AP Dr Ching Jianhong
Dr Ching Jianhong has set up Singapore's first fee-for-service metabolomics core in Singapore at the Duke-NUS Medical School since 2011. He was involved in several large cohort clinical metabolomics studies and has experience applying metabolomics in various fields, including metabolic disease, neurological diseases and alternative proteins. Dr Ching holds additional appointments as PI at the Bezos Centre for Alternative Protein@NUS, and is also Vice President of the Singapore Society of Mass Spectrometry. Further, he sits in the scientific advisory board of AMILI Pte Ltd, a Singaporean stool bank and medtech startup.
AP Dr Chong Chun Wie
Dr Chong Chun Wie is a leading figure in gut microbiome science in Malaysia, whose research bridges microbial ecology, public health, and digital technology. He serves as the Director of the Monash Malaysia Microbiome Future Research Centre at Monash University Malaysia. In collaboration with the Rome Foundation, he leads the Malaysian cohort of the international RoBoT consortium, a landmark initiative to establish the world’s largest multi-omics biological dataset dedicated to disorders of gut-brain interaction (DGBI).
Dr Chong also co-led the pioneering 1000MYMicrobiome Project, mapping the gut health landscape across Malaysia's multi-ethnic population. His multidisciplinary research program explores the gut-brain-microbiome axis across neurodegenerative disorders, metabolic diseases, and nutrition. Demonstrating substantial global and national impact, he has secured competitive research funding from national bodies and global industry leaders in the nutraceuticals and food sectors. Dr Chong has authored over 100 peer-reviewed scientific publications.
AP Dr Chun Loong Ho, Ph.D.
Dr. Ho Chun Loong is a Malaysian-born principal investigator working in Chinese Academy of Sciences – Shenzhen Institute of Advanced Technology, Institute of Synthetic Biology as an Associate Professor in the Center for Synthetic Microbiome and the Deputy Director of the Asian Synthetic Biology Association (ASBA Center). His research focuses primarily on using synthetic biology and protein engineering to address various health and environmental issues. This includes establishing a platform where researchers can share their constructs and systematically amass these genetic constructs for protein engineering purposes. In his role in ASBA Center, he helps to coordinate and link various individuals from the Asian community to increase the Pan-Asian research cooperation.
AP Leslie Than
Dr. Than is an Associate Professor of Medical Mycology at Universiti Putra Malaysia (UPM), where he coordinates the Mycology Laboratory and Medical Microbiology Culture Collection (MMCC), serves as Departmental Research Coordinator, and is a member of UPM’s Institutional Biosafety and Biosecurity Committee (IBBC).
His research focuses on the pathogenic yeast Candida glabrata, particularly its metabolic adaptability, host immune interactions, and diagnostic development. In 2023, he received an international private-sector grant from Pfizer to improve diagnostics for invasive candidiasis. He also investigates probiotics for vaginal health and received funding from Malaysia’s Ministry of Economy to develop a probiotic strain for commercialisation.
With over 80 publications and an h-index of 30, Dr. Than has secured multiple competitive grants and holds several intellectual properties. He serves as Associate Editor for Probiotics and Antimicrobial Proteins and Review Editor for Frontiers in Cellular and Infection Microbiology and Frontiers in Fungal Biology. He reviews grants for national and international funding agencies, including UKRI, ERC, ANR, and NCN Poland.
He serves on the Board of Directors of Asia Pacific Society for Medical Mycology (APSMM) and as Honorary Treasurer of Malaysian Society for Lactic Acid Bacteria (MSLAB), and is an active member of ISHAM, MyOHUN, and Applied Microbiology International.
AP Sunny Wong
Dr Sunny Wong is an Associate Professor at the Lee Kong Chian School of Medicine, Nanyang Technological University Singapore, where he also serves as Assistant Dean in Academic Medicine. He received his MBChB at the Chinese University of Hong Kong and completed his PhD at the University of Oxford. He completed his specialist training in gastroenterology at the Prince of Wales Hospital in Hong Kong. Joining NTU Singapore in 2021, he founded the Centre for Microbiome Medicine in 2022 and has been serving as Director since then. Dr Wong’s research focuses on the gut microbiome and host–microbe interactions in digestive diseases and cancers. He has published more than 300 peer-reviewed articles in journals including Gastroenterology, Gut, and Nature Communications. His work has been widely recognised through multiple awards, including the Sir David Todd Lectureship (2020, the Asia Pacific Digestive Week Emerging Leaders Lectureship (2021), Seah Cheng Siang Memorial Lectureship (2025), and Clarivate Analytics Highly Cited Researcher recognitions in 2023, 2024, and 2025.
