Dr. Albert Han on Reshaping the Tumor Microenvironment for Innovative Cancer Therapies

Dr. Albert Yoon-Kyu Han (MD, PhD) attributes his early love of science to his parents. Growing up in West Los Angeles with parents who were both scientists, he came to realize that science was not only fun but also a powerful tool for improving society. As an undergraduate at UC Berkeley, Han majored in computer science, recognizing early on that technology would be critical across every domain of the future. He later joined the UCLA-Caltech Medical Scientist Training Program, pursuing an MD-PhD, and became increasingly interested in how technology could be used for disease detection and the development of novel therapies. While considering specialties during medical school, Han was drawn to otolaryngology, recognizing it as a field where he could make a significant and often immediate impact on patients’ lives. “Even when head and neck cancers are cured,” Han explains, “surgery and treatment can have lasting effects on a patient’s ability to breathe and eat, as well as on their appearance, each of which profoundly affects quality of life. This is why we need better ways to detect these cancers early and to select therapies that avoid the risks of overtreatment.”

Now a faculty member at USC, Han was recently named a Mentored Career Development in Clinical and Translational Science Scholar through the Southern California Clinical and Translational Science Institute (SC CTSI). The program supports junior faculty in conducting rigorous, innovative, and community-engaged research to improve health outcomes and reduce disease burden in the heart of Los Angeles. Han credits the mentorship of Dr. Yang Chai (DDS, PhD), Interim Dean of the Herman Ostrow School of Dentistry, and Dr. Uttam K. Sinha (MD), Division Chief of Head and Neck Surgery at the Keck School of Medicine, as pivotal in his development as a physician-scientist.

Han’s research focuses on the molecular mechanisms driving the formation and recurrence of head and neck cancers. In particular, he studies the tumor microenvironment, or the “ecosystem” in which cancer cells live. While tumors contain malignant cells, they also include immune cells and fibroblasts, which play supportive roles. As Han describes it, “Fibroblasts aren’t cancerous themselves, but they’re recruited by tumors to help maintain a favorable microenvironment. In normal tissue, fibroblasts aid wound healing, but in tumors, they provide nutrients and growth signals that promote cancer cell growth.”

Emerging evidence suggests that fibroblasts are critical not only in supporting cancer metabolism but also in driving chemotherapy resistance. In HPV-associated throat cancers, which tend to metastasize more readily than other head and neck cancers, fibroblasts may be key contributors to this spread. Han’s lab is working to “reprogram” these fibroblasts into a less activated state, depriving tumors of their supportive environment, a strategy that represents a departure from traditional approaches that target cancer cells directly. “If we think of cancer as a tree,” Han says, “and fibroblasts as the soil, we’re trying to target the soil that allows the tree to grow, rather than just the tree itself.”

In addition, Han emphasizes the importance of mentorship in shaping the next generation of physician-scientists. “Especially in medicine, it’s essential to equip trainees with both scientific judgment and the skill sets to succeed,” he notes. “Mentorship means not only providing the infrastructure for success but also guiding students through the entire process: from hypothesis development to experimentation and publication.” Since many medical students and residents spend only a year or less in his lab, Han designs projects that align with their interests and timelines, often with the goal of securing lead-author publications. His lab minimizes logistical barriers by providing immediate access to equipment, reagents and patient-derived samples, allowing trainees to transition rapidly from idea to data collection.

Han is grateful to be part of the USC research ecosystem, where he collaborates with leaders in cancer biology, population science and translational medicine. Looking ahead, he is excited to continue developing new therapies for head and neck cancers and equally committed to ensuring those advances reach the communities of Los Angeles and beyond as swiftly and equitably as possible.