Funded Research: 2020

Manish Neupane DVM PhD
Research Assistant Professor

Department of Medical Oncology
Sidney Kimmel Medical College
Thomas Jefferson University

I am a cancer biologist with extensive experience in molecular biology, cell biology, and translational medicine. After receiving a professional degree in Veterinary Medicine from Tribhuwan University (Nepal), I did my PhD in Comparative Medicine from Michigan State University. During my graduate training, I studied canine model to investigate one of the important pediatric cancers- osteosarcoma. I then became increasingly interested in the biology of cancer and joined the Department of Cancer Biology at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute/Harvard Medical School for post-doctoral study. As a postdoctoral fellow, I created and implemented an extensive genetic screening system to identify novel cancer-causing genes. This screen resulted in discovery of a novel oncogene, MECP2, which is amplified in several human cancers and may function through an unusual epigenetic mechanism that is targetable with FDA-approved therapeutics. This work has been patented and is the subject of a clinical trial in development.

In 2016, I joined the Department of Medical Oncology at Thomas Jefferson University as a Research Assistant Professor. At Jefferson, I have been studying novel driver genes in human cancers. My research interest involves identifying such genes through functional genetic screens, understanding their mechanistic basis, and exploring their suitability for therapeutic targeting using preclinical model systems. One of my current area of focus is investigating the mechanistic details and therapeutic relevance of MECP2 oncogene.

I am thankful to KOH Foundation for funding my research project on MECP2-directed epigenetic therapy in high grade serous ovarian cancers. I think this support from KOH will be tremendously useful for me to make transition into and specialize in ovarian cancer research.

Michael Herman Chui, MD, FRCPC
Assistant Attending Pathologist
Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center

Princess Margaret Cancer Center
Johns Hopkins Hospital

Michael Herman Chui, MD, FRCPC, obtained his undergraduate and medical degrees and residency training in Anatomical Pathology at the University of Toronto. He is certified by the Royal College of Physicians of Canada and the American Board Pathology.

Following residency, Dr. Chui undertook clinical and research fellowships at the Princess Margaret Cancer Center and The Johns Hopkins Hospital, where he conducted ovarian cancer research and obtained subspecialty expertise in Gynecologic Pathology. 

In July 2019, Dr. Chui joined the faculty of Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center and serves as Assistant Attending Pathologist in the Gynecologic Pathology Division of the Department of Pathology. He continues his research on ovarian serous carcinoma, emphasizing correlative analyses between tumour histopathologic features, genetic alterations and clinical outcomes. The long-term goal of these efforts is to develop novel biomarkers to predict prognosis and response to therapy.