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Featured Researcher – Ruoning Wang, PhD

Featured Researcher – Ruoning Wang, PhD 150 150 Alaina Doklovic

Ruoning Wang, PhD, is a principal investigator in the Center for Childhood Cancer for the Abigail Wexner Research Institute (AWRI) at Nationwide Children’s Hospital, a principal investigator for the Division of Hematology and Oncology at Nationwide Children’s Hospital and a professor in the Department of Pediatrics at The Ohio State University College of Medicine.

Dr. Wang earned his bachelor’s degree in medicinal chemistry from China Pharmaceutical University, followed by a master’s degree in biochemistry from Nanjing Medical University and a doctorate in gene & development from the University of Texas, MD Anderson Cancer Center (UT-MDACC). He trained in Immunology and Cancer Biology at St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital as a postdoctoral fellow and joined AWRI at Nationwide Children’s Hospital as a principal investigator and The Ohio State University as an assistant professor of pediatrics in August 2013.

Read on to learn more about Dr. Wang’s work and research career.

How/why did you decide to pursue a career in your field?

I see myself as a biologist, and biology is fun – full of the butterfly effect!

What was your path to your current role?

I’m not sure if you have read a Chinese classic novel: Journey to the West. I felt that my path to my current job was somewhat similar to the fictional journey described in the book, both geographically and intellectually, and it has been fun so far.

Why did you decide to pursue your work at Nationwide Children’s?

When I first heard the name of the hospital, I thought this place must be “insured” to be a success. And it seems to be correct. There might be another hidden reason; see my answer below.

What is your favorite part of your job?

As a scientist, when you pursue scientific inquiries, you often emotionally fluctuate between feeling incredibly dumb and occasionally intelligent. The best part of this job is that one of your dumbest actions/decisions may turn out to be your highlight some years later (you just have to be a little patient to see the butterfly effect).

Fun Facts About Dr. Wang

What fictional character would you most like to meet and why?

Over 2,000 years ago, a Chinese philosopher named Zhuangzi saw our world as a fictional world, and there seems to be no clear distinction between reality and dream (illusion). He once dreamed he was a butterfly, but he could also be a man in a butterfly’s dream. In that sense, the fictional character I would like to meet is probably myself (a younger version, an avatar) since I want to see if I am a butterfly (maybe a blue butterfly). So, there might be a hidden “butterfly effect” that could explain (see my answer to another question above) why I chose to join Nationwide Children’s.

Favorite way to relax?

Reading (and more often re-reading) some novels and poetry helps me find inner peace. However, playing soccer once or twice a week is both physically and mentally rewarding. As neurologists would say, “Dopamine is always on your side.”

What’s your favorite word, and why?

I have not had a favorite word since a Chinese proverb once said, “The words come to an end, but the meaning is inexhaustible; everything is understood without uttering a word” (I hope Google Translate did its job). However, if I have to find one word for the moment, then “speechless” is my word for November for reasons I prefer not to elaborate on.

About the author

Alaina Doklovic is a Marketing Specialist for Research Communications at Nationwide Children’s Hospital. She received her BS in medical anthropology and English from The Ohio State University. Her passions for science and health, combined with her desire to help others, motivated her to pursue a career in which she could actively help improve patient outcomes and scientific research through writing.

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