Publications
Wong, S. H., Kwong, T. N. Y., Zhang, R., Lam, T. Y. T., Ho, A. M. Y., Leung, W. W., … Yu, J., & Sung, J. J. Y. (2026). Comprehensive microbiome profiling reveals mucosal microbiome heterogeneity in patients with left- and right-sided colorectal neoplasia. Cancer Biology & Medicine. Advance online publication
Zhou, R., Shen, X., Mina, T. H., Agrawal, K. R., Low, D. Y., Kang, K. X., Teo, J. J., How, S. H., Lam, B. C., Wang, T., Chong, C. W., HELIOS Study Team, Sung, J. Y., Nagarajan, N., Ali, Y., Chambers, J. C., Wong, S. H. Distinct Gut Microbiome Signatures in Ethnically Diverse Populations within a Shared Urban Asian Geography. medRvix 2026
Kang, X., Liu, C., Ding, Y., Ni, Y., Ji, F., Lau, H. C. H., … Sung, J. J., Wong, S. H., & Yu, J. (2023). Roseburia intestinalis-generated butyrate boosts anti-PD-1 efficacy in colorectal cancer by activating cytotoxic CD8+ T cells. Gut, 72(11), 2112–2122.
Kang, X., Ng, S. K., Liu, C., Lin, Y., Zhou, Y., Kwong, T. N. Y., … Yu, J., & Wong, S. H. (2023). Altered gut microbiota of obesity subjects promotes colorectal carcinogenesis in mice. EBioMedicine, 93, 104670.
Guo, C. L. T., Wong, S. H., Lau, L. H. S., Lui, R. N. S., Mak, J. W. Y., Tang, R. S. Y., … Sung, J. J. Y. (2022). Timing of endoscopy for acute upper gastrointestinal bleeding: A territory-wide cohort study. Gut, 71(8), 1544–1550.
Dr Er Yi Xian
I am a postdoctoral research fellow in the Department of Parasitology, Faculty of Medicine, Universiti Malaya. My research focuses on dermatophyte biology, skin fungal infections, and host–microbiome interactions, I am particularly interested in understanding how dermatophytes, skin microbial communities, host factors, and environmental conditions contribute to the development of chronic dermatophytosis. My work includes research on Trichophyton concentricum infections and the skin microbiomes of Indigenous communities in Peninsular Malaysia, as well as the epidemiology and clinical emergence of Trichophyton indotineae, an increasingly important dermatophyte associated with difficult-to-treat infections. My research integrates mycology, microbiome analysis, epidemiology, bioinformatics, and community-based field studies. Through this multidisciplinary approach, I wish to improve understanding of dermatophytosis transmission and pathogenesis, while supporting the development of more effective strategies for diagnosis, treatment, prevention, and disease control, particularly among underserved populations.
Dr Li Leyuan
Dr. Leyuan Li is a Principal Investigator at the National Center for Protein Sciences (Beijing), also known as the Phoenix Center, where she leads the Proteome-level Microbial Systems Ecology (ProMiSE) Lab. From 2016 to 2022, she trained in Dr. Daniel Figeys’s laboratory at the University of Ottawa as a postdoctoral fellow and research associate, developing in vitro microbiome culture systems and automated metaproteomic approaches for rapid assessment of personalized microbiome responses to drugs. In 2022, she established the ProMiSE Lab to investigate microbial community function and host–microbiome interactions at the proteome level. Her research integrates metaproteomics, functional microbiome profiling, and advanced experimental systems to understand the ecology and functional dynamics of human-associated microbial communities, with the long-term goal of enabling mechanism-guided and personalized microbiome interventions.
