Research Scientist working to improve lung cancer outcomes

Dr Regina Hoo, a Senior Research Scientist in the Cancer Therapeutics Research Laboratory at the National Cancer Centre Singapore (NCCS), was initially trained in pathogen genomics, a study of genes used to prepare for infectious disease threats such as COVID-19. As such a career in cancer research was not her first choice.

However, after training in advanced genomics at the Wellcome Sanger Institute in the United Kingdom, Dr Hoo was equipped and inspired to study diseases relevant to human health and be at the forefront of translational genomics.

 

Dr Hoo started her academic journey when she pursued a PhD in Microbiology and Immunology at the National University of Singapore (NUS). When she completed her doctorate, she embarked on a postdoctoral fellowship at the Wellcome Sanger Institute, renowned for its pioneering work in single-cell genomics profiling and computational methods. There she had the opportunity to work with the Human Cell Atlas Consortium, a global effort to profile healthy cells at single-cell resolution.

Dr Hoo’s research at the Institute focused on the female reproductive system, particularly the placenta—an organ with remarkable immune properties. By studying how placental and immune cells responded to infection in the placenta, she uncovered novel insights into early pregnancy syndromes. While seemingly very different, the placental microenvironment and the immune landscape of tumours have biological parallels, and Dr Hoo’s work at the Institute laid the foundation for her future work in cancer.

When her postdoctoral fellowship came to an end, Dr Hoo resolved to conduct translational research to help patients. With several different options, she ultimately chose to join the Cancer Therapeutics Research Laboratory at NCCS which is uniquely positioned to investigate and improve cancer treatment for lung cancer patients.

At NCCS, Dr Hoo works closely with her mentor, Associate Professor Daniel Tan, Lab Head and Division of Clinical Trials and Epidemiological Sciences Head.  Assoc Prof Tan is also the lead Principal Investigator of the National Medical Research Council-supported research programme on lung cancer in Singapore, which aims to improve the understanding of lung cancer in Asian patients and find new treatment pathways to improve survival outcomes. 

In Asian lung cancer patients, the most common genetic alteration is the EGFR mutation, which occurs more commonly in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Over the years there has been an increase in the proportion of NSCLC cases, making it the most prevalent form of lung cancer in Singapore. Many lung cancer patients with NSCLC display resistance to anti-cancer drugs, also known as tyrosine kinase inhibitor (TKI) resistance, making the disease very difficult to treat. As NSCLC makes up 85% of all lung cancers, there is a pressing need to understand TKI resistance.  

Determined to better understand the mechanisms that drive this resistance and the development of lung cancer in Asian populations, Dr Hoo applied for and was recently awarded the International Association for the Study of Lung Cancer (IASLC) Adi F. Gazdar Fellowship Grant. The research grant provides critical support for her research aimed at understanding the underlying mechanisms that drive TKI resistance using advanced single-cell technologies. With this funding, she plans to establish a detailed and comprehensive map of NSCLC, focusing on EGFR-driven tumours in the Singapore lung cancer population. By mapping the tumour microenvironment in detail, Dr Hoo aims to identify novel therapeutic targets and biomarkers for personalised treatment strategies to effectively treat resistant tumours.

For Dr Hoo, the IASLC grant represents not only a personal milestone but a validation of NCCS’ commitment to cutting-edge research in lung cancer.

 

“The grant funding certainly supports the unique capabilities we have at NCCS to conduct groundbreaking research that addresses our patients’ needs,” said Dr Hoo. 

“My clinician colleagues who see patients, share the problems their patients face, and we make it a priority to come together with the research teams to work on understanding and finding solutions to those problems. I am excited and privileged to work with a team of brilliant clinicians, researchers, and computational experts to address the most challenging questions in Asian lung cancer. Genomics research requires large volumes of data, and a major part of my work is also supported by the NCCS Data and Computational Science Core, led by Associate Professor Melvin Chua.”