Dr. Eliza FONG

Education

• Ph.D Bioengineering. Rice University, Houston, USA.
• B.Eng. ( Bioengineering) with 1st Class Honors. National University of Singapore

Research Interest

1. Biomaterials
2. Tumor Microenvironment
3. Three-Dimensional Tumor Models
4. Drug Testing

Selected Awards & Honour

Selected Journal Publications

1. Wu Z, Ding H, Zhao Z, Chong C, You R, Zhou H, Seah D, Leow W, Lim HK, Shyamasundar S, Fernando K, Kuthubudeen F, Ng G, Tay CY, Ong CAJ, Fong ELS, Hydrogel-mediated preservation of live tumor explants for drug development in peritoneal metastases, Advanced Materials, https://doi.org/10.1002/adma.202418647 May 2025
2. Mitriashkin A, Yap J, Fernando K, Iyer NG, Grenci G, Fong ELS, Cell confinement by micropatterning induces phenotypic changes in cancer-associated fibroblasts, Acta Biomaterialia, Volume 192, Pages 61-76, Jan 2025
3. 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, March 2024
4. Adine C, Fernando K, Ho N, Quah HS, Ho S, Wu KZR, Teng K, Arcinas C, Ha K, Li L, Chew J, Wang CH, Too N, Yeong JPS, Tan DSW, Tan IBH, Nagadia R, Chia C, Macalinao D, Bhuvaneswari H, Iyer NG, Fong ELS, Bioengineered hydrogels enhance ex vivo preservation of patient-derived tumor explants for drug testing, Biomaterials,10.1016/j.biomaterials.2023.122460, March 2024
5. Wu KZ, Adine C, Mitriashkin A, Aw BJJ, Iyer NG, Fong ELS, Making In Vitro Tumor Models Whole Again, Advanced Healthcare Materials, doi: 10.1002/adhm.202202279, Jan 2023
6. Lim TCJ, Kwang LG, Ho N, Toh C, Too N, Hooi L, Benoukraf T, Chow KHP, Dan YY, Chow KHE, Toh TB, Fong EL, Hepatocellular Carcinoma Organoid Co-Cultures Mimic Angiocrine Crosstalk to Generate Inflammatory Tumor Microenvironment, Biomaterials, 2022, Volume 284, 121527
7. 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
8. 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
9. 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
10. 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
11. 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
12. 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
13. 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

8. 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

9. 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
10. 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
11. 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)