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Lab Members

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Yasunori Saheki, M.D., Ph.D.
Associate Professor of Cell Biology and Neuroscience
​Assistant Dean, Faculty Affairs
EMBO Global Investigator
​Principal Investigator
​Cell Biology and Molecular Neuroscience Laboratory,
Lee Kong Chian School of Medicine,
​Nanyang Technological University, Singapore
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Researcher spotlight @ NTU's website

Yasunori attended Okayama University Medical School in Okayama, Japan, obtaining his M.D. in 2005. He then pursued his graduate studies at the Rockefeller University in New York, USA. Working in the laboratory of Dr. Cori Bargmann, he investigated the mechanisms of ion channel localization at the nerve terminals using C. elegans. After receiving his Ph.D. in Neurobiology in 2010, Yasunori moved to the Yale University School of Medicine in New Haven, where he worked as a postdoctoral fellow in the laboratory of Dr. Pietro De Camilli, supported by fellowships from the Uehara memorial foundation and the Japan Society for the Promotion of Science (JSPS). Using a combination of genome editing, biochemistry, quantitative cellular imaging, and optogenetics, he studied the regulatory mechanisms that govern cellular lipid homeostasis. Yasunori joined the faculty at Lee Kong Chian School of Medicine as a Nanyang Assistant Professor in 2016. In 2020, he was selected as a European Molecular Biology Organization (EMBO) Global Investigator. He was promoted to Associate Professor of Cell Biology and Neuroscience with Tenure in 2022. He is also a Visiting Associate Professor at the Institute of Resource Development and Analysis, Kumamoto University, Japan. His laboratory employs mammalian cell biology and C. elegans genetics to tackle fundamental questions in cellular lipid regulation as well as the mechanisms that underlie neurological disorders.

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Tomoki Naito, Ph.D. (Pharmaceutical Science)
Research Fellow  (April 2018 - )
JSPS Fellow (May 2019 - October 2021)
LKCMedicine LEARN Grant (30K) (September, 2022)

Tomoki received his Ph.D. from Kyoto University, Japan in 2017 under the supervision of Dr. Hye-Won Shin and Dr. Kazuhisa Nakayama. Prior to his graduate studies, Tomoki attended Kyoto University, obtaining his Bachelor of Science (2012) and Master of Science (2014) both in Pharmaceutical Science. Being supported by Japan Society for the Promotion of the Science (JSPS) Research Fellowship for Young Scientists (2016-2017 as DC2, 2017-2018 as PD), Tomoki studied the role of phospholipid flippase in plasma membrane bilayer asymmetry. He published his findings in two research articles in The Journal of Biological Chemistry as a first author. He also co-authored papers in Nature Communications, Molecular Biology of the Cell, The EMBO Journal. In the Saheki lab, Tomoki studies the role of membrane contact sites in intracellular lipid traffic. Tomoki was awarded Overseas Research Fellowship from Japan Society for the Promotion of Science  (日本学術振興会・海外特別研究員).

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Nur Raihanah Binte Mohd Harion, B.Eng. (Hons)
Graduate Student
LKCMedicine PhD program (July 2018 - )

Raihanah received her Bachelor of Engineering (Honours) with Distinction in Bioengineering from Nanyang Technological University, Singapore (NTU) in 2018. During her final year project, she investigated the molecular mechanisms of aging, using yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae under the supervision of Dr. Miao Yansong at NTU. Prior to her undergraduate study, she attended Nanyang Polytechnic in Singapore and obtained her diploma in Biomedical Engineering with Merit, winning the BD Medical Bronze Award. Raihanah joined our lab and started her graduate study in July 2018. In the Saheki lab, Raihanah aims to study the functions of membrane contact sites in neurons. Native of Singapore, Raihanah spends her free time watching documentaries and tutoring students.

