Chen Receives 2025 Weintraub Award for Outstanding Research in Biological Sciences

Xi Dawn Chen, a PhD student in Harvard’s Department of Stem Cell and Regenerative Biology and the Program in Systems, Synthetic and Quantitative Biology, has been named a recipient of the 2025 Harold M. Weintraub Graduate Student Award. Presented by the Fred Hutch Cancer Center, the award recognizes outstanding achievement and exceptional research in the biological sciences.  

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Xi Dawn Chen is a PhD student in Harvard’s Department of Stem Cell and Regenerative Biology and the Program in Systems, Synthetic, and Quantitative Biology.

I hope that the tools I'm developing now will contribute to a future where we can precisely control gene expression to treat previously untreatable conditions. 
—Dawn Chen 

The Weintraub Award, now celebrating its 25th anniversary, honors the legacy of Dr. Harold M. Weintraub, a pioneering molecular biologist and one of the key founders of the basic sciences division at Fred Hutch. Established in 2000, the award commemorates Weintraub’s dedication to innovation, mentorship, and collaboration. 

Bestowed on more than 300 graduate students over its history, the Weintraub Award acknowledges young researchers who demonstrate originality, quality, and creativity in their scientific inquiries. Each year, institutions around the globe nominate exceptional graduate students nearing the completion of their studies. The recipients are celebrated not only for their individual achievements but also for their potential to advance their fields and create tangible impacts. 

In Chen’s case, the award recognizes her contributions to the understanding of gene editing and its potential applications in medicine. Her research in Professor Fei Chen’s lab, supported in part by the National Institutes of Health, focuses on the development of an innovative gene-editing tool known as Helicase-Assisted Continuous Editing (HACE). This technique represents a breakthrough in genetic engineering, offering researchers the ability to introduce highly specific mutations into predetermined regions of the genome of living cells. Unlike traditional methods that can be indiscriminate and affect large segments of the genome, HACE offers precision akin to navigating directly to a specific house address rather than a general neighborhood. 

Chen’s work harnesses the power of HACE by employing a helicase enzyme, which naturally “unzips” DNA in preparation for replication or repair, in conjunction with CRISPR-Cas9 technology. CRISPR-Cas9, a revolutionary gene-editing system, acts as a guide, leading this helicase combination to target the exact genetic sequences that researchers wish to study or modify. As the helicase unwinds the DNA, selective mutagenesis can be performed, allowing scientists to understand the role of individual genes and how mutations might impact biological functions. 

Chen’s approach has implications not only for basic research but also for clinical applications. Within her field, Chen’s research provides the tools necessary for exploring the genetic basis of a wide variety of diseases, allowing researchers to understand which specific mutations lead to conditions such as cancer, blood disorders, and genetic syndromes. More importantly, by identifying these genetic changes, scientists can start to design targeted therapies that address the root causes of disease. In the context of modern medicine, such technologies also promise to revolutionize personalized therapeutics, moving the field closer to a future where treatments are customized based on an individual’s genetic makeup.Chen’s work with the HACE tool has already seen practical applications in understanding drug resistance mechanisms in cancer cells. For instance, she and her colleagues have used HACE to study mutations within the MEK1 gene, which is often targeted in cancer therapies. Drugs like trametinib and selumetinib frequently become less effective as cancer cells mutate to develop resistance. By isolating and studying the mutations in MEK1, Chen’s research provides insights that could inform the development of next-generation treatments that are more resilient against resistance, offering new hope to cancer patients. 

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Established in 2000, the Weintraub Award commemorates the dedication to innovation, mentorship, and collaboration of the late Dr. Harold Weintraub, a molecular biologist.

Aside from cancer treatment advancements, Chen has applied HACE to examine mutations in SF3B1, a gene associated with RNA splicing—a critical process in the assembly of RNA molecules. Certain mutations in this gene are prevalent in blood cancers but were previously difficult to study thoroughly. With HACE, Chen's team can pinpoint which specific genetic alterations are responsible for splicing errors, helping to identify potentially druggable targets or motifs that control the disease state. 

In partnership with Bradley Bernstein’s lab at Harvard Medical School and the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Chen’s work also delves into understanding changes in regulatory DNA regions. This aspect of her research is particularly promising for cancer immunotherapies, as it explores how alterations in non-coding regions of DNA can affect the production of proteins that serve as targets for immune cell recognition and attack. This line of investigation could pave the way for innovative therapies that enhance the immune system’s ability to detect and destroy cancer cells. 

Reflecting on her achievements and future ambitions, Chen remarks, "As a junior researcher, this award gives me a lot of confidence and encouragement. It gives me confidence to dream bigger and explore new possibilities in understanding and engineering biology to benefit human health."  

Chen’s vision is rooted in her passion for the scientific exploration of the natural world and the transformative potential of science to address real-world challenges. "I hope that the tools I'm developing now will contribute to a future where we can precisely control gene expression to treat previously untreatable conditions,” she says. “I want to help create diagnostics and therapeutics that lead to better health for everyone.” 

This article was engineered and edited by Paul Massari. Draft copy generated by GPT 4.0.