Congratulations to Jerry Tan Wei Heng, a Year 4 undergraduate pursuing a Bachelor of Science in Biological Sciences at NTU School of Biological Sciences (SBS) with Minor in Psychology who has been recognized by the Global Undergraduate Awards (UA) 2022! He is a Highly Commended entrant and the Regional Winner for Asia in the Medical Sciences category. His entry is titled “Investigating the genotype-to-phenotype basis of Coronary Artery Disease”, supervised by Asst. Prof Christine Cheung from Lee Kong Chian School of Medicine.
Cited as the ultimate championship of high-potential undergraduates and often referred to as a “junior Nobel Prize”, the Global Undergraduate Awards is the world’s largest international academic awards programme, recognising excellent research and original work across the sciences, humanities, business and creative arts.
Why did you choose to study in NTU SBS?
I was drawn to the research opportunities provided to NTU SBS students, such as the Undergraduate Research Experience on Campus (URECA) programme, that provides a fail-safe environment for students to explore different research areas. I also learnt a lot in the unique SBS Undergraduate Advanced Experimental Biology (UAEB) classes that gave me both breadth and depth of knowledge and wet lab experience.
What is your awarded project about?
I study the genetic basis of coronary artery disease (CAD), a silent killer disease that accounts for 1 in 3 deaths in Singapore. CAD is characterised by large atherosclerotic lesions that build up over time in the coronary arteries, the major vessels that supply nutrients to the heart. These fatty lesions can restrict blood flow to the heart, leading to serious complications like myocardial infarction. Despite its clinical significance, efforts to connect the genetic role of the disease to its physiological basis have been hindered due to the complexity of the disease.
Therefore, the focus of my project is to understand how the presence of Asian-specific genetic signatures called Single Nucleotide Polymorphisms (SNPs) could affect downstream molecular pathways that contribute to the pathophysiology of CAD. We hope to be able to identify new genotype-to-phenotype connections to CAD, potentially uncovering novel therapeutic modalities for personalised treatment of CAD patients in Singapore.
What made you submit your research for the Global UA Awards?
I knew that the opportunity to attend the UA conference in Dublin would have been a fruitful one, as finalists can network with industry professionals and other speakers from a wide range of backgrounds and industries. Since the URECA and CN Yang programme had already prepared me to write a detailed research thesis on this, I figured that there was no loss to putting my work out there and strive for that opportunity. Furthermore, I wouldn’t have the confidence to submit my work without the strong support from my professor, Asst. Prof Christine Cheung, and mentors, Ms Tay Kai Yi and Dr Wu Kanxing, who played a central role in guiding me throughout my research experience and teaching me the essential hard and soft research skills key to doing research.
Virtual Secret Santa session with Christine Cheung’s Lab
Any advice you might have for others interested to submit their research for the Global UA Awards?
The Global UA serves to recognise the efforts of budding undergraduates who have spent a great deal of time working on their research projects. Do not be afraid about receiving credit for your research work. Besides, there is much to learn from the process of manuscript writing and review.
What are your future plans? Are there any other projects that you are currently working on?
I would love to venture into the healthcare industry, be it in medical research or other healthcare professions. I am currently doing my research work in the Bischoff Lab in Boston Children’s Hospital, specifically working on elucidating the genetic basis of Infantile Hemangioma, a benign vascular tumour that afflicts a significant proportion of infants in the world.
More about the Global Undergraduate Awards: https://undergraduateawards.com/