Focus Areas

Biomarker Discovery and Validation

Biomarker discovery is invaluable for disease diagnosis, prognosis, and treatment management. By identifying specific biological markers, researchers and clinicians can gain insights into the underlying mechanisms of diseases, enabling earlier and more accurate diagnoses. Furthermore, biomarker discovery plays a crucial role in drug development, helping to identify potential therapeutic targets and assess treatment efficacy. 

Vaccine Development

Vaccines are highly cost-effective public health tools. However, developing a safe and efficient vaccine is a long, costly and challenging process. By interfacing adaptive experimental and clinical trial design with detailed virological and immunological measurements, we have amassed a database of molecular correlates of vaccine safety and immunogenicity. Ongoing research to define molecular correlates that play a functional role in mediating desired vaccination outcome  will further contribute to an evidence-based approach for prioritising key vaccine candidates for further clinical development. 
 

Therapeutic Development

Therapeutics such as antivirals, monoclonal antibodies, and gene and cell therapies are a crucial component of the medical arsenal against human diseases. Gaining early insights into the safety and mechanism of action of therapeutics during clinical development is critical for accelerating the discovery and development of new drugs.
 

Applications

• Infectious Diseases
• Oncology
• Inflammation & Immunology
• Cell & gene therapy

Key Publications

1. Syenina A, Tan YH, Tng DJH, Sim SXQ, Chew VSY, Yee JX, Ong EZ, Ooi EE, Low JGH, Ng DHL. Transcriptional and cytokine signatures of Mycobacterium abscessus complex pulmonary disease during disease progression and treatment. PLoS Negl Trop Dis. 2025. DOI: 10.1371/journal.pntd.0012943
2. Kalimuddin S, Tham CYL, Chan YFZ, Hang SK, Kunasegaran K, Chia A, Chan CYY, Ng DHL, Sim JXY, Tan HC, Syenina A, Ngoh AQ, Hamis NZ, Chew V, Leong YS, Yee JX, Low JG, Chan KR, Ong EZ, Bertoletti A, Ooi EE. Vaccine-induced T cell responses control Orthoflavivirus challenge infection without neutralizing antibodies in humans. Nature Microbiology. 2025. DOI: 10.1038/s41564-024-01903-7
3. Mok DZ, Tng DJ, Yee JX, Chew VS, Tham CY, Ooi JS, Tan HC, Zhang SL, Lin LZ, Ng WC, Jeeva LL, Murugayee R, Goh KK, Lim TP, Cui L, Cheung YB, Ong EZ, Chan KR, Ooi EE, Low JG. Electron transport chain capacity expands yellow fever vaccine immunogenicity. EMBO Mol Med. 2024. DOI: 10.1038/s44321-024-00065-7
4. Zhong Y, Kang AYH, Tay CJX, Li HE, Elyana N, Tan CW, Yap WC, Lim JME, Le Bert N, Chan KR, Ong EZ, Low JG, Shek LP, Tham EH, Ooi EE. Correlates of protection against symptomatic SARS-CoV-2 in vaccinated children. Nature Medicine. 2024. DOI: 10.1038/s41591-024-03107-2
5. Koh CWT, Ooi JSG, Ong EZ, Chan KR. STAGEs: A web-based tool that integrates data visualization and pathway enrichment analysis for gene expression studies. Scientific Reports. 2023. DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-34163-2
6. Ong EZ, Koh CWT, Tng DJH, Ooi JSG, Yee JX, Chew VSY, Leong YS, Gunasegaran K, Yeo CP, Oon LLE, Sim JXY, Chan KR, Low JG, Ooi EE. RNase2 is a possible trigger of acute-on-chronic inflammation leading to mRNA vaccine-associated cardiac complication. Med. 2023. DOI: 10.1016/j.medj.2023.04.001
7. Kalimuddin S, Chan YFZ, Sessions OM, Chan KR, Ong EZ, Low JG, Bertoletti A, Ooi EE. An experimental medicine decipher of a minimum correlate of cellular immunity: Study protocol for a double-blind randomized controlled trial. Frontiers in Immunology. 2023. DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2023.1135979
8. Chan KR, Koh CWT, Ng DHL, Qin S, Ooi JSG, Ong EZ, Zhang SLX, Sam H, Kalimuddin S, Low JGH, Ooi EE. Early peripheral blood MCEMP1 and HLA-DRA expression predicts COVID-19 prognosis. EBioMedicine. DOI: 10.1016/j.ebiom.2023.104472
9. Low JGH, de Alwis R, Chen S, Kalimuddin S, Leong YS, Mah TKL, Yuen N, Tan HC, Zhang SL, Sim JXY, Chan YFZ, Syenina A, Yee JX, Ong EZ, Sekulovich R, Sullivan BB, Lindert K, Sullivan SM, Chivukula P, Hughes SG, Ooi EE. A phase I/II randomized, double-blinded, placebo-controlled trial of a self-amplifying Covid-19 mRNA vaccine. NPJ Vaccines. 2022. DOI: 10.1038/s41541-022-00590-x
10. Ong EZ, Yee JX, Ooi JSG, Syenina A, de Alwis R, Chen S, Sim JXY, Kalimuddin S, Leong YS, Chan YFZ, Sekulovich R, Sullivan BM, Lindert K, Sullivan SB, Chivukula P, Hughes SG, Low JGH, Ooi EE, Chan KR. Immune gene expression analysis indicates the potential of a self-amplifying Covid-19 mRNA vaccine. NPJ Vaccines. 2022. DOI 10.1038/s41541-022-00573-y

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