D, Lind AC, Dehner LP. Growth-associated protein 43 in differentiating peripheral nerve sheath tumors from other non-neural spindle cell neoplasms. Mod Pathol. 2014 Feb.27(2):184-193. Pubmedid: 23887302.
• Martz CA, Ottina KA, Singleton KR, Jasper JS, Wardell SE, Peraza-Penton A, Anderson GR, Winter PS, Wang T, Alley HM, Kwong LN, Cooper ZA, Tetzlaff M, Chen PL, Rathmell JC, Flaherty KT, Wargo JA, McDonnell DP, Sabatini DM, Wood KC. Systematic identification of signaling pathways with potential to confer anticancer drug resistance. Sci Signal. 2014 Dec.7(357):ra121. Pubmedid: 25538079. Pmcid: PMC4353587.
• Chen WS, Chen PL, Li J, Lind AC, Lu D. Lipid synthesis and processing proteins ABHD5, PGRMC1 and squalene synthase can serve as novel immunohistochemical markers for sebaceous neoplasms and differentiate sebaceous carcinoma from sebaceoma and basal cell carcinoma with clear cell features. J Cutan Pathol. 2013 Jul.40(7):631-638. Pubmedid: 23557589.
• Chen PL, Chen WS, Li J, Lind AC, Lu D. Diagnostic utility of neural stem and progenitor cell markers nestin and SOX2 in distinguishing nodal melanocytic nevi from metastatic melanomas. Mod Pathol. 2013 Jan.26(1):44-53. Pubmedid: 22899289.
• Chen PL, Clandinin TR. The cadherin Flamingo mediates level-dependent interactions that guide photoreceptor target choice in Drosophila. Neuron. 2008 Apr.58(1):26-33. Pubmedid: 18400160. Pmcid: PMC2494600.
• Bazigou E, Apitz H, Johansson J, Lorén CE, Hirst EM, Chen PL, Palmer RH, Salecker I. Anterograde Jelly belly and Alk receptor tyrosine kinase signaling mediates retinal axon targeting in Drosophila. Cell. 2007 Mar.128(5):961-975. Pubmedid: 17350579.
• Mast JD, Prakash S, Chen PL, Clandinin TR. The mechanisms and molecules that connect photoreceptor axons to their targets in Drosophila. Semin Cell Dev Biol. 2006 Feb.17(1):42-49. Pubmedid: 16337412.
• Lee RC, Clandinin TR, Lee CH, Chen PL, Meinertzhagen IA, Zipursky SL. The protocadherin Flamingo is required for axon target selection in the Drosophila visual system. Nat Neurosci. 2003 Jun.6(6):557-563. Pubmedid: 12754514.

• Title: Dissecting the spatial molecular architecture of the transformed cutaneous T-cell lymphoma tumor microenvironment to target novel therapeutic vulnerabilities
  Award Number: HT9425-23-1-0947
  Sponsor: Department of Defense (DOD)
  Chen, P. (PD/PI)
• Title: Defining the Spatiogenomic Landscape of Tumor-Infiltrating B Cells (TIL-B) in Response to Neoadjuvant Immune Checkpoint Blockade (ICB) Therapies in Metastatic Melanoma
  Award Number:
  Sponsor: Florida Department of Health
  Chen, P. (PD/PI)