The Asian Fund for Cancer Research (AFCR) today announced the addition of Professor Kanaga Sabapathy, Head of the Division of Cellular & Molecular Research and Director of Planning & Strategy at The National Cancer Center Singapore, to its Scientific Advisory Board.
Dr. Sabapathy obtained his Ph.D. in Molecular and Cellular Immunology from the Institute of Molecular and Cell Biology (IMCB), A*STAR, Singapore, in 1995. After a post-doctoral stint at the Institute of Molecular Pathology in Vienna, Austria, he moved to the National Cancer Center Singapore (NCCS) in late 1999 as the Principal Investigator of the Laboratory of Molecular Carcinogenesis. In 2013, he became overall Head of the Division of Cellular and Molecular Research, overseeing NCCS’ research activities. He is also the Research Director of the Academic Clinical Program in Oncology at SingHealth. Dr. Sabapathy is a Professor with the Cancer and Stem Cell Biology Program at Duke-NUS, a joint Professor with the Department of Biochemistry at National University of Singapore (NUS), and a joint Research Director at the IMCB. Furthermore, Dr. Sabapathy is a Fellow to the Royal College of Pathologists (UK), and was awarded the inaugural National Research Foundation Investigatorship award (Class of 2015) in recognition of his work to further efforts in groundbreaking, high-risk research.
Dr. Sabapathy’s research is focused on better understanding the molecular mechanisms contributing to carcinogenesis (the process of cancer formation) and the alterations that lead to therapeutic resistance. His research helped to understand how mutant p53—the most widely mutated gene among cancer cells – contributes to cancer development and drug resistance. His lab has also unraveled how changes associated with another key gene, p73, lead to cancer.
Continued research into these two gene pathways might aid in identifying the most feasible molecular targets in anticipation of new therapeutic methods and advances in genetic engineering. Dr. Sabapathy’s lab has also developed updated models that recapitulate human cancers such as liver cancer. These models enable his team to identify new biomarkers for early detection as well as potential molecular targets for timely intervention.
The AFCR Scientific Advisory Board is comprised of leaders in cancer research who have made significant breakthroughs in the diagnosis and treatment of cancer. The scientists on the team are committed to furthering AFCR’s unwavering commitment to curing cancers that significantly impact Asian populations. The Board will play a key role in guiding and prioritizing AFCR’s research program, prioritizing the connections between Asian countries and the rest of the world through promoting, coordinating, and funding international collaboration in cancer research and public education.
“We are very excited to have Dr. Sabapathy join us in a more direct capacity,” said AFCR Founder and CEO Ba Sujuan,Ph.D. “We are confident that Dr. Sabapathy’s research and leadership background will help us broaden ways to accelerate the development of early cancer detection and successful treatments leading towards a cure. He will bring a combination of research acumen and strategic thinking to our already well-rounded board.”
For a complete list of AFCR’s Scientific Advisory Board members, please visit the Scientific Advisory Board page.
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