EXPERTISE
Microarray data analysis, Molecular Biology, Virology
RESEARCH INTERESTS
Dr. Chia-Huei Lee is a molecular biochemist with specialty in microarray technologies. Dr. Lee makes use of multiple array platforms including cDNA microarray, array-based comparative genomic hybridization (array-CGH), and methylation array, to conduct translational research in various human diseases, such as schizophrenia, hepatoblastoma and nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC). Since Dr. Lee worked at the National Health Research Institutes (NHRI) as an Assistant Investigator, Dr. Lee has initiated two primary projects: one is to research the epigenetic aberrations of oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC), and the other is to research the role of IL-1 beta in OSCC. The project for the epigenetic aberrations of OSCC has successfully led to the identification of the role of LDOC1 as an X-linked tumor suppressor gene with gene promoter methylation sensitive to cigarette smoke and epigenetically silenced in OSCC, which raised sound hypothesis for future investigations. The results have been published in two peer-reviewed articles. The other project on IL-1ß has shown that IL-1ß is involved in the early and late stages of oral malignant transformation and transactivation of EGFR as one oncogenic mechanism mediated by IL-1ß. These findings are also published in two peer-reviewed articles. Collectively, Dr. Lee’s research results provide a direction for the development of prevention and treatment strategies for OSCC. In addition to the two main projects, Dr. Lee has conducted intramural and extramural collaborative studies to have multidiscipline investigations on human cancers. Dr. Lee’s long term goal is to translate her research findings into therapeutic applications or prevention strategies of human cancers.
RESEARCH ACTIVITIES & ACCOMPLISHMENT
