|
Date: 18 April 2023 (Tuesday)
Time: 11am-12pm Venue: Theatrette 2, Level 2M, Matrix Building, 30 Biopolis Street, S138671 Format: In-person Hosted by: Adrian TEO, IMCB, Singapore |
|
Speakers' information
Mark MUTHIAH National University Health System "Linking clinicians and scientists to tackle metabolic diseases - the view from the liver" |
|
ABSTRACT
Fatty liver is a silent epidemic affecting 40% of the South East Asian population, which can drive liver related mortality as well as cardiovascular mortality. In this session, we will talk about how clinicians and scientists overcame challenges to work together to try to tackle this disease which is still not yet well understood. In particular, we will focus on the close communication required to select and optimize appropriate in vivo and in vitro systems to model NAFLD.
BIO
Mark Muthiah has a keen interest in liver transplantation and is currently the Medical Director of the Liver Transplantation Programme in NUH. His other clinical interests include non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, end stage liver failure, and endoscopic mucosal resection of colon polyps. Dr Muthiah’s research interest is in the interplay of cardiometabolic diseases and the liver, and he has published extensively on the topic. He is also actively involved in medical education and has received numerous teaching awards from the university. Despite his active involvement in research and education, he runs a busy clinical practice, and holds fast to the belief that excellence in medical research and education can only be borne out passion for clinical medicine.
Fatty liver is a silent epidemic affecting 40% of the South East Asian population, which can drive liver related mortality as well as cardiovascular mortality. In this session, we will talk about how clinicians and scientists overcame challenges to work together to try to tackle this disease which is still not yet well understood. In particular, we will focus on the close communication required to select and optimize appropriate in vivo and in vitro systems to model NAFLD.
BIO
Mark Muthiah has a keen interest in liver transplantation and is currently the Medical Director of the Liver Transplantation Programme in NUH. His other clinical interests include non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, end stage liver failure, and endoscopic mucosal resection of colon polyps. Dr Muthiah’s research interest is in the interplay of cardiometabolic diseases and the liver, and he has published extensively on the topic. He is also actively involved in medical education and has received numerous teaching awards from the university. Despite his active involvement in research and education, he runs a busy clinical practice, and holds fast to the belief that excellence in medical research and education can only be borne out passion for clinical medicine.
|
Farah TASNIM
Institute of Bioengineering and Bioimaging "Recapitulating NASH in vitro using advanced liver systems" |
|
ABSTRACT
Inflammation and resulting fibrosis are severely under-represented in liver models containing only parenchymal cells. Additionally, liver architecture and soluble signal presentations are often not recapitulated in conventional models. We have engineered robust liver injury and disease models, such that the soluble microenvironment is carefully controlled. Involvement of iPSC-derived Kupffer cells and stellate cells have proven to be key factors to achieve this aim. Our model recapitulates critical phenotypic markers and for can hence be used for screening compounds affecting drug-induced liver injury and other inflammation/fibrosis-related diseases leading to liver cirrhosis and cancer. Cell sources, cryopreservation methods, culture media and reagents, and derivative drug-testing platforms will be commercialized. This talk will focus on how the models can be used to develop patient-centric science and solutions.
BIO
Farah Tasnim received her B.Sc and PhD degree in Biomedical Sciences from National University of Singapore (NUS). She joined the Institute of Bioengineering and Bioimaging (IBB) in 2008, starting with kidney tissue engineering projects and moved on to the liver after her PhD. She has worked on several projects aligned with both industry and clinicians. Currently, she is a Senior Research Scientist at IBB, pioneering novel models of hepatic injury, with particular emphasis on inflammation and fibrosis.
Inflammation and resulting fibrosis are severely under-represented in liver models containing only parenchymal cells. Additionally, liver architecture and soluble signal presentations are often not recapitulated in conventional models. We have engineered robust liver injury and disease models, such that the soluble microenvironment is carefully controlled. Involvement of iPSC-derived Kupffer cells and stellate cells have proven to be key factors to achieve this aim. Our model recapitulates critical phenotypic markers and for can hence be used for screening compounds affecting drug-induced liver injury and other inflammation/fibrosis-related diseases leading to liver cirrhosis and cancer. Cell sources, cryopreservation methods, culture media and reagents, and derivative drug-testing platforms will be commercialized. This talk will focus on how the models can be used to develop patient-centric science and solutions.
BIO
Farah Tasnim received her B.Sc and PhD degree in Biomedical Sciences from National University of Singapore (NUS). She joined the Institute of Bioengineering and Bioimaging (IBB) in 2008, starting with kidney tissue engineering projects and moved on to the liver after her PhD. She has worked on several projects aligned with both industry and clinicians. Currently, she is a Senior Research Scientist at IBB, pioneering novel models of hepatic injury, with particular emphasis on inflammation and fibrosis.