About the Speakers

Prof David Virshup

David Virshup, MD, is the inaugural Director of thr Program in Cancer and Stem Cell Biology at the newly established Duke-NUS Graduate Medical School in Singapore. Until July, 2007, he was an investigator at the Huntsman Cancer Institute, and the first Willard Snow Hansen Presidential Professor of Cancer Research at the University of Utah. While spending the majority of his time on laboratory-based research, he is also a practicing pediatric hematologist/oncologist. His laboratory studies protein phosphorylation, a key signaling mechanism, and its effects on cell timing and proliferation. Virshup received his medical degree from Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine in 1981. He completed his clinical training in Pediatrics and Pediatric Hematology/Oncology at Johns Hopkins. His research training was in the departments of Pediatrics, Cell Biology and Anatomy, and Molecular Biology and Genetics at John Hopkins.

Prof Eric Stanbridge

Dr. Stanbridge's research concerns the molecular genetics of human cancer. In addition to activated oncogenes, a family of genes (called tumor suppressor genes) critically involved in the control of malignancy has been identified. Dr. Stanbridge has provided functional evidence for the role of tumor suppressor genes in human cancer using somatic cell hybrid and monochromosome transfer techniques. His group has also engaged in cloning candidate tumor suppressor genes. One of the functions of such genes appears to be negative regulation of transcription of tumor-associated antigens. One such regulated gene has been identified as carbonic anhydrase 9 (CA9). The encoded protein, CAIX, is in clinical trials for diagnosis and therapy of multiple malignancies, including cervical cancer and renal cancer. CAIX has recently been found to be a marker of hypoxia. The mechanisms underlying this are under investigation.

Prof John Kelly

Professor John Kelly has a specialist interest in the surgical management of bladder, prostate and renal cancers. A challenge for uro-oncology is the prediction of response to chemotherapy agents and small molecules which are administered to patients in the adjuvant and neo-adjuvant setting. Molecular profiling involving a whole genome approach holds the potential to stratify and classify tumours into genotype risk profiles. The genitourinary group is profiling a cancer biobank using molecular techniques combining gene expression and copy number profiling. In conjunction, Phase II trials involving the new generation of small molecules have been designed to enable target validation and profiling of tissues before and after treatment. His aim in predicting treatment response is to enable a targeted therapeutic approach which can be directed at defined cancer groups.

Prof Veer Bhavanandan

Emeritus Professor Veer Bhavanandan born in Sri Lanka received his Ph.D. in Chemistry and D.Sc. in Biochemistry from the University of Edinburgh. He worked as a Research Associate at the Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons, New York and Staff Scientist at the Oklahoma Medical Research Foundation, Oklahoma City before being joining the Department of Biochemistry at the Pennsylvania State University College of Medicine. His research has centered on the roles of glycoconjugates in health and disease, with an emphasis on cancer and structure-function of secreted epithelial mucins. He has over 150 publications in per reviewed journals. He spent sabbatical years at Oxford University as the Eleanor Roosevelt Fellow, at the University of Tokyo (1993-1994) as a Senior Fellow of the Japan Society for the Promotion of Science and The Sultan Qaboos University College of Medicine, Oman (2002) as a Fulbright Scholar. After retiring from Penn State he served as a Research Professor in the Center of Glycosciences and Technology, The Biodesign Institute, Arizona State University and is currently a Visiting Senior Research Fellow in the Department of Molecular Medicine, at the University of Malaya

Dr. Suet-Feung Chin

Dr. Suet-Feung Chin is a biomedical expert specializing in breast neoplasms. She has a vast network of collaborators from all over the world including United States of America, Western Europe, Australia, Singapore, Hong Kong, South Korea and Japan. She has extensive knowledge on fluorescence in situ hybridization, chromosome mapping, nucleic acid hybridization and oligonucleotide array sequence analysis.