Team

Narayanan Gopalakrishna Iyer

Role: Principal Investigator

Bio: Dr Iyer graduated top of his medical school class at NUS in 1998, with Honours. He subsequently went on to complete a PhD in molecular carcinogenesis at the University of Cambridge under Prof Carlos Caldas. He trained as a general surgeon at Singapore General Hospital and then went on to two separate head and neck surgical fellowships at Sydney Head and Neck Cancer Institute at Royal Prince Alfred Hospital, Australia and Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Centre, New York, USA. At the end of his fellowship at MSKCC, he was awarded the Michael Burt award for being the best fellow in the surgical division both in terms of operative skill and research output. Currently, Dr Gopal Iyer works as a head and neck surgeon in National Cancer Centre and Singapore General Hospital. He is also Senior Consultant of the SingHealth Duke-NUS Head and Neck Centre. Dr Gopal has extensive experience in the surgical management of head and neck cancers, as well as surgery for benign diseases in the head and neck (including thyroid, salivary gland and skin lesions). He performs complex resections and reconstructions of cancers involving the oral cavity, oropharynx, larynx, hypopharynx, nasopharynx, paranasal sinuses and neck. He is involved in the robotic and endoscopic head and neck surgical program having performed a number of these procedures locally and mentored the first ever robotic thyroidectomy in Australia in Feb 2012. He is actively involved in research and leads a number of research programs that study various clinical and translational aspects of head and neck cancer prognostication and therapeutics. He is the principal investigator of the Cancer Therapeutics Research Laboratory (National Cancer Centre) where the over-arching theme is the identification of novel biomarkers that guide therapeutic decisions, identification of novel therapeutic targets and modification of conventional therapy for head and neck cancers for precision oncology. This is achieved through several different approaches. Clinical research is achieved through the establishment and enrichment of good clinical databases to answer specific clinical questions and dilemmas in head and neck oncology. Biomarker discovery is focused on established and state-of the art technologies from next-gen sequencing, immunohistochemistry, flow cytometry to single cell genomics. Functional analyses to modify therapeutic paradigms involve the establishment of patient-derived 2D and 3D cell cultures, stem cell models, as well as modelling the immune micro-environment ex vivo. Apart from using these to test the efficacy of existing compounds, they provide valuable insight into novel mechanism of disease that determine the therapeutic response. The latter includes understanding the role of long non-coding RNAs and alternative splicing. These have been published in a number of high impact journals including Nature Medicine, Nature Communication, Oncogene and Genome Medicine. The overall objective is to translate this knowledge into clinical trials and patient specific outcome, even in the era of shifting focus in the therapeutic spheres.

Amanda Lee

Role: Research Officer

Bio: My research interests lie in immune variability and how it shapes therapeutic options across patients, with a focus on modulating immune cells to enhance immunotherapy efficacy. I am driven by a curiosity to leverage the immune system’s inherent complexity to develop more effective and durable therapeutic strategies for cancer. Outside the lab, I enjoy running, gymming, crocheting, and playing video games!!

Bhuvaneswari Hariraman

Role: Senior Assistant Manager, NCCS – Cancer Therapeutics Research Laboratory | PhD Candidate, Karolinska Institutet (Sweden)

Bio: Bhuvana Hari is a Senior Assistant Manager at the National Cancer Centre Singapore (NCCS), Cancer Therapeutics Research Laboratory, supporting translational cancer research through regulatory compliance, patient recruitment, informed consent, and biospecimen collection and processing. She coordinates multidisciplinary research activities while ensuring high standards of research integrity and clinical governance. She is currently pursuing a PhD at Karolinska Institutet, Sweden, investigating how tumour microenvironmental factors—specifically surface topography and the microbiome—influence cancer cell invasion and metastasis in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC). Using patient-derived models and a cellomic chip platform, her research examines how these cues shape tumour cell migration, phenotypic plasticity, and aggressive subclones, and how they collectively modulate tumour-infiltrating lymphocyte (TIL)-mediated anti-tumour immunity through integrated imaging, molecular, and transcriptomic approaches.

Chong Fui Teen

Role: Senior Research Officer

Bio: I am a researcher with a primary focus on molecular biology, particularly the EGFR signaling pathway. In addition to my research role, I serve as a laboratory manager, overseeing administrative operations and ensuring compliance with laboratory safety standards to support efficient and well-organised research activities.