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​Hong Zheng (Dylan) Koh, B.Sc. (Hons.)​
Graduate Student
LKCMedicine PhD program (July 2019 - )

Dylan received his Bachelor of Science (Honours) with Highest Distinction in Biological Sciences from Nanyang Technological University, Singapore (NTU) in 2019. During his final year project, he investigated the molecular mechanisms of cellular cholesterol traffic in the Saheki lab. Prior to his undergraduate study, Dylan attended Singapore Polytechnic and obtained his diploma in Biomedical Sciences, winning the ALS Technichem Award in 2012 and the BioFactory DBS APEX Award in 2014 for his excellent performance. Dylan started his research in the Saheki lab in May 2018 and decided to continue to stay for his PhD studies. In the Saheki lab, Dylan aims to study the role of membrane contact sites in cellular lipid homeostasis. Native of Singapore, Dylan spends his free time traveling around the world.

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​Haoning Yang, B.Eng. (Hons.)​
Graduate Student
LKCMedicine PhD program (July 2021 - )

Haoning received his Bachelor of Engineering (Honours) with Highest Distinction in Mechanical Engineering (Design) from Nanyang Technological University, Singapore (NTU) in 2021. During his final year project, he developed a microfluidic device for characterizing the phenotypes of leukocytes under the supervision of Dr. Hou Han Wei at NTU. He also successfully led a team of 60+ members for robotics projects as president of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering (MAE) Robotics Club. Haoning joined our lab and started his graduate study in July 2021. In the Saheki lab, Haoning aims to study the molecular mechanisms of intracellular cholesterol transport. Native of China, Haoning spends his free time visiting various places in Singapore.

Previous Lab Members
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Vini Natalia
Visiting Master's Student
The Free University of Berlin, 
Germany
(November 2022 - January 2023)
Next position: PhD Student, Volker Haucke's lab, The Free University of Berlin, 
Germany



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​Dennis Dharmawan, B.Eng. (Hons)
Research Assistant (November 2019 - July 2022)
Next position: Master's Student, Bioinformatics Programme, KU Leuven, Belgium


Key Publications:
​- Jeyasimman, Ercan*, Dharmawan*, et al., Nature Communications, 2021
- Ercan*, Naito*, Koh, Dharmawan & Saheki, The EMBO Journal, 2021


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​Darshini Jeyasimman, Ph.D.
LKCMedicine PhD program (January 2017 - September 2021)
​Research Fellow (October 2021 - April 2022)
Next position: Forensic Scientist, Health Sciences Authority
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Key Publications:
- Jeyasimman & Saheki, ​BBA - Mol Cell Biol Lipids, 2020
- Jeyasimman et al., Nature Communications, 2021
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​Recognitions:
- Alan Hall Award from the Journal of Cell Biology (JCB)
- Featured article in Nature Communications


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​Bilge Ercan, Ph.D. (Chemistry)
Research Fellow  (September 2018 - April 2022)
Relocation to Australia due to family reasons
​Next position: Research Fellow, ARC Centre of Excellence for Innovations in Peptide and Protein Science, The University of Sydney, Australia

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Key Publications:
- Naito, Ercan et al., eLife, 2019​
- Ercan*, Naito* et al., The EMBO Journal, 2021

Recognitions:
- LKCMedicine LEARN Grant (30K)
- LKCMedicine LEARN Mentorship Award


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Jingbo Sun, Ph.D. (Cell Biology)
Research Fellow  (April 2017 - February 2022)
Next position: Associate Research Scientist, Department of Molecular, Cellular & Developmental Biology, Yale University, U.S.A.
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Key Publications:
​- Sun*, Harion* et al., Life Science Alliance, 2021


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So Unten
Visiting Undergraduate Student
University of the Ryukyus School of Medicine, Japan
(December 2019 - February 2020)
Next position: Student, University of the Ryukyus School of Medicine, Japan


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Hiiro Shimabukuro
Visiting Undergraduate Student
University of the Ryukyus School of Medicine, Japan
(December 2018 - February 2019)
Next position: Student, University of the Ryukyus School of Medicine, Japan


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Karin Asanuma
Visiting Undergraduate Student
University of the Ryukyus School of Medicine, Japan
(December 2018 - February 2019)
Next position: Student, University of the Ryukyus School of Medicine, Japan


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Dhakshenya Dhinagaran, B.Sc.
Graduate Student
LKCMedicine PhD program (January