Welcome to OncoloJiin – a space where I explore, reflect, and write about the science that provokes my curiosity, drives my passion, and inspires my research.
ABOUT ME
My name is Jiin Song and I am currently a Scientific Officer at The Institute of Cancer Research (ICR) in London, working with Professor Chris Jones’ Glioma Team. My current research focuses on pediatric high-grade gliomas, with a particular interest in investigating different mechanisms of cancer drug resistance (uncovering Intra-tumor heterogeneity, role of tumor microenvironment, cancer stem cell populations, and multi-drug resistance); assessing combinatorial drug strategies; and studying cancer cell plasticity and evolution.
Prior to my current role, I undertook research as a Scientific Officer in the Clinical Pharmacology and Cancer Therapeutics Division at The ICR in Professor Udai Banerji’s Lab. Here, I contributed towards confirming pre-clinical in-vitro drug efficacy and synergy of RAF/MEK clamp avutometinib (VS6766) and FAK inhibitor defactinib in 2D-grown ovarian cancer cell line, patient-derived low grade serous ovarian cancer (LGSOC) organoid models, and cells isolated from mouse PDX samples. This work was in collaboration with Verastem Oncology, and this combination became the first FDA-approved treatment for adult patients with KRAS-mutated recurrent LGSOC on May 8th, 2025. Collaborating with a number of pharmaceutical companies and working closely with patients at the Royal Marsden Hospital has been a huge privilege, giving me first-hand experience in how my work can impact individual lives and motivating me to further better our community through my research.
ABOUT THIS SITE
“OncoloJiin” is a personal archive and an open notebook.
Here, I will be sharing my annotated readings of key papers, insights from recent conferences, and thoughts on the current challenges and progress in pediatric oncology and neuro-oncology. The website is organized into five different pages: 1) Latest Posts, 2) Glioma, 3) Precision Medicine, 4) Journals, and 5) SharedPipette.
‘Latest Posts’ lists my posts in chronological order of dates posted and ‘Glioma’ page encompasses my research as well as all the journals I have read related to the topic. In addition to the brain tumors, I am particularly drawn the cellular and molecular mechanisms understanding how tumor cells decide their faith, acquire mutations, and eventually become resistant to targeted therapy or chemotherapy. The ‘Precision Medicine’ page explores this question, gathering insights from from others’ and my research. For further information, ‘Journals’ page will lead you to a summary of a list of selected journals of high impact.
A to-be launched platform “Shared Pipette” will be highlighting all the important laboratory techniques, explaining not only why and how they are performed but also the specific mechanism of action. Even with a Master of Research in Cancer Biology from Imperial College London and Bachelor of Science with Honours (BSc Hons) Biomedical Sciences at King’s College London, I only realised ‘how research is done’ and ‘early opportunities available’ as I moved further down my career. Therefore, I have always been striving to share my thoughts and experiences as a researcher to younger students and scientists-to-be in the broader community. ‘SharedPipette’ is an upcoming tab set to launch later this year, reflecting my broader interests beyond the lab bench. It highlights my passion for scientific communication, mentorship, and building inclusive research communities—particularly for students and early-career scientists who may not have easy access to knowledge and resources.
With this initiative of aiming to help create more equal opportunities for everyone in science, I have been participating as a panel speaker in multiple career events as a Representative in Life Sciences Research. It has been incredibly rewarding to see students I have talked to pursue a research career, some of them lready working in the field and some already pursuing their doctoral degrees. ‘SharedPipette’ is an extension of this work, where I aim to go beyond existing resources by engaging with universities in underrepresented regions, sharing my research journey, and fostering a curiosity for science and critical thinking skills within readers/students. Along with my experience of growing up and studying across multiple countries, I hope my strong appreciation for global collaboration and interdisciplinary thinking can instill a passion for scientific communication and mentorship within research communities, especially for underrepresented students and early-career scientists.
Thank you for visiting OncoloJiin – feel free to connect, comment, or reach out!
Science thrives on communication and shared curiosity, so I am excited to share my journey with you.
oncolojiin.com 