Eunice Ho-Yee CHAN

Short Bio

Originated from Hong Kong, Eunice obtained her Ph.D. (Natural Science) at the Max-Planck Institute of Cell Biology (Martinsried). She had postdoctoral training on tissue remodelling and mechanics during Drosophila epithelial morphogenesis using advanced biophysics techniques with Dr. Nic Tapon at LRI (London) and with Dr. Pierre-François Lenne at IBDM (Marseille). Eunice had then worked in public and private sectors as Scientific Project Manager to handle projects related to digital healthcare solutions for neurodegenerative diseases.Since Oct 2020, Eunice is a Research Engineer in the Schnorrer Team. She is involved in the StuDySARCOMERE project “Structure and Cellular Dynamics of the Sarcomere”. She will generate and characterise novel fly strains by transgenesis or CRISPR-mediated genome engineering and determine protein localisations using novel labelling technologies and high-resolution microscopy.

PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE

01/03/2019 – 30/09/2020         Scientific Lead – Kognitif SAS

  • Kognitif SAS is a French DEEPTECH startup (Laureate of NETVA America 2019). We are developing an non-invasive, ecopsychosocial medical device to improve the quality of life of Alzheimer’s patients.
  • Working with the Board of Directors, I am responsible for developing strategies to craft, implement, and manage our project.

18/01/2018 – 30/04/2018    International project manager, DHUNE, an University Hospital Federation for aging and neurodegenerative diseases, La Timone Hospital, Marseille, France

  • Successfully collaborated with international consortium to apply for healthcare-related EU funding
  • Conducted research on ongoing clinical trials, drug pipelines, services and market of pharma companies/contract research organisations.
  • interviewed and built professional partnerships with neuroscience experts in public and private sectors.

01/07/2012 – 28/02/2017   Postdoctoral researcher – Developmental Biology Institute of Marseille, France

  • Cell Biophysics Lab: Dr. Pierre-Francois Lenne
  • Investigated how cell adhesion molecules and contractile motors control epithelial cell shapes in vivo

12/10/2007 – 30/06/2012         Postdoctoral researcher – Cancer Research UK, London UK

  • Apoptosis and cell proliferation Lab: Dr. Nic Tapon Studied the role of adhesion proteins in controlling epithelial cell dynamics during fly development

Education

2007    Ph.D. in Biology – Max-Planck Institute of Biochemistry, Germany
2002    M.Phil. in Biochemistry – The Chinese University of Hong Kong, China
2000    B.Sc. in Biochemistry – The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, China

Teaching experience

2013 – 2017   Supervised biophysics Ph.D student P.C. Shivakumar
2013 – 2014   Supervised Erasmus biology student J. Ricardo Morales Poole
2001              MentoredMaster student Y. Zhou who obtained a distinction grade for the project
2000 – 2002   Hands-on training to more than 10 junior Master and summer students. Organized and taught practical courses for undergraduate students

Awards and Grants

2013    Project grant from Fondation pour la Recherche Médicale (FRM)  DEQ20130326509
2011    Travel grant from EMBO to attend GRC, Cell Contact & Adhesion, West Dover, U.S.A.
2010    Travel grant from the BSDB to attend American Society of Cell Biology Annual Meeting, Philadelphia, U.S.A.
2009    Marie-Curie Fellowship from the European Commission
2007    Cancer Research UK fellowship
2005    Travel grant from the Hong Kong Croucher Foundation to attend Molecular machines in cell divisions, Roscoff, France
2002    Ph.D. studentship from the Hong Kong Croucher Foundation Scholarship in collaboration with Deutscher Akademischer Austauschdienst (DAAD)

