Educations / Professional Experience

Educations

1997-2001

B.S.,Department of Life Science at Fu Jen Catholic University, Taiwan, R.O.C)

2001-2002

M.S., Institute of Molecular Medicine, National Cheng-Kung University, Taiwan, R.O.C.

2002-2007

Ph.D. Institute of Basic Medical Science, National Cheng-Kung University, Taiwan, R.O.C.

Current Position

2019/2-

Postdoctoral fellow, Department of Internal Medicine, National Cheng Kung University Hospital, College of Medicine, National Cheng Kung University , Tainan, Taiwan, ROC

Professional Experience

2019/02-

Adjunct assistant professor, Institute of Molecular Medicine, National Cheng-Kung University, Taiwan, R.O.C.

2011/08-

Postdoctoral fellow, Department of Internal Medicine, National Cheng Kung University Hospital, College of Medicine, National Cheng Kung University , Tainan, Taiwan, ROC

2008/08-2011/07

Assistant professor, Department of Biotechnology, MingDao University, Taiwan, ROC

2007/10-2008/07

Postdoctoral fellow, Department of Internal Medicine, National Cheng Kung University Hospital, College of Medicine, National Cheng Kung University , Tainan, Taiwan, ROC

Expertise /Research Interests

Research Interests

1.     To investigate the role of microbiota in liver tissue, stool, and oral cavity and their relevant factors among patients with HCC or CCA and to seek the biomarkers of postoperative recurrence.

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma (ICC) are the most frequently occurring types of primary liver cancer. Together, they are among the most common incident cancers worldwide. This project aims to identify key microbiota-host interaction pathways and biomarkers associated with different types of liver cancer and postoperative recurrence by using multi-source clinical specimen, including liver tissue, stool samples, tongue samples, and serum/plasma. All of these results above will help us to understand how microbiota-host interaction pathways affect the development of liver cancers within the liver, and how these factors drive the progression of liver disease toward recurrence.

2.     Characterization of liver microbiome and metabolome in cholangiocarcinoma and non‑HBV and

non‑HCV‑related hepatocellular carcinoma

The gut microbiota has recently been recognized as a major environmental factor influencing the pathogenesis of several human diseases, including liver cirrhosis and its complications. Metabolic profiles can be used to gain insight of alterations into a specific condition or disease. However, the role of liver microbiota and metabolic characteristics in the carcinogenesis of primary liver cancer are rarely studied. In our preliminary results, we successfully determined the manifestation of liver microbiota, which located in cytosol of hepatocytes, liver sinusoid, and basal lamina of intrahepatic bile ducts using RNAscope in situ hybridization assays. We also found the unique microbiota profile exist in liver tissues of patients with HCC and CCA through high-throughput sequencing. The following studies will be undertaken: 1) To explore the microbiota profiles in patients’ tissues and find out the key microbiota-host interaction pathways associated with CCA and HCC. 2) To evaluate metabolomics profiles and inflammatory parameters in patients’ sera and tissues with CCA and HCC. 3) To investigate the possible carcinogenic role of specified bacteria mediating liver metabolome in cell model and mouse model.

3.     Investigating the impact of HBV pregenomic RNA splicing and quasispecies on the clinical outcomes of

chronic hepatitis B patients receiving antiviral therapy by NGS analysis and a HepG2-NTCP infection model.

The aims of this study are to (1) study the kinetics of HBsAg, HBcrAg, and HBV RNA during and after cessation of antiviral therapy; (2) elucidate the relationships among HBV pregenomic RNA splicing, quasispecies, and clinical outcomes of chronic hepatitis B patients receiving antiviral therapy; (3) establish a cell culture model for further investigation of HBV life cycle and cccDNA biology; (4) identify HBV variants associated with treatment responses and clinical outcome