Dr Tee E Siong
Tee E Siong, PhD is Immediate-Past President of the Nutrition Society of Malaysia (NSM) and Adjunct Professor of the IMU University, Malaysia. He is also Chair of the Southeast Asia Public Health Nutrition (SEA-PHN) Network and President-Elect of the Federation of Asian Nutrition Societies (FANS). He represents NSM in several Technical Working Groups in the Ministry of Health Malaysia, including committees related to Malaysian Food Regulations and Codex Alimentarius. Dr Tee is also a Scientific Director of the International Life Sciences Institute (ILSI) (Southeast Asia Region)
Dr Wong Chyn Boon
Chyn Boon is a Principal Scientist in the Advanced Research and Technology team at Haleon, based in Singapore. She is a PhD microbiologist with more than 12 years of experience in gut microbiome science, probiotics, postbiotics, healthy ageing, and translational wellness innovation. Her work focuses on translating emerging science into consumer-relevant opportunities through cross-functional R&D leadership, external innovation, and platform strategy. Before joining Haleon, she held research, scientific communication, and commercial strategy roles at Morinaga Milk Industry in Japan, where she translated biotics science into application-ready propositions for global B2B customers. She is passionate about making complex science actionable, credible, and meaningful for everyday health innovation.
- Professor
Professor Dr Cheah Fook Choe
Professor Cheah Fook Choe started his academic career as a lecturer in the Faculty of Medicine, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM) after qualifying as a paediatric specialist in 1997. He completed his subspeciality training in neonatology in 2000, followed by a neonatal research fellowship in Christchurch, New Zealand where completed his PhD in 2003. He embarked on a postdoctoral research stint as visiting scientist at the Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, USA from 2006-2008. Since then, Dr. Cheah was Professor of Paediatrics at UKM, where he trained undergraduate and postgraduate students in paediatrics, fellows in neonatology as well as supervised Master and PhD research students. He was previously the head of the university's placenta and perinatal research group, being the principal investigator of various national and international multicentre clinical trials and translational studies. Professor Cheah has authored and edited several textbooks such as "Nutritional Care of Preterm Infants, 2nd Edition" and is also in the editorial board of two high-impact journals, "Neonatology" and "Scientific Reports". For his contribution in medicine and science, Prof. Cheah is accorded fellowship by the Academy of Medicine of Malaysia (FAMM) and the Academy of Sciences, Malaysia (FASc).
Professor Emad El-Omar
Professor El-Omar graduated in Medicine from Glasgow University, Scotland, and trained as a gastroenterologist. He worked as a Visiting Scholar/Scientist at Vanderbilt University, TN, and National Cancer Institute, MD, USA, and was Professor of Gastroenterology at Aberdeen University, Scotland, for 16 years before taking up the Chair of Medicine at St George & Sutherland Clinical School, University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia. He is the Ex-Editor in Chief of the journal Gut and currently acts as Senior Advisor to all Gut Portfolio Journals. He is currently the Editor-in-Chief of the journal eGastroenterology. He was awarded the Lifetime Achievement Award by the British Society of Gastroenterology in 2025. He is the Director of the Microbiome Research Centre at UNSW/St George Hospital, Sydney. He is the Incoming Director of the Singapore Centre for Environmental Life Science Engineering (SCELSE), taking up the position on September 1st 2026. His research interests include all aspects of the microbiome in health and disease.
Prof Lee Yeong Yeh
Yeong Yeh LEE, MD, Ph.D., FACP, FRCP, FACG, FAMM, AGAF, FASc, is Professor of Medicine and Consultant of Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Internal Medicine at Universiti Sains Malaysia. He is currently an Adjunct Professor at Universitas Airlangga. He has authored more than 340 papers in high-impact journals, including Gastroenterology and Gut, several book chapters and textbooks, and is listed in Stanford’s Top 2% in the World in their respective field (citation impact in a single year). JCI Malaysia awarded him the Outstanding Young Malaysian Award in 2015 and the Top Research Scientist of Malaysia by the Academy of Sciences Malaysia in 2018. He is a senior editor of a number of journals, including the Malaysian Journal of Medical Sciences. He is the Past President of the Malaysian Society of Gastroenterology & Hepatology (MSGH), Past Scientific Chair of Asia Pacific Digestive Week (APDW) 2021 and a committee member of numerous international societies, including the World Gastroenterology Organization.
