Dr. Rebecca Mei Li NG

About Me

PROFILE SUMMARY.
Research scientist with 8 years of experience in translational medicine, with expertise in mechanistic and clinical studies of adult-onset diabetes and cardiovascular disease. Postdoctoral training at academic institutions based in Malaysia, Singapore and abroad (U.K, Australia). Area of specialization: Molecular medicine. Dr Ng Mei Li is currently senior lecturer at Advanced Medical and Dental Institute, USM. She is member of the National Diabetes Institute (NADI), Malaysia and Malaysian Endocrine & Metabolic Society (MEMS). She was winner of Professor Mustaffa Young Investigators' Awards in 2016 and 2018, respectively, as well as 3rd Cambridge- Oxford- Sunway Biomedical Symposium in 2019. Her research interests in the field of prevention and therapeutic aspects of insulin resistance, diabetes and cardiovascular disease. At USM, she is Principal Investigator for both national and university-level research grants.

Teaching and Learning
-  Insulin resistance, diabetes and major vascular complications.
-  Clinical and experimental studies relating to prevention, diagnosis and treatment aspect of cardio metabolic disease.
-  New nutritional and exercise intervention strategies for prevention of obesity, diabetes and cardiovascular disease.

Current Research Interest
Experimental, basic science, clinical and epidemiological studies relating to aspects of insulin resistance, the metabolic syndrome and cardiovascular risks in patients with diabetes and metabolic disease. Current research projects include;
-  Mechanistic and clinical studies to investigate the role of novel biomarker on metabolic syndrome and tamoxifen resistance in patients with breast cancer.
-  Discovery and validation of oxidative stress biomarker panels in patients with diabetes and cardiovascular disease.
-  Clinical trials, pharmaco-epidemiological research of herbal medicine to identify novel treatment for diabetes and cardiovascular disease.

Expertise

Professional Training

University of Melbourne, Australia.
Department: Centre for Epidemiology and Biostatistics
Training: Clinical study design and biostatistics method for quantitative studies in health and medical research.

University of Bristol, School of Clinical Science, United Kingdom (UK)
Department: Diabetes and Metabolism
Research training: Radioimmunoassay (RIA) screening for islet-cell autoantibodies

University of Sydney, Australia
Department: Pharmacology, School of Medical Sciences
Research training: Pharmacogenomics analysis of drug transporter

Cellular and Molecular Biology Techniques
Cellular and Molecular-Based Techniques, -Metabolomics and Immunoassays.

Publication

Peer-reviewed journals

1. M. L. Ng, N. S. Yarla, M. Menschikowski and O. A. Sukocheva (2018). "Regulatory role of sphingosine kinase and sphingosine-1-phosphate receptor signaling in progenitor/stem cells." World journal of stem cells 10(9): 119-133 (IF: 4.376)

2. Shanmugapriya, H. A. Huda, S. Vijayarathna, C. E. Oon, Y. Chen, J. R. Kanwar, M.L. Ng and S. Sasidharan (2018). "Functional Analysis of Circular RNAs." Adv Exp Med Biol 1087: 95-105 (IF: 0.87)

3. M. L. Ng, Shanmugapriya, Vijayarathna S, Chen Y, Seong LG, Sasidharan S. Role Of Reactive Oxygen Species (ROS) In Aging And Aging-Related Diseases. Research Journal Of Pharmaceutical Biological And Chemical Sciences. 2018 Nov 1;9(6):44- 51 (IF: 0.35)

4. YH Ong, WC Alvin Koh, M. L. Ng, SC Lim, Boehm.BO (2017). Glutamic acid decarboxylase and islet antigen 2 antibody profiles in people with adult-onset diabetes mellitus: a comparison between mixed ethnic populations in Singapore and Germany. Diabet Med. 34(8):1145-1153 (IF 3.054)

5. M. L. Ng, Wadham, C., & Sukocheva, O. A. (2017). The role of sphingolipid signaling in diabetes-associated pathologies (Review). International Journal of Molecular Medicine, 39(2), 243–252 (IF:,2.784)

