Adrian Teo Laboratory

Dr. Teo KEE KEONG adrian

Adrian Teo, Ph.D., is currently a Principal Investigator at the Institute of Molecular and Cell Biology (IMCB), A*STAR, an Assistant Professor at the Department of Biochemistry and Department of Medicine, NUS Medicine, Singapore, and an Adjunct Assistant Professor at the School of Biological Sciences, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore. Adrian obtained his B.Sc. (1st Class Honours) from the National University of Singapore in February 2007. He then started to work on human embryonic stem cells (hESCs) with Ray Dunn, Ph.D., and Alan Colman, Ph.D., at ES Cell International Pte. Ltd., before joining the Institute of Medical Biology (IMB), A*STAR, Singapore, for an internship as a Research Officer in the laboratory of Ray Dunn, Ph.D.. In April 2008, he joined the laboratory of Ludovic Vallier, Ph.D., at the University of Cambridge to pursue his Ph.D. under the A*STAR Graduate Scholarship (Overseas). Concurrently, he was also an Honorary Cambridge Commonwealth Trust Scholar. His thesis described how pluripotency factors regulate endoderm specification via key regulator EOMESODERMIN. He completed his Ph.D. in July 2010 and joined the laboratory of Ray Dunn, Ph.D., at IMB as a postdoctoral fellow before heading to the laboratory of Rohit Kulkarni, M.D. Ph.D., at Joslin Diabetes Center, Harvard Medical School in September 2011. During his fellowship at Joslin, he obtained two Harvard Stem Cell Institute seed grants and a Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation (JDRF) fellowship to pursue his research interests in using human pluripotent stem cells (hPSCs) for in vitro disease modelling of diabetes. He is a member of the Oxford and Cambridge Society of Singapore, the International Society for Stem Cell Research (ISSCR) and Stem Cell Society Singapore.

DR. NG HUI JIN NATASHA

Natasha is a post-doctoral research fellow in the Stem Cell and Diabetes research group in IMCB. She joined the group after completing her DPhil at the Oxford Centre for Diabetes, Endocrinology & Metabolism at the University of Oxford under the supervision of Professors Anna Gloyn and Patrik Rorsman in 2017. Her research interests lie in understanding the molecular and cellular mechanisms underlying genetic variants linked to diabetes and related glycemic traits from genome- and exome-wide association studies. She extends her interest and experience in this area to new projects in the Teo lab involving the study of monogenic forms of diabetes using human stem cell models. She hopes that her work will shed light on the biological mechanisms that influence disease risk and that the research will translate into better disease diagnosis and management strategies in future.

Prior to this, she obtained her BSc (First Class Honours) degree in Biology at Imperial College London in 2011. Upon graduation she spent a year as a research assistant at the Singapore Immunology Network at A*STAR in Prof Ren Ee Chee’s lab before moving into the field of diabetes and metabolism. Outside of research work she is a keen volunteer, hiker, graphic designer and also a co-founder of a start-up called BioMe Oxford based in the UK.

DR. ELHADI IICH

Elhadi obtained his Masters degree in biomedical sciences from Utrecht University in the Netherlands where he performed research validating the interaction between atypical E2Fs and hypoxia inducible factor 1 in the regulation of gene expression of diverse genes related to angiogenesis and axon guidance.

With a background in Cancer and Stem Cell Biology, Elhadi did his Ph.D. at Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre in Melbourne, where he developed a novel organoid model for the identification of novel progenitor cells in the oesophagus hypothesized to be the cell of origin of oesophageal adenocarcinoma.

As a research fellow at NUS, he developed a targeted cancer vaccines bioinformatics pipeline for the identification of patient-specific tumor neoantigens for the development cancer immunotherapy vaccines.

DR. LAU HWEE HUI

I have a strong interest in Research since young. After graduation, I sought for a position in a research lab so as to be closer to my aspiration. In the vast research field, I soon realized that I am particularly attracted to human metabolism translational research.

Diabetes is one of the major human metabolic diseases that has heavy impact on mankind and it will soon be the most common medical problem in Singapore. To make the matter worse, it has no cure. Diabetes research is therefore critical to be able to counter the issue with the design of new rational therapies. As such, Dr. Adrian Teo’s lab will be a place for me to learn and grow where I wish to apply my skills and knowledge in a more meaningful way.

DR. NEO WEN YING CLAIRE

Claire obtained her B.Sc. in Biological Sciences from Nanyang Technological University in 2019 and was awarded the NUS Research Scholarship to pursue her doctorate degree in Dr. Adrian Teo's laboratory. For her undergraduate thesis, she was working on uncovering the role of the diabetes-associated transcription factor HNF1A on the kidney.

