Mr Yu Chinn Joshua Chey
Grant Funded Researcher
South Australian Immunogenomics Cancer Institute
Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences
Eligible to supervise Masters and PhD (as Co-Supervisor) - email supervisor to discuss availability.
Postdoctoral Research
Josh is starting as a postdoc in the Cancer and Immune Signalling Laboratory. His research interests encompass the biology, etiology and treatment of presently incurable diseases. He has extensive experience in utilising CRISPR gene-editing technology across a range of research contexts, from the elucidation of the roles of hypoxic-signalling pathways in Multiple Myeloma (MPhil with Associate Professor Dan Peet and Professor Andrew Zannettino) to the generation of mouse models and development of precision gene-editing therapies for Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy (PhD with Professor Paul Thomas and Dr Fatwa Adikusuma). In his new role, Josh will contribute to research examining innate immunity in pancreatic cancer, aiming to identify and validate novel biomarkers and therapeutic targets for the disease.
PhD Research
CRISPR Therapy for Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy
CRISPR/Cas9's therapeutic potential is, without a doubt, incredibly powerful. This cutting-edge gene-editing technology enables fast, precise, and straightforward modification of DNA. It has quickly become the mainstay technique of many research laboratories to manipulate the genome of cells and laboratory animals. There is currently significant research interest in transitioning the use of CRISPR/Cas9 to the clinic and further developing it as therapy for the permanent correction of many different genetic diseases.
Joshua's PhD project involves developing CRISPR/Cas9 editing strategies for the long-term genetic correction of Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy (DMD). DMD is a severe muscle-wasting disease associated with mutations to the DMD gene located on the X-chromosome. Due to loss-of-function mutations to the DMD gene, patients do not express functional dystrophin protein- an essential membrane stabiliser in striated muscles. Muscle contractions cause damage to the unstable muscle cell membrane, leading to necroptosis and subsequent replacement of muscle with fibrous and fat tissue, manifesting in the progressive loss of muscle strength observed in patients. This disease is ultimately fatal as patients succumb to complications arising from heart and respiratory weakness.
Our CRISPR therapy team is focused on developing CRISPR/Cas9 editing strategies that are safe, effective, and applicable for human DMD patients. Joshua is involved in identifying, testing and tuning strategies that apply to a broad range of DMD mutations, with hopes of identifying the best candidates for further testing in a clinical setting. These strategies intend to permanently change and correct the sequence of patients' DMD gene to restore dystrophin protein expression and delay further disease progression.
Joshua is also actively involved in side projects relating to the advancement of CRISPR/Cas9 technology and novel PRIME editing technology.
MPhil Research
Sn'HIF'fing out roles for HIFs in Multiple Myeloma
Joshua's MPhil project was in the areas of hypoxia (state of low oxygen levels) and blood cancer biology. Cellular responses to hypoxia are primarily mediated by the HIFs, which play important roles in both normal physiology and in disease, such as in cancer, infarction and inflammation. While hypoxia is widely recognised as a hallmark of solid tumours, its role in the pathology of liquid tumours is less well understood.
MM is the second most common blood cancer, an incurable haematological malignancy of bone marrow plasma cells that manifests as combination of clinical symptoms known mnemonically as CRAB: hyperCalcaemia, Renal failure, Anaemia, and Bone lesions. As the bone marrow microenvironment is physiologically hypoxic, HIF activation is likely to to contribute to the unfavourable biology of MM through the induction of angiogenesis, metastasis, osteolysis and cell survival.
Using cutting-edge CRIPSR/Cas9 technology, Joshua aimed elucidate HIF's roles in MM pathology to strengthen the rationale for the development of MM therapies that target the hypoxic bone marrow niche and for the repurposing of HIF-inhibitors.
Joshua was also involved in side projects pertinent to the study of Factor Inhibiting HIF (FIH) as a novel regulator of metabolism and the study of HIFs in retinal metabolism.
-
Appointments
Date Position Institution name 2024 - ongoing Grant Funded Researcher SAiGENCI 2024 - 2024 Research Officer University of Adelaide -
Awards and Achievements
Date Type Title Institution Name Country Amount 2021 Scholarship Ian Wilson Research Supplementary Scholarship The University of Adelaide Australia - 2020 Scholarship Adelaide Graduate Research Scholarship The University of Adelaide Australia - 2018 Award Most Outstanding Student Poster: Runner Up Australia and New Zeland Society for Cell and Developmental Biology Inc. Australia - 2017 Scholarship Master of Philosophy (No Honours) International Scholarship 2017 The University of Adelaide Australia - 2017 Award The RA Fisher Prize for Genetics II 2016 The University of Adelaide Australia - 2015 Scholarship Adelaide Summer Research Scholarship 2015 The University of Adelaide Australia - 2014 Award Outstanding Academic Achievement Award 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017 The University of Adelaide Australia - -
Language Competencies
Language Competency English Can read, write, speak, understand spoken and peer review Malay Can read, write, speak and understand spoken -
Education
Date Institution name Country Title 2020 - 2024 University of Adelaide Australia Doctor of Philosophy 2017 - 2020 University of Adelaide, Adelaide Australia Master of Philosophy 2014 - 2017 University of Adelaide, Adelaide Australia Bachelor of Science (Biomedical Science) -
Research Interests
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology Biochemistry and Cell Biology Biological Sciences Cancer Cell Biology Cell Biology Gene and Molecular Therapy Genetics Medical and Health Sciences Innovative Therapeutics Musculoskeletal Health Translational Health Outcomes Cancer Biology and Clinical Oncology Immunology and Infection Biomarkers
-
Journals
-
Theses
Year Citation 2019 Chey, Y. C. (2019). Generation and Transcriptomic Analysis of HIF-1Alpha and HIF-2Alpha Knockout 5TGM1 Multiple Myeloma Cells. (Master's Thesis). -
Preprint
Year Citation 2024 Chey, Y., Corbett, M., Arudkumar, J., Piltz, S., Thomas, P., & Adikusuma, F. (2024). Megabase-Scale Transgene De-Duplication to Generate a Functional Single-Copy Full-Length Human DMD Transgenic Mouse Model.
DOI2024 Chey, Y., Gierus, L., Lushington, C., Arudkumar, J., Geiger, A., Staker, L., . . . Adikusuma, F. (2024). Enhancing gRNA Transcript levels by Reducing the Scaffold Poly-T Tract for Optimal SpCas9- and SaCas9-mediated Gene Editing.
DOI2024 Arudkumar, J., Chey, Y. C. J., Piltz, S. G., Thomas, P. Q., & Adikusuma, F. (2024). Generation and characterisation of mouse models of Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy (DMD).
DOI2021 Adikusuma, F., Lushington, C., Arudkumar, J., Godahewa, G., Chey, Y. C. J., Gierus, L., . . . Thomas, P. (2021). Optimized nickase- and nuclease-based prime editing in human and mouse cells.
DOI
2023, 2024 - Guest Lecturer, Biochemistry III: Cancer, Stem Cells and Development
2018, 2019, 2022 - Lab Prac Demonstrator, Biochemistry III: Cancer, Stem Cells and Development
-
Committee Memberships
Date Role Committee Institution Country 2022 - 2024 Member Adelaide Protein Group Australian Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology Australia -
Memberships
Date Role Membership Country 2021 - 2022 Member Australian Society for Medical Research Australia 2021 - 2024 Member Australasian Gene and Cell Therapy Society Australia 2018 - 2026 Member Australia and New Zealand Society for Cell and Developmental Biology Australia 2017 - 2025 Member Australian Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology Australia
Connect With Me
External Profiles