Publications

  1. Kong W, Loison O, Chavadimane Shivakumar P, Chan EH, Saadaoui M, Collinet C, Lenne PF, Clément R. Experimental validation of force inference in epithelia from cell to tissue scale. Sci Rep. 2019 Oct 10;9(1):14647. doi: 10.1038/s41598-019-50690-3.
  2. Chan EH*, Shivakumar PC, Clement R and Lenne PF. Patterned cortical tension mediated by N-cadherin controls cell geometric order in the Drosophila eye (Elife. 2017 May 24;6. pii: e22796. doi: 10.7554/eLife.22796.) *Co-first and co-corresponding
  3. Chan EH, Zhou Y, Westen A, Collinson L, Tapon N. RASSF8 and Sec15 are required for proximo-distal wing elongation during Drosophila morphogenesis (Reviewed in J Cell Sci.)
  4. Langton PF*, Colombani J*, Chan EH, Wepf A, Gstaiger M and Tapon N (2009) The dASPP-dRASSF8 complex regulates cell-cell adhesion during retinal morphogenesis. Current Biology 19, 1968-1978. *Equal contributions
  5. Chan EH, Santamaria A, Silljé HH, Nigg EA (2008) Plk1 regulates mitotic Aurora A function through betaTrCP-dependent degradation of hBora, Chromosoma. 117, 457-69.
  6. Leung HY, Wang Y, Chan HY and Leung LK (2007) Developing a high-throughput system for the screening of cytochrome P450 1A1–inhibitory polyphenols. Toxicol In Vitro. 21, 996-1002.
  7. Gruneberg U, Neef R, Li X, Chan EH, Chalamalasetty RB, Nigg EA, and Barr FA (2006). KIF14 and citron kinase act together to promote efficient cytokinesis. J. Cell Biol. 172, 363-72.
  8. Chan EH, Nousiainen M, Chalamalasetty RB, Schäfer A, Nigg EA and Silljé HH (2005) The Ste20-like kinase Mst2 activates the human large tumor suppressor kinase Lats1. Oncogene 24, 2076-86.
  9. Chan HY, Wang H, Tsang DS, Chen ZY, Leung LK (2003) Screening of chemopreventive tea polyphenols against PAH genotoxicity in breast cancer cells by a XRE-luciferase reporter construct. Nutr. Cancer. 46, 93-100.
  10. Chan HY, Leung LK (2003) A potential protective mechanism of soya isoflavones against 7,12-dimethylbenz[a]anthracene tumour initiation. Br J Nutr. 90, 457-65.
  11. Chan HY, Wang H, Leung LK (2003) The red clover isoflavone biochanin A modulates the biotransformation pathways of 7,12-dimethylbenz[a]anthracene. Br J Nutr. 90, 87-92.
  12. Chan HY, Chen ZY, Tsang DS, Leung LK (2002) Baicalein inhibits DMBA-DNA adduct formation by modulating CYP1A1 and CYP1B1 activities. Biomed Pharmacother. 56, 269-75.
  13. Arooz T, Chan HY, Lau WSA, Leung KM, Po LS, Siu WY, Tsang FC, and Poon RYC Regulation of G2/M cell cycle DNA damage checkpoints, in Molecular Genetic Basis ofCancer Eds. Lung ML and Hsiao WLW pp. 230-243 (2001). Book chapter.

Press Communications

2017    Publication was featured in CNRS – En direct des labo http://www.cnrs.fr/insb/recherche/parutions/articles2017/p-lenne.html
2016    Interviewed by the HK Croucher Foundation to present my scientific portfolio https://projects.croucher.org.hk/news/fly-eyes-modelling-cell-growth-and-adhesion-patterns
2012    Interviewed by THE TIMES (U.K.) to represent non-EU scientists and express their concern on UK’s changing policy on scientific visa quota

Presentations in scientific meetings

  • Physical Biology of Morphogenesis-Mechanics, Metabolism and Signalling, Dresden, Germany. (Poster) 2016
  • 30th French Fly meeting, Grasse, France. (Talk) 2016
  • Shaping Life SFDB meeting, Marseille, France. (Talk) 2016
  • Building repairing and evolving biological tissues, Roscoff, France. (Poster) 2015
  • Mechanobiology of Cells and Tissues: Implications to Signaling and Endocytosis, Bangalore, India. (Talk) 2015
  • Epithelia: the building blocks of multicellularity, Heidelberg, Germany. (Poster) 2014 
  • Quantitative Biology of signalling, Cargese, France. (Poster) 2013
  • 2nd international Rassf symposium, Oxford, UK. (Poster) 2011
  • Gordon Research Conference, Cell Contact & Adhesion, West Dover, U.S.A. (Poster) 2011
  • American Society of Cell Biology 50th Annual Meeting, Philadelphia, U.S.A. (Poster) 2010
  • Marie-Curie Conference, Turino, Italy. (Poster) 2010
  • London Research Institute Retreat, Oxford, UK. (Talk) 2010
  • Biophysical mechanisms and development, Oeiras, Portugal. (Poster) 2009
  • London Research Institute Retreat, Canterbury, UK. (Poster) 2009
  • Molecular machines in cell divisions, Roscoff, France. (Poster) 2005