Having had research experiences from various fields such as cancer, neuroscience and stem cells, Claire is passionate about research and hopes that her research will contribute to the healthcare industry.

Apart from research, Claire enjoys reading, running, cooking and learning new skills.

DR. TAN WEI XUAN

Wei Xuan is a PhD student in the Stem Cells and Diabetes laboratory, under the supervision of Dr. Adrian Teo. He was awarded with the NUS Research Scholarship to pursue his PhD in Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, NUS. Wei Xuan graduated from NTU in 2019 with a Bachelor of Science (Honors) in Biological Sciences. He was a recipient of the A*STAR Undergraduate Scholarship (AUS) (full-time).

Recognizing that diabetes is one of the major health burdens in Singapore and many parts of the world, Wei Xuan is keen to uncover mechanisms of diabetes pathogenesis for better management of the disease. In addition, he likes to study stem cells and developmental biology, and is also fascinated by the vast potential of the CRISPR gene editing technology. Therefore, he is interested in utilizing CRISPR gene editing on hPSCs as one of the models to understand the effects of Type 2 Diabetes (T2D) risk-associated gene variants on human pancreatic beta-cell development and function. He hopes to identify genetic variants that increase a person’s susceptibility to T2D, which may allow better disease management strategies to be adopted.

Apart from research work, Wei Xuan is a huge fan of hiking and enjoys playing team sports such as water polo and football.

HENG SI RONG

Si Rong is a Research Officer in the Stem Cells and Diabetes Laboratory in IMCB. She graduated from the National University of Singapore (NUS) in 2023 with a Bachelor of Science (Honours) in Life Sciences (with a specialisation in Biomedical Science) and a minor in Psychology.

During her undergraduate studies, she had the opportunity to embark on an internship with Cargene Therapeutics (now Lerna Biopharma), optimising siRNA delivery and screening for Non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH). She completed her final year project and undergraduate thesis in Dr. Adrian Teo's lab, investigating the effects of the tumour suppressor protein menin on NFκB targets in pancreatic neuroendocrine tumours (PNETs). Moving forward, Si Rong hopes to explore the field of diabetes and uncover more about its mechanisms and development.

In her spare time, Si Rong is fond of her void deck cat, drawing, writing, and occasionally running with her friends.

TAN SZE MIEN KALLY

Kally is a Research Officer in the Stem Cells and Diabetes Laboratory in IMCB, A*STAR. She graduated from Messiah University (USA) in 2021 with a Bachelor of Science in Molecular Biology and from Imperial College of London (UK) in 2023 with a Master of Science in Molecular Medicine.

During her undergraduate studies in the US, she investigated the efficacy of an anti-fibrotic drug and peptide immunizations at increasing T-cell infiltration in pancreatic adenocarcinoma using mice models. Apart from research, she interned as a medical scribe and shadowed a radiational oncologist to understand more about diseases and their effects on patients and their families.

At Imperial College London, she engineered CAR-T cells to deplete autoantibody-producing B cells with the goal of treating a rare but fatal blood clotting disorder. From her lectures, she was exposed to global health diseases and their consequences on the societal level. As such, she has developed an interest in studying treatments for diabetes, a disease that is quickly becoming an epidemic, especially in Asian countries.

During her off-hours, Kally enjoys staying active, drinking tons of coffee, cafe-hopping, listening to music, working on art projects, and reading.

KONG DEWEI

Dewei is a Ph.D. student in Dr. Adrian Teo’s Stem Cells and Diabetes lab, supervised by Assoc Prof Shiao-Yng Chan and co-supervised by Dr. Adrian Teo. Dewei graduated from Zhejiang University in 2021 with a Bachelor of Science in Biomedical Sciences. He was awarded the NUS Research Scholarship to pursue his Ph.D. at the Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore.

Aware of the huge burden of diabetes on human health, Dewei hopes to study and research on this important topic in Adrian's lab. He also has an interest in stem cell research. Currently, he is working on gestational diabetes, with a focus on epigenetic differences induced by this disease.

Apart from research, Dewei also enjoys traveling, running, and playing badminton.

CHEN JUIN TING

Juin Ting is a Ph.D. student in the Stem Cells and Diabetes lab in IMCB. She graduated from Nanyang Technological University in 2021 with a Bachelor of Science (Honours) in Biological Sciences.

As an undergraduate, Juin Ting pursued various research interests, including the study of mechanical biology in Assoc. Prof. Koh Cheng Gee’s laboratory (NTU) and the study of mutational effects on progesterone receptor in Assoc. Prof. Valerie Lin’s laboratory (NTU). Her work on her undergraduate thesis, focused on elucidating peptide inhibitors for toxic islet amyloid polypeptide that is associated with Type 2 Diabetes (T2D), ignited her interest in the field of stem cells and diabetes and inspired her to pursue a career in science. Hence, Juin Ting hopes that her research in Dr. Adrian Teo’s laboratory will help to undercover more T2D risk variants for better disease management.

