Jonathan Chen, MD, PhD, assistant professor of Pathology in the Division of Molecular Pathology, and Waihay Wong, MD, PhD, assistant professor of Pathology, have been named recipients of the American Society of Clinical Investigation’s 2025 Young Physician-Scientist Award.

The annual award recognizes physician-scientists who are early in their first faculty appointment and have made notable achievements in their research. Wong and Chen are among 50 physician-scientists nationwide to receive the award this year.

“I feel very proud to join an incredibly accomplished group of scientists performing clinically relevant and innovative research,” Wong said. “This is a strong affirmation of Northwestern as an outstanding biomedical hub where we all strive for scientific excellence made possible through collaborations, mentorship and institutional support.”

Wong’s research focuses on genetic changes driving clonal hematopoiesis of indeterminate potential (CHIP), a condition in which healthy persons have blood cell mutations, but no detectable blood cancer. Wong’s laboratory uses mouse models, human patient samples and advanced cell-based systems to learn about the inflammatory pathways affecting blood cell development, with the goal of uncovering new therapeutic strategies for blood cancers.

As a molecular pathologist, Chen’s research examines anti-tumor immune responses and how the tumor microenvironment can be made more susceptible to immunotherapy.

Chen’s recent work discovered a spatially organized multicellular network called an “immunity hub” associated with immunologically active DNA mismatch repair-deficient cancer. He subsequently discovered that immunity hubs are also present in human non-small cell lung cancer and their abundance predicts patient immunotherapy response.

“It’s an honor to be recognized as a physician-scientist doing important work,” Chen said.

Both Wong and Chen are members of the Robert H. Lurie Comprehensive Cancer Center of Northwestern University.