PROF. JIM JINN-CHYUAN SHEU

Dr. Jim J.-C. Sheu, molecular biologist, received his Ph.D. degree from National Tsing Hua University (NTHU), Taiwan and postdoct training at the Johns Hopkins Medical Institutes (JHMI), USA. Before studying abroad, he served as Director of Protein Drugs at Development Center for Biotechnology (DCB), Taiwan. Dr. Sheu’s study focuses on the discovery of cancer-driving genes using genome-wide technologies and functional validation on those genes by in vitro and in vivo models. The major studied cancer types include head & neck, gynecological and urological cancers. To reveal mechanisms  underlying malignant transition, endometriosis is also one of Dr. Sheu’s research topics. With working experiences at both academic and industrial organizations, Dr. Sheu’s research team aims to develop new treatments and diagnosis methods for biomedical applications.

In the past years, several novel mechanisms involved in cancer development were discovered by Dr. Sheu. For examples, he demonstrated the interaction between Rsf-1 and SNF2H as the key for RSF complex, a chromatin remodeling complex, to be oncogenic that promotes cell clonal selection/evolution, accumulation of genetic alterations, tumor growth, and drug resistance. Dr. Sheu also identified the Yin-Yang balancing of EGFR signaling in cancer by modulating expression levels between EGFR and LRIG1. Others include genes involved in malignant transition, cell adhesion, cancer cell stemness and cell death. To facilitate target discovery with clinical significance, a web-based platform called HD-MAC was established for highdimensional regression study. In recent years, Dr. Sheu discovered novel keratin fusion events during the development of oral cancer. Since keratin filament is critical for mechano-sensing, nuclear integrity, gene regulation and tumor microenvironment remodeling, his finding thus reveals a new research direction in cancer biology.

To gain more recognitions in science, Dr. Sheu is active in collaborating with international experts, including Prof. Daniel Riveline at the Institute of Genetics and Molecular and Cellular Biology (IGBMC), France for mechanobiology study, and Prof. Erin Greaves at Warwick Medical School, UK for endometriosis study. Achievements in cancer biology research made Dr. Sheu won “Marquis Who’s Who in the World” in 2013, and “Academic Research Award-Wu-Ta-You Memorial Award (吳大猷先生紀念獎)” from the Ministry of Science and Technology (MOST) in 2014. He was also recognized as a Top 5% Biomedical Researcher in the World by Sparrho study in 2016. In 2019, his study was reported as one of Taiwan Research Highlights in GASE (MOST Center for Global Affairs and Science Engagement).