Apart from research, Juin Ting particularly enjoys spending time with her cat, Meow-Meow, and participating in outdoor activities such as hiking and kayaking.

CHING CARMEN

Carmen is now a Ph.D. student in the Stem Cells and Diabetes Laboratory, under the supervision of Dr. Adrian Teo. She graduated from the National University of Singapore in 2021 with a Bachelor of Science (Honours) in Life Sciences (Specialization in Biomedical Science) and a minor in Medical Physics.

As an undergraduate, she has had the opportunity of working in Dr. Christoph Winkler's lab for a year, focusing on the characterisation of protein tyrosine phosphatase receptor type Z1 (PTPRZ1) in zebrafish. Additionally, Carmen also completed her final year project in Dr. Soh Boon Seng's lab, working on the modeling of cardiac hypertrophy using human stem cell-derived cardiomyocytes. These opportunities further encouraged her to pursue a career in science. Currently in Dr. Adrian Teo's lab, Carmen is eager to further her skills, with hopes of contributing to the existing knowledge in the field of diabetes.

Apart from scientific research, Carmen enjoys socialising, singing, listening to music and spending time with her family.

TEO KAI SOON ALOYSIUS

Aloysius is a research officer in the Stem Cells and Diabetes Laboratory in IMCB, A*STAR. He graduated from Nanyang Technological University with a Bachelor of Science (Honours) in Biological Sciences.

During his undergraduate studies, he was a Research Experience and URECA student in Asst. Prof Li Yinghui's laboratory, investigating the role of lncRNA in Multiple Myeloma.

For his internship and undergraduate thesis, he was working on evaluating the role of novel mutations in metabolic diseases in Dr. Adrian’s lab. Through his research journey, Aloysius found interest in the Stem Cells and Diabetes field, and hope to continue to uncover more about gene mutations through his research in Dr. Adrian Teo’s lab.

Apart from research, Aloysius enjoys badminton, different adventurous activities, and writing poems.

LIM XI HUI EUODIA

Euodia is a research officer at the AT lab. She graduated from NUS with a Bachelor's degree in Life Sciences (BioMedical Specialisation). Prior to becoming an RO, she was a UROPS and FYP student in Adrian's lab, where she worked on investigating the role of GPCRs in beta cell differentiation and insulin secretion. She also embarked on a research project through the UROPS program as a Year 2 student, working on isolating muscle stem cells from crustaceans in the Department of Biological Sciences in NUS. Euodia hopes that she will be able to harness stem cells to model beta cell differentiation and understand the roles of certain receptors in enhancing insulin secretion.

Outside of research, her hobbies include taking care of pets, which include her bunny and (ever increasing) aquatic children.

LOO YI HANG RYAN

Ryan is a Research Officer in the Stem Cells and Diabetes Laboratory in IMCB, A*STAR. He graduated from Nanyang Technological University in 2023 with a Bachelor’s of Science (Honours) in Biological Sciences.

During his undergraduate studies, he was a URECA student in Prof Koh Cheng Gee’s laboratory, investigating the role of focal adhesions in stem cell differentiation. His internship was in Bauerfeind Singapore, as a management trainee in the field of orthopaedic products. He was also an FYP student in Prof Gao Yonggui’s laboratory, characterising and elucidating the structure of PATROL1, a protein involved in cellulose synthesis and regulation. He has since found interest in the field of Diabetes, where he hopes to unveil more regarding the potential causes and links to diabetes.

Outside of the laboratory, he enjoys spending time with his loved ones as well as maintaining an active lifestyle.

ZHANG XINYI

Xinyi is a Ph.D. student in Dr. Adrian Teo’s Stem Cells and Diabetes lab, supervised by Prof Wang Yibin and co-supervised by Asst Prof Adrian Teo. Xinyi finished her Bachelor of Clinical Medicine at West China School of Medicine, Sichuan University in 2021. She also finished her Master of Internal Medicine at West China School of Medicine, Sichuan University in 2024. She was then awarded the NUS Research Scholarship to pursue her Ph.D. at the Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore.

Xinyi has a great interest and passion in the field of endocrinology and metabolism, especially diabetes, which is a huge health burden all over the world. Xinyi’s research mainly focuses on branched-chain amino acids, glucose metabolism and pancreatic islet cell function. She hopes to find more methods to treat diabetes and protect islet cell function in diabetes patients.

Besides doing research, Xinyi also enjoys classical music and Chinese traditional music. She can play two Chinese traditional musical instruments (guzheng and zhongruan).

ALUMNI