6. Lovelace, Michael D., Varney, Bianca,Sundaram, Gayathri, Franco, Nunzio F. M. L. Ng, Pai, Saparna, Lim, Chai K., Guillemin, Gilles J., Brew, Bruce J. (2016). Current evidence for a role of the Kynurenine pathway of tryptophan metabolism in Multiple Sclerosis. Frontiers in Immunology, 2016. 4;7:246. (IF:,6.429)

Under review

1. Gulibositan Aji^1,8, Yu Huang^2,8, M. L. Ng^2,8, Wei Wang^1, Tian Lan³, Min Li², Yufei Li¹, Qi Chen¹, Rui Li³, Sishan Yan³, Collin Tran^2,4, James G. Burchfield5, Timothy A. Couttas², Jinbiao Chen², Long Hoa Chung², Carol Wadham^2, Philip J. Hogg^2,6, Xin Gao¹, Mathew A. Vadas², Jennifer R. Gamble², Anthony S. Don^2,6, Pu Xia^1,3,7,*, Yanfei Qi²,* Regulation of hepatic insulin signaling and glucose metabolism by sphingosine kinase 2 (2019). Sci. Transl. Med (IF: 16.796). Status: under review.

2. Gulibositan aji, Zhiqiang Lu, M. L. Ng, Wei Wang; Yanfei Qi, Pu Xia (2019). T. Sphingosine kinase 2 regulates insulin receptor trafficking in hepatocytes (2019). Biochemical and Biophysical Research Communications (IF: 2.45). Status: under review.

3. Olga Sukocheva¹, Furuya H², M. L. Ng ^3, Markus Friedemann⁴, Mario Menschikowski⁴, Arduino Mangoni⁵, Gjumrakch Aliev⁶, Anupam Bishayee⁷* (2019). Sphingosine kinase/sphingosine-1-phosphate receptor signaling axis in inflammatory gastrointestinal diseases and cancer: a novel therapeutic target (2019). Pharmacology & Therapeutics - Journal – Elsevier (IF: 10.376). Status: under review

4. Vijayarathna Soundararajan, Shanmugapriya Shanmugapriya, Sreeramanan Subramaniam, Khoo Boon Yin, M. L. Ng, Thiagarajan Sangeetha, Venugopal Kavilasha, Yeuan Ting Lee, Yeng Chen, Ratheesh M, Chern Ein Oon, Sreenivasan Sasidharan. Title: Green anticancer therapy: Revisiting the Role of medicinal plants as a future anticancer medicine (2019). Journal of Ethnopharmacology. (IF: 3.414). Status: under review.

5. M. L. Ng, Nizuwan Bin Azman, Hock Aun Ang, Peter Sathiyanathan, Lim Chun Ren, Sze Ning Pua (2019). Islet Autoantibody Profile In Patients With Type 2 Diabetes: A Cross-Sectional Study In Malaysia. Biomedical Reports (SJR: 0.617). Status: under review.

Other publications
Conference proceedings

1. Gulibositan Aji^1,8, Yu Huang^2,8, M. L. Ng^2,8, Wei Wang¹, Tian Lan³, Min Li², Yufei Li¹, Qi Chen1, Rui Li³, Sishan Yan³, Collin Tran^2,4, James G. Burchfield⁵, Timothy A. Couttas², Jinbiao Chen², Long Hoa Chung², Carol Wadham², Philip J. Hogg^2,6, Xin Gao¹, Mathew A. Vadas², Jennifer R. Gamble², Anthony S. Don^2,6, Pu Xia^1,3,7,*, Yanfei Qi^2,* Regulation of hepatic insulin signaling and glucose metabolism by
sphingosine kinase 2 (2019). National Diabetes Institute (NADI), 10 - 13 October 2019, Malaysia.

2. M. L. Ng, Lim SC, Liu JJ, Tai ES, Dalan R and Boehm BO. Latent autoimmune diabetes of the adult (LADA) in Singapore: Study on the islet cell autoimmunity. J Clin Cell Immunol 2015, 6:5.

