The Team

Kam Leng Aw Yong, PhD

Research Fellow

Kam Leng received her B.Sc. in Bioinformatics and M.Med.Sc. from the University of Malaya, Malaysia and her Ph.D. from the University of Hong Kong, HKSAR, China. Her research focuses on the pathogenesis and host-virus interactions of emerging zoonotic RNA viruses. She is particularly interested in applying functional genomic approaches to identify host factors critical for viral infection and transmission.

Fun Fact: Kam Leng enjoys listening to music and playing Pokemon GO during her commute :3 

Yung-Jiun Chen, BSc, MSc

PhD Student (IBM Program, Duke-NUS)

Yung-Jiun received his B.Sc. in Medical Biotechnology and Laboratory Science from Chang Gung University and his M.Sc. in Microbiology from National Taiwan University. His previous research focused on HBV immunology and immunotherapy. Beyond viral immunology, he is also interested in virus-host interactions and is currently investigating how paramyxoviruses engage with cellular entry factors.

Fun Fact: Yung-Jiun enjoys eating vegetables -- but finds vegetable juice absolutely torturous. 

Hsin-Ping Chiu, PhD

Senior Research Fellow

Hsin-Ping received her Ph.D. in Microbiology (Virology) from National Taiwan University. Before joining the YSO lab in 2025, she completed postdoctoral training with Dr. Shin-Ru Shih at Chang Gung University, Taiwan and Dr. Benhur Lee at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York. She has extensive experience working with emerging and re-emerging RNA viruses. Her research focuses on virus-host interactions, particularly the antiviral mechanisms and innate immune evasion strategies of virus infections. 

Fun Fact: Hsin-Ping is a self-proclaimed kaffa-holic -- she love coffee, but not kopi.

Felic Fanusi, BSc

Lab Officer (Senior Research Assistant)

Felic received his B.Sc. in Life Sciences from the National University of Singapore, Singapore. He is fascinated by infectious diseases, with a particular interest in microbial pathogenesis.

Fun fact: Outside the lab, Felic enjoys boardgames, museums, and exploring zoos.

Wern Hann Ng, PhD

Research Fellow

Wern Hann received his B.Sc. in Bioscience with Chemistry from Tunku Abdul Rahman University College, Malaysia, and his M.Sc. from University College Dublin, Ireland. He earned his Ph.D. in viral immunology from Griffith University, Australia. His research focuses on emerging infectious diseases, particularly arthritogenic alphavirus host-virus interactions and pathogenesis. He is especially interested in the development of personalized medicine and vaccines and is currently investigating novel host factors involved in arbovirus infection and pathogenesis.

Fun fact: Wern Hann enjoys playing badminton and chess, and listening to music. He has a remarkable ability to sleep anywhere -- once even standing while leaning against a wall.

Yaw Shin Ooi, PhD

Principal Investigator

Yaw Shin is an Assistant Professor in the Programme in Emerging Infectious Diseases (EID) at the Duke-NUS Medical School, Singapore. He is also an adjunct investigator at A*STAR Infectious Diseases Labs, Singapore. He received his Ph.D. from Albert Einstein College of Medicine, New York, and completed postdoctoral training at Stanford University, California. Yaw Shin has a long-established interest in discovering and mechanistically understanding how RNA viruses co-opt cellular factors to efficiently replicate in human cells. 

Fun fact: Yaw Shin is passionate about Chinese Calligraphy (check this out)! He is a member of the Penang Calligraphy Society, the Calligraphy Society of Malaysia, and the Malaysia Seal Carving Association.

Zhi Ying Tan

Research intern

Zhi Ying is a third-year undergraduate at the National University of Singapore, pursuing a degree in Life Sciences. Zhi Ying is actively involved in an undergraduate research project on alphavirus entry factors and has a strong interest in infectious diseases. With a passion for healthcare-related research, Zhi Ying aspires to contribute to advancements in this area. 

Fun fact: In her free time, Zhi Ying enjoys playing badminton.

Cythia Yong, BSc

Lab Manager (Senior Research Assistant)

Cythia received her B.Sc. in Biomedical Science from Monash University, Melbourne, Australia. She has previous research experience in developmental biology and has now ventured into infectious diseases.

Fun fact: Cythia was a Grade 8 ballet dancer and served as a Cadet Lieutenant in the National Cadet Corps (NCC) Air Unit.

Biao Guo Yan, BSc

Research Trainee  (Adjunct)

Biao Guo ("BG") joined the lab as a third year undergraduate from Nanyang Technological University, Singapore, pursuing a degree in Biological Sciences and Medicinal Chemistry. He is currently an MD student at Duke-NUS.

Fun fact: BG engulfs chocolates of all forms, and enjoys sailing in his free time.