Lim Wei Kiang

Role: Phd to Postdoc

Bio: I am a researcher with training in T cell immunology, cellular biology and molecular biology. I recently completed my PhD under the supervison of Professor Gopal Iyer, during which I investigated the anti-tumor potential of umbilical cord blood-derived γδ T cells (UCB γδ T cells) in Head and Neck Squamous cell Carcinoma (HNSCC). My thesis examined reactivity of UCB GDT cells against HNSCC patient-derived cell lines, identified a mechanism underlying UCB γδ T cell-mediated killing, and explored strategies to enhance the tumor-targeting ability of these immune cells. This work deepens the understanding of γδ T cell biology, and also provides a foundation for current and future research on cell-based therapies. Looking ahead, I aim to build on my experience and contribute to the development of T cell products for solid tumors including HNSCC.

Gan Wei Zien

Role: Research Officer

Bio: A passionate immunology researcher with 6 years of research experience specializing in T cell immunology and immunotherapy, across both basic and translational/ clinical research settings. My research focuses on the role of cytokine combinations in enhancing tumour infiltrating lymphocytes culture.

Kanishka Fernando

Role: Post-Doc Research Fellow

Bio: Kanishka Fernando is a Research Fellow at the National Cancer Centre Singapore (NCCS), where he develops and applies ex vivo patient-derived tumor explant platforms to enable clinically relevant evaluation of immuno-oncology drugs. He holds a Ph.D. in Biomedical Engineering from the National University of Singapore (NUS), specializing in tumor explant models that preserve key features of the tumor microenvironment and immune contexture for functional drug testing. His current research focuses on leveraging these long-term explant cultures to interrogate mechanism of action, identify response and resistance signatures, and generate patient-relevant readouts that inform “Phase 0.9” clinical trial paradigms bridging preclinical assessment with early clinical decision-making. Kanishka earned his Bachelor of Engineering with First-Class Honours in Mechanical Engineering with Management from the University of Liverpool and completed an M.Sc. in Biomaterials at the University of Manchester, graduating top of his class. Beyond academia, he has several years of industry experience in developing healthcare solutions and commercializing medical technologies.

Lakshmi Alagappan

Role: Bioinformatics Post-Doc

Bio: I am a bioinformatician with a focus on spatial transcriptomics, tumor–immune interactions, and single-cell analytics. I enjoy solving biological and medical problems with computational solutions.

Leong Hui Sun

Role: Senior Research Officer

Bio: A senior research officer by title and a scientific multitasker by nature, I navigate the world of cancer biology with both precision and curiosity. My research centers on the therapeutic potential of exosomal EGFR Isoform D, exploring its role as a co-drug alongside EGFR-TKIs in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC). In other words, I spend my days figuring out smarter ways to make targeted therapies work better—because cancer should never get too comfortable.

Quah Hong Sheng

Role: Senior Research Fellow (Immunology)

Bio: I am a researcher focused on understanding the immunological mechanisms that shape solid tumour biology, with a continued interest in autoimmunity. My work bridges fundamental immunology with translational applications, contributing to the development of cell‑based therapies and immunotherapeutic strategies

Ren Mengjie (Charlotte)

Role: Research Officer

Bio: I am a research officer with a focus on in vivo oncology studies, particularly mouse xenograft models. I enjoy hands-on animal work, including tumor implantation, monitoring, and treatment studies, and applying different drug delivery approaches in compliance with animal ethics standards.

Toh Shen Yon, Darren

Role: Postdoctoral Fellow | Lead, Cellular and Molecular Research Team

Bio: I am a cellular and molecular biologist with a technical foundation in biochemistry, protein science, and virology. I integrate these disciplines to address the inherent complexities of cancer biology and advance the development of novel therapeutics. My current work focuses on the development and delivery of biologics for cancer treatment, utilizing both in vitro and preclinical mouse models. I am driven by a hypothesis-led approach to solving the enduring challenges of cancer treatment and improving patient outcomes. Beyond the Bench: When I’m not pipetting, I enjoy engaging my colleagues in spirited science fiction discussions while we collectively test the limits of our caffeine tolerance. My Experimental Philosophy - 1. Idealistic: Praying for significant results. 2. Realistic: Analyzing data with a critical eye to find the true story.

Rachel Tan

Role: PhD Student

Bio: Am a PhD student studying the immune response in late-stage head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC). Current treatments often remove both metastatic and healthy lymph nodes to cancer spread, but lymph nodes are also essential for activating T cells in the body’s anti-tumor response. My research explores this clinical dilemma—preserving immune function while effectively controlling cancer! Outside the lab, I love hanging out with my dog, Ollie and clearing my mind at the driving range- if only the two could co-exist!

Jingwen Yu

Role: PhD Student

Bio: I completed my Master’s training at SUSTech University with Yonggang Pei, exploring the virus-driven genomic instability in lymphomagenesis. I next traveled further south for extra sunshine and crispy in Singapore, where I’m looking closer at lymph node biology and modeling virus infection ex vivo. Fun fact: If AI takes over science, I’ll try career as a chef!