My research focuses on unravelling the complexities of Type 1 diabetes (T1D), an autoimmune disease affecting millions worldwide. In T1D, the body’s immune system attacks and destroys insulin-producing pancreatic β-cells, resulting in lifelong insulin dependence. Despite significant advances in understanding diabetes, the precise mechanisms initiating the autoimmune response remain unclear, and there are currently no effective interventions to halt disease progression.
To address these challenges, I employ cutting-edge technologies such as single-cell RNA-sequencing and spatial transcriptomics to study the unique characteristics and behaviours of autoimmune cells that attack pancreatic β-cells. Understanding these immune cells is crucial for deciphering the underlying disease mechanisms and developing targeted therapeutic interventions.
Key Achievements
2017 – 2020 SVI Top-up Scholarships
RNA & T Cell Biology
We interrogate the genetic mechanisms that control development of the immune system, to better understand human health and disease.
Lab head: Associate Professor Mark ChongGu, K., Mok, L., Wakefield, M. J., & Chong, M. M. W. (2024). Non-canonical RNA substrates of Drosha lack many of the conserved features found in primary microRNA stem-loops. Scientific reports, 14(1), 6713.
Oh, S., Parikh, D., Xiao, J., Liu, X., Gu, K., & Chong, M. M. (2023). Mapping the two distinct proliferative bursts early in T-cell development. Immunology and cell biology, 101(8), 766–774.
Gu, K*., Walpole, C.*, Gooneratne, S.*, Liu, X., Haigh, O. L., Radford, K. J., & Chong, M. M. (2022). DROSHA but not DICER is required for human haematopoietic stem cell function. Clinical & translational immunology, 11(1), e1361.
Gu, K., Mok, L., & Chong, M. M. W. (2018). Regulating gene expression in animals through RNA endonucleolytic cleavage. Heliyon, 4(11).