Biography
Ho Yin Chan, Edwin holds B.Sc. degree in biochemistry from CUHK, and completed his PhD in genetics at University of Cambridge with Cahir J. O’Kane. Edwin’s graduate work focused on the genetic study of a RNA-binding protein gene in dribble, and discovered its role in regulating pre-ribosomal RNA processing. He received postdoctoral training at University of Pennsylvania. Since 1999, Edwin investigates pathogenic pathways of repeat expansion diseases, including spinocerebellar ataxias, Huntington’s Disease, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis and myotonic dystrophy, which belong to a group of rare neurodegenerative and neuromuscular diseases. In 2002. Edwin established his research program at CUHK. His group takes a multi-disciplinary approach to identity new disease loci, study disease pathogeneses, and develop therapeutics for these disorders. In 2012, his group reported the role of nucleolar stress in repeat expansion diseases. This finding opened up a new window for novel therapeutic development. In terms of technology transfer, Edwin currently holds 6 US patents. He co-founded his company Rare Power Limited in 2023. In 2024, Rare Power Limited was admitted to the Hong Kong Science and Technology Parks’ IncuBio Programme.
Edwin CHAN
Professor, School of Life Sciences
Research Interests
- Functional studies of rare neurodegenerative and neuromuscular diseases
- RNA-mediated neurodegenerative pathways in repeat expansion diseases
- Therapeutic development for repeat expansion diseases
- Identification of novel disease loci that cause spinocerebellar ataxias
Awards
- 2014 Churchill College Visiting By-Fellowship, University of Cambridge, UK
- 2011 Genetics Society of China Thirteenth Ju-Chi Li Animal Genetics Prize (第十三届李汝祺动物遗传学奖)
- The 2009 Young Researcher Award, The Chinese University of Hong Kong
- The 2009 Faculty Exemplary Teaching Award, Faculty of Science, The Chinese University of Hong Kong
Selected publications
- Pre- and postsynaptic upregulation of FasII synergistically underlies neuropathological and behavioral phenotypes in a Drosophila model of myotonic dystrophy.
Koon, A.C.#, Yeung, K.Y.W.#, Wu, Y., Leong, L.I, Cheung, J.T.P., Chen, Z.S., Peng, S.I., Armstrong, N.S., Frank, A.C., Magneron, P., Gomes-Pereira, M., Fung, J.M.S., Bargiela, A., Moreno, N., Poyatos, J., Vilchez, J., Vilchez, J., Huguet, A., Brewer, C.K., Zinter, M., Beck, E.S., Artero, R., Gourdon, G., Budnik, V., Thomson, T., McCabe, B.D. and Chan, H.Y.E.*
Nature Communications. 2025 Dec 18;17(1):1005 - Mutant huntingtin induces neuronal apoptosis via derepressing the non-canonical poly(A) polymerase PAPD5.
Chen, Z.S., Peng, S.I., Leong, L.I, Gall-Duncan, T., Wong, N.S.J., Li, T.H., Lin, X., Wei, Y., Koon, A.C., Huang, J., Sun, J.K., Turner, C., Tippett, L., Curtis, M.A., Faull, R.L.M., Kwan, K.M., Chow, H.M., Ko, H., Chan, T.F., Pearson, C.E. and Chan, H.Y.E.*
Nature Communications. 2025 Apr 9;16(1):3307 - Mutant GGGGCC RNA prevents YY1 from binding to Fuzzy promoter which stimulate Wnt/b-catenin pathway in C9ALS/FTD.
Chen, Z.S., Ou, M., Taylor, S., Dafinca, R., Peng, S.I., Talbot, K.* and Chan, H.Y.E.*
Nature Communications. 14(1):8420 - Molecular insights into the interaction of CAG trinucleotide RNA repeats with nucleolin and its implication in polyglutamine diseases.
An, Y., Chen, Z.S., Chan, H.Y.E.* and Ngo, J.C.K.*
Nucleic Acids Research. 2022 Jul 1;50(13):7655-7668 - A peptide inhibitor that rescues polyglutamine-induced synaptic defects and cell death through suppressing RNA and protein toxicities.
Peng, S.I., Leong, L.I., Sun, J.K., Chen, Z.S., Chow, H.M. and Chan, H.Y.E.*
Molecular Therapy Nucleic Acids. 29, 102-115 - CAG RNAs induce DNA damage and apoptosis by silencing NUDT16 expression in polyglutamine degeneration.
Peng, S., Guo, P., Lin, X., An, Y., Sze, K.H., Lau, M.H.Y., Chen, Z.S., Wang, Q., Li, W., Sun, J.K., Ma, S.Y., Chan, T.F., Lau, K.F., Ngo, J.C.K., Kwan, K.M., Wong, C.H., Lam, S.L., Zimmerman, S.C., Tuccinardi, T., Zuo, Z., Au Yeung, H.Y., Chow, H.M. and Chan, H.Y.E.*
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. 2021 May 4;118(19):e2022940118 - A Peptidylic Inhibitor for Neutralizing (GGGGCC)-Associated Neurodegeneration in C9ALS-FTD.
Zhang, Q., An, Y., Chen, Z.S., Koon, A.C., Lau, K.F., Ngo, J.C.* and Chan, H.Y.E.*
Molecular Therapy Nucleic Acids. 2019 Jun;16:172-185 - Planar cell polarity gene Fuz triggers apoptosis in neurodegenerative disease models.
Chen, Z.S., Li, L., Peng, S., Chen, F.M., Zhang, Q., An, Y., Lin, X., Li, W., Chan, T.F., Lau, K.F., Ngo, J.C., Wong, W.T., Kwan, K.M. and Chan, H.Y.E.*
The EMBO Reports. 2018 Jul 19;19(9):EMBR201745409 - A novel missense mutation in CCDC88C activates the JNK pathway and causes a dominant form of spinocerebellar ataxia.
Tsoi, H., Yu, A.C., Chen, Z.S., Ng, N.K., Chan, A.Y., Yuen, L.Y., Abrigo, J.M., Tsang, S.Y., Tsui, S.K., Tong, T.M., Lo, I.F., Lam, S.T., Mok, V.C, Wong, L.K., Ngo, C.K., Lau, K.F., Chan, T.F.* and Chan, H.Y.E.*
Journal of Medical Genetics. 2014 Jul 25;51(9):590-595 - CAG expansion induces nucleolar stress in polyglutamine diseases.
Tsoi, H., Lau, C.K., Tsang, S.Y., Lau, K.F. and Chan, H.Y.E.*
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. 2012 Jul 30;109(33):13428-13433