3. M. L. Ng, Lim SC, Liu JJ, Tai ES, Boehm BO. (2014). Epitope mapping of polyclonal autoantibodies to zinc transporter 8 (znt8) and glutamic acid decarboxylase (GAD65) by peptide-based microarray. Diabetes Research and Clinical Practice 106S1 (2014) S47–S267. Poster presented at the 10th IDF-WPR Congress and 6th AASD Scientific Meeting, Singapore.

Book Chapter

1. Shanmugapriy, Subramanion Lachumy Jothy, M. L. Ng, Nowroji Kavitha, Chew Ai Lan, Khoo Boon Yin, Soundararajan Vijayarathna, Leow Chiuan Herng, Oon Chern Ein, Sasidharan A/l Sreenivasan,(2017).Book title: Biotechnology for Sustainability: Achievements, Challenges and Perspectives. Chapter title: Natural Polyphenols and its Potential in Preventing Diseases Related to Oxidative Stress as an Alternative Green Nutraceutical Approach. Natural Polyphenols and its Potential in Preventing Diseases Related to Oxidative Stress as an Alternative Green Nutraceutical Approach in (Biotechnology for Sustainability: Achievements, Challenges and Perspectives), Other ,141-170. Publisher: AIMST University publishing group

2. ShanmugapriyaHisham Alkatib HudaSoundararajan Vijayarathna, Chern Ein OonYeng ChenJagat R. Kanwar, M. L. Ng, Sreenivasan Sasidharan (2018). Functional Analysis of Circular RNAs. Functional Analysis of Circular RNAs.

Research Grants

NUS Fellows Programme (Southeast Asia)
Granting Institution: National University of Singapore (NUS)
Role: Visiting Research Fellow
Project: Oxidative stress biomarkers, metabolomics, heart failure

Short Term Research Grant 2019
Present May 2019 – May 2021
Granting Institution: Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM)
Role: Principal Investigator
Project: Analysis of Circulating Leucine-Rich Alpha-2-Glycoprotein 1
(LRG-1) Level in Diabetes Patients with Silent Coronary Artery Disease
(CAD)
Awarded: RM40,000.00

Fundamental Research Grant Scheme (FRGS) 2019
Granting Institution: Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM)
Role: Principal Investigator
Project: Targeting Sphingosine Kinase In Breast Cancer Patients with
Metabolic Disorder
Awarded: RM157,000.00
Feb 2019 – Sep 2022

Bridging Grant 2018
Granting Institution: Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM)
Role: Principal Investigator
Project: Studies On Epigenetic Biomarkers And Assessment Of Islet-Cell
Autoantibodies In Patients With Type 2 Diabetes
Awarded: RM10,000.00
Jan 2018- Mar 2019

Short Term Research Grant 2016
Granting Institution: Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM)
Role: Principal Investigator
Project: Effect of deoxyelephantpin on insulin signaling and gluconeogenesis
in human hepatocytes.
Awarded: RM35,000.00
Oct 2016 – Mar 2017

NTU-NHG Metabolic Diseases Collaboration Grant (MDCG) 2015
Granting Institution: Nanyang Technological University (NTU) and National
Healthcare Group (NHG)
Role: Technical Lead-Principal Investigator (PI)
Project: Singapore and White European Cohort Study: A transethnic
comparison on islet cell autoimmunity profiles.
July 2015 - Aug 2017

Academic Recognition

Professional bodies: -

Awards: -

2nd Professor Mustaffa Young Investigators’ Award. Diabetes Asia Conference 2018 Award Institution: National Diabetes Institute (NADI) Title: Islet Cell Autoantibody Profiles In People With Adult-onset Diabetes Mellitus: A Comparison Between Asian And European Population. July 2018

1st Professor Mustaffa Young Investigators’ Award. Diabetes Asia Conference 2016 Award Institution: National Diabetes Institute (NADI) Title: Role of sphingosine kinase in insulin signaling and its actions in hepatocytes. Oct 2016

 

Patents: -