Prof Leong Chee Onn
Professor Leong is a distinguished genomics expert with a robust background in academia and industry. He has received several awards, including the FMD Fellowship (USA), the Institute of Biomedical Science President's Award (UK), and the Top Research Scientist Malaysia (TRSM). Formerly a Senior Research Fellow at Harvard Medical School and Massachusetts General Hospital, he now holds fellowships with the Institute of Biomedical Science (FIBMS, UK), the Royal Society of Biology (FRSB, UK), the Royal Society of Chemistry (FRSC, UK), and the Academy of Sciences Malaysia (FASc). Professor Leong previously served as the Deputy Director of Research and professor of genomics at the International Medical University, Malaysia. He is the founder and CEO of AGTC Genomics and continues to contribute to the field as an adjunct professor and visiting fellow at the Broad Institute of Harvard and MIT.
ABSTRACT
From Microbiome Sequencing to Clinical Insights — Towards Culture-Free Clinical Metagenomics and AMR Detection
Clinical microbiology remains highly dependent on culture and targeted assays, which may miss fastidious, unculturable, unexpected, or polymicrobial pathogens. Shotgun metagenomic sequencing offers a culture-free, hypothesis-independent approach for simultaneous detection of microorganisms and antimicrobial resistance (AMR) genes directly from clinical specimens.
The major challenge is transforming complex sequencing data into clinically actionable information. Integrated bioinformatics can enable quality control, taxonomic classification, microbial abundance profiling, contamination filtering, pathogen prioritisation, and AMR gene detection within a unified workflow. Incorporating specimen type and clinical context may further help distinguish clinically significant pathogens from colonisers or contaminants.
This approach represents an important step towards culture-free precision infectious disease diagnostics, with the potential to shorten diagnostic turnaround time, improve pathogen detection, guide antimicrobial selection, and strengthen AMR surveillance.
Prof Sivakumar Thurairajasingam
Sivakumar Thurairajasingam currently holds the position of Head of Clinical School Johor Bahru, Monash University Malaysia, an Associate Professor in Psychiatry, and a visiting Consultant Psychiatrist to Columbia Asia Hospital Nusajaya Johor. Clinically, he has an interest in the treatment of Depressive Disorders, Mood Disorders and Anxiety Disorders. Academically, he researches into Addiction Psychiatry, Harm Reduction, and Microbiome in Mental Health. Working in the field of Addiction Medicine and Harm Reduction, he is the current President of Intan Life Zone, an NGO working in the field of HIV and Harm Reduction
servicing the ‘most at risk population’, comprising Intravenous Drug Users, Sex Workers, the Transgender (TG) and the Homosexual (MSM) population.
Among some of his clinical appointments are as a Certified Trainer, Asian Centre for Certification & Education of Addiction Professionals (ACCE), Certified Trainer for the Universal Treatment Curriculum (UTC) for Substance Use Disorder, Colombo Plan, and a Certified National Trainer for the National Medication Assisted Treatment (MAT) Program for Opioid Dependence.
Prof Zhang Lin
Prof. Lin Zhang is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Anaesthesia and Intensive Care at The Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK), where she also serves as Lead Scientist of the Microbiota I-Center (MagIC), and Principal Investigator at the Li Ka Shing Institute of Health Sciences. Her research bridges basic biology and translational medicine, with a keen focus on host–microbe crosstalk and the establishment of the microbiome in early life. Through the landmark MOMMY cohort study, Prof. Zhang and team has demonstrated that early microbial blueprints can either protect against or predispose individuals to chronic diseases, opening new avenues for early-life intervention. She has authored over 150 publications, including nearly 100 original research articles in leading journals such as Nature Medicine, Cell Host & Microbe, Nature Microbiology, and Gut. Prof. Zhang serves on the editorial board of iMeta and a reviewer for grant agencies (e.g. NSFC, ANZCA, AGA Abstract Review Committee). Her contributions have been recognised with the NSFC-RGC Joint Research Scheme award (2025/26), the CUHK Young Researcher Award (2024), Global Grants for Gut Health Abstract Award (IHMC 2026), and a Silver Medal at the International Exhibition of Inventions in Geneva (2025). She has been named a Top 2% Scientist in Clinical Medicine for three consecutive years (2023–2025).
