Trainee Member Delivers Keynote
Monday, October 20, 2025
University of Illinois Cancer Center trainee member Chih-Jia Chao, a fifth-year PhD student in Pharmaceutical Sciences at the Retzky College of Pharmacy at UIC, was the keynote speaker at the 2025 Cancer Center Trainee Symposium, held at the University of Wisconsin Carbone Cancer Center.
She was selected through the Cancer Research Training and Education Coordination (CRTEC) Trainee Exchange Program, an initiative that promotes research exchange and collaboration among cancer centers in the Midwest.
Chih-Jia Chao
Chao is mentored by Cancer Center Translational Oncology Research Program member Zongmin Zhao, PhD, an Assistant Professor in the College of Pharmacy. Over the summer, he was the lead author and she was the first author on a study published in the journal Nature Communications.
At the September symposium, Chao presented her research, engaged in cross-institutional networking, and highlighted the contributions to cancer research and education at UIC. Symposium attendees included faculty, postdocs and graduate students from across the University of Wisconsin system.
“This experience allowed me to share my work with a new and engaged audience. It also provided valuable perspectives from trainees working in various areas of cancer research. I received many insightful follow-up questions that inspired new ideas and helped shape the future direction of my projects,” Chao said.
For more information about the CRTEC Trainee Exchange Program, contact the CRTEC team at crtec@uic.edu.
