Research Fellow

EDUCATION AND POSITIONS HELD:

• B.S., Public Health, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan (1979-1983)
• M.P.H., Epidemiology/Occupational Health/Industrial Hygiene, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan (1985-1987)
• Ph.D., Epidemiology/Cancer/Infectious Diseases, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, NC, USA. (1987-1992)
• Postdoctoral Fellow, Institute of Biomedical Sciences, Academia Sinica, (1992-1994)
• Assistant Research Fellow/Associate Professor, Institute of Biomedical Sciences, Academia Sinica, (1994-1995)
• Assistant Research Fellow/Associate Professor, Institute of Biomedical Sciences, Academia Sinica, (1995-2000)
• Associate Research Fellow/Professor, Institute of Biomedical Sciences, Academia Sinica, (2000-present)

HONORS:

• Research Award, National Science Council, Taiwan, 1993-2000
• Young Investigator Research Award, Academia Sinica, Taiwan, 2001
• Outstanding Research Award, National Science Council, Taiwan, 2001-2004

RESEARCH INTERESTS:

Molecular Epidemiology and Cancer Genetics of Breast Cancer

Breast cancer is an issue of particular public health importance in Taiwan, and it has ranked one of the most common cancers affecting Taiwanese women for years. To understand molecular mechanisms underlying breast cancer development, our laboratory has adopted the candidate genes/mechanisms strategy to identify putative　 tumorigenic genes and pathways, and then applies both molecular epidemiological study and in vitro/in vivo experiments to examine their breast tumorigenic contribution. These genes are mainly involved in maintaining genomic stability, repairing DNA damages, regulating cell cycle and inactivating carcinogenic estrogen metabolites. Molecular epidemiological study is conducted by exploring possible differences of genotypic polymorphisms between breast cancer patients and healthy women, and in vitro/in vivo experiments aim at defining molecular interactions between breast cancer susceptibility genes and the other genes involved in DNA repair or estrogen receptor- associated signaling. Our study results would not only yield crucial insight to know how breast cancer develops, but they might also result in new cancer prevention strategy and new therapeutic and diagnostic approaches.