Rate My Professor Zhibin Cui

Zhibin Cui is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Oral Biology at the University at Buffalo School of Dental Medicine. Holding a DDS and a PhD from Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine’s Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery-Head and Neck Cancer Program in Shanghai, China, he brings extensive expertise in dentistry and cancer research. Before joining the University at Buffalo, Cui served as an Assistant Professor in the Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery at the University of California, San Francisco. His research program investigates the genetic and immunological underpinnings of head and neck/oral cancer, with a particular emphasis on head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC). Key areas include the genetic heterogeneity of HNSCC, such as gene mutations and copy number variations, and their interactions with the tumor microenvironment that drive resistance to chemotherapy and immunotherapy.

Employing cutting-edge methodologies like high-throughput CRISPRi screening, next-generation sequencing, tissue engineering, preclinical mouse tumor models, transgenic mutation knock-in models, and clinical patient sample analyses, Cui seeks to uncover novel therapeutic targets for advanced, treatment-resistant HNSCC. His work also delves into immunotherapy mechanisms, cancer cell-death pathways like pyroptosis, and the role of high-frequency genetic mutations in the malignant transformation of oral epithelium. Cui maintains a robust publication record, featuring contributions to high-impact journals such as Cell Death and Disease, Molecular Cancer Research, Biomolecules, and Frontiers in Immunology. Representative publications include "Triggering Pyroptosis in Cancer" (2025, Biomolecules) and "Sarcomatoid carcinoma transformation in oral undifferentiated carcinoma" (2024, Frontiers in Immunology). A recipient of the Tobacco-Related Disease Research Program (TRDRP) postdoctoral fellowship, he leads the Cui Lab, which conducts translational research in gene therapy, genome-wide screening, immunology, molecular genetics, genomics, and head and neck oncology. His efforts are poised to advance therapeutic options for therapy-resistant head and neck cancers.