Clinical Interest

•	Molecular Diagnostics
•	Circulating tumour cells
•	Molecular mechanisms of cancer metastasis

Subspecialty

•	molecular genetic pathology
•	chemical pathology

Education

•	1971 – B.Sc. Hons (Biochemistry), University of Malaya, Malaysia
•	1977 – MAACB, Australia*
•	1984 – Ph.D. (Biochemistry), University of Hawaii, USA
•	1990 – FAACB, Australia*
•	1992 – M.Sc. (Applied Molecular Biology), University College London, UK
•	1992 – MRCPath, United Kingdom*
•	2000 – FRCPath, United Kingdom*

*Professional qualifications, acquired via examinations

Professional / Clinical experience

•	Director, Molecular Diagnosis Centre, Dept of Laboratory Medicine, NUHS 1998 – present
•	Associate Professor, Dept of Pathology, YLL School of Medicine, NUS 1988 – present
•	Senior Biochemist, Division of Biochemistry, Dept of Laboratory Medicine, NUH 1985 – 1998
•	Senior Lecturer, Dept of Biochemistry, Faculty of Medicine, NUS 1985 – 1988
•	Biochemist, Dept of Biochemistry, Institute for Medical Research, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia 1971 – 1979

•	Application of molecular platforms and techniques in diagnosis, prognosis of diseases (incl. Infectious diseases, inherited diseases, haematological malignancies, solid tumors) and personalised medicine
•	Studies of the molecular mechanisms underlying pathogenesis of breast cancer
•	Development of platform and technology for capture and isolation of circulating tumour cells and setting up molecular profiling strategies for detection of the captured cells – bringing the technology from bench to bedside, enabling routine diagnosis with non-invasive "liquid" biopsy materials (CTCs from peripheral blood samples).

1.	Lim LS, Hu M, Huang MC, Cheong WC, Gan ATL, Looi XL, Leong SM, Koay ES, Li MH. Microsieve lab-chip device for rapid enumeration and fluorescence in situ hybridization of circulating tumour cells. Lab Chip. 2012 Nov 7;12(21):4388-4396. PMID:22930096.
2.	Ho SS, Chua C, Gole L, Biswas A, Koay E, Choolani M. Same-day prenatal diagnosis of common chromosomal aneuploidies using microfluidics-fluorescence in situ hybridization, Prenatal Diagn. 2012 Apr;32(4):321-328. PMID:22467162.
3.	Tan LH, Tan SY, Tang T, Lim ST, Tan D, Lim LC, Kam GL, Loh TP, Tao M, Koay ES. Angioimmunoblastic T-cell lymphoma with hyperplastic germinal centres (pattern 1) shows superior survival to patterns 2 and 3: a meta-analysis of 56 cases. Histopathology. 2012 Mar;60(4):570-585. PMID:22251198.
4.	Manu KA, Shanmugam MK, Rajendran P, Li F, Ramachandran L, Hay HS, Kannaiyan R, Swamy SN, Bist P, Koay ES, Lim LH, Ahn KS, Kumar AP, Sethi G. Plumbagin inhibits invasion and migration of breast and gastric cancer cells by downregulating the expression of chemokine receptor CXCR4. Molr Cancer. 2011;10:107. PMID:21880153.
5.	Xu G, Hsieh TM, Lee DY, Ali EM, Xie H, Looi XL, Koay ES, Li MH, Ying JY. A self-contained all-in-one cartridge for sample preparation and real-time PCR in rapid influenza diagnosis. Lab Chip. 2010 Nov 21;10(22):3103-3111. PMID:20865195.
6.	Wong LL, Zhang D, Chang CF, Koay ES. Silencing of the PP2A catalytic subunit causes HER-2/neu positive breast cancer cells to undergo apoptosis. Exp Cell Res. 2010 Dec; 316 (20):3387-3396. PMID:20558158.
7.	Leong SM, Tan BX, Ahmad B, Yan T, Chee LY, Ang ST, Tay KG, Koh LP, Yeoh AE, Koay ES, Mok YK, Lim TM. Mutant nucleophosmin deregulates cell death and myeloid differentiation through excessive caspase-6 and -8 inhibition. Blood. 2010 Oct;116(17):3286-3296. PMID:20606168.
8.	Chua AW, Hay HS, Rajendran P, Shanmugam M, Li F, Bist P, Koay ES, Lim LH, Kumar AP, Sethi G. Butein downregulates chemokine receptor CXCR4 expression and function through suppression of NF-κB activation in breast and pancreatic tumour cells. Biochem Pharmacol. 2010 Nov;80(10): 1553-1562. PMID:20699088.
9.	Bambang IF, Lu D, Li H, Chiu LL, Lau QC, Koay E, Zhang D. Cytokeratin 19 regulates endoplasmic reticulum stress and inhibits ERp29 expression via p38 MAPK/XBP-1 signaling in breast cancer cells. Exp Cell Res. 2009 Jul 1; 315 (11):1964-1974. PMID:19265690.
10.	Wong LL, Chang CF, Koay ES, Zhang D. Tyrosine phosphorylation of PP2A is regulated by HER-2 signalling and correlates with breast cancer progression. Intl J Cancer. 2009;34(5):1291-1301. PMID:19360341.

1.	Dr Leong Sai Mun, Scientific Officer (grant-funded)
2.	Dr Andre De Garis Nicolle, Postdoctoral Fellow (grant-funded)
3.	Dr Sherry Sze Yee Ho, Postdoctoral Fellow (MDC permanent staff)
4.	Dr Christian Klettner, Postdoctoral Fellow (grant-funded)
5.	Dr Huang Mo-Chao, Postdoctoral Fellow (grant-funded)
6.	Ms Chua Hui Wen, Research Assistant (grant-funded)
7.	Mr Lee Kee Wah, Research Assistant (grant-funded)