Associate Investigator, Cancer Science Institute of SingaporeÂ
Education
Ph.D Bioengineering. Rice University, Houston, USA.
B.Eng. ( Bioengineering) with 1st Class Honors. National University of Singapore
Research Interest
Biomaterials
Tumor Microenvironment
Three-Dimensional Tumor Models
Drug Testing
Selected Awards & Honour
SLAS 2020 Tony B. Academic Travel Award (2020)
L’Oreal-UNESCO For Women in Science Fellowship Runner-Up (2019)
Singapore Women’s Weekly, one of 18 Great Women of Our Time, Science and Technology category (2018)
NUS Early Career Award (2017)
BioScience Research Collaborative, Collaborative Shared Prize (2014)
Rice University Institute of Biosciences and Bioengineering Travel Grant (2014)
Society of Biomaterials STAR Award (2013)
Rice University Institute of Biosciences and Bioengineering Travel Grant (2013)
Cancer Biology Training Consortium (CABTRAC) Invited Participant (2013)
Rice Bioengineering Department Outstanding Teaching Assistant Award (2012)
Rice University Institute of Biosciences and Bioengineering Travel Grant (2012)
National University of Singapore-Overseas Graduate Scholarship
Faculty of Engineering Dean’s List
Selected Journal Publications
Too N, Ho N, Adine C, Iyer NG, Fong EL, Hot or Cold: Bioengineering Immune Contextures into In vitro Tumor Models, Advanced Drug Delivery Reviews, 2021 Aug;175:113791
Tang L, Zaseela A, Toh C, Adine C, Aydar O, Iyer NG, Fong EL,Engineering Stromal Heterogeneity in Cancer, Advanced Drug Delivery Reviews, 2021 Aug;175:113817
Fernando K, Kwang LG, Lim J, Fong EL*, Hydrogels to Engineer the Tumor Microenvironment In Vitro, Biomaterials Science, 2021 Apr 7;9(7):2362-2383 *invited article for Biomaterials Science Emerging Investigators 2021
Luo X, Fong EL*, Zhu C, Lin XXQ, Xiong M, Li A, Li T, Benoukraf T, Yu H, Liu S, Development of patient-derived colorectal cancer organoid models incorporating cancer-associated fibroblasts, Acta Biomaterialia, 2020 Sep 15;132:461-472 *co-corresponding and co-first author
Fong EL*, Toh TB, Lin X, Liu Z, Nurrul Abdullah L, Mohd Abdul Rashid Masturah Bte, Benoukraf T, Chow E, Huynh H, Yu H, Generation of Matched Patient-Derived Xenograft In Vitro-In Vivo Models using 3D Macroporous Hydrogels for the Study of Liver Cancer, Biomaterials, 2018 Mar;159:229-240 *corresponding author
Fong EL, Wan XH, Yang J, Morgado M, Mikos AG, Harrington DA, Navone NM, Farach-Carson MC, A 3D in vitro model of patient-derived prostate cancer xenograft for controlled interrogation of in vivo tumor-stromal interactions, Biomaterials, 2016 Jan; 77:164-172
Pan T, Fong EL, Martinez M, Harrington DA, Lin S-H, Farach-Carson MC, Satcher R, Three-dimensional (3D) culture of bone-derived human 786-O renal cell carcinoma retains relevant clinical characteristics of bone metastases, Cancer Letters, 2015 Aug 28; 365(1):89-95
Fong EL, Martinez M, Yang J, Mikos AG, Kasper FK, Harrington DA, Farach-Carson MC, Hydrogel-based 3D model of patient-derived prostate xenograft tumors suitable for drug screening, Molecular Pharmaceutics, 2014 Apr; 11(7):2040-2050
Fong EL, Lamhamedi-Cherradi SE, Burdett E, Ramamoorthy V, Lazar AJ, Kasper FK, Farach-Carson MC, Vishwamitra D, Demicco EG, Menegaz BA, Amin HM, Mikos AG, Ludwig JA, Modeling Ewing Sarcoma Tumors in vitro with 3D scaffolds, Proc Natl Acad Sci (PNAS) USA,2013 Apr; 110(16):6500-5
Ho N, Yap J, Zhao Z, Wang Y, Fernando K, Li CH, Kwang XL, Quah HS, Arcinas C, Iyer NG, Fong ELS, Bioengineered hydrogels recapitulate fibroblast heterogeneity in cancer, Advanced Science https://doi.org/10.1002/advs.202307129
Adine C, Fernando K, Ho NCW, Quah HS, Ho S, Wu KZ, Teng KWW, Arcinas C, Li L, Ha K, Chew J, Wang CH, Too NSH, Yeong JPS, Tan DSW, Tan IBH, Nagadia R, Chia CS, Macalinao D, Bhuvaneswari H, Iyer NG, Fong ELS, Bioengineered hydrogels enhance ex vivo preservation of patient-derived tumor explants for drug evaluation, Biomaterials Jan 2024 (Featured in The Straits Times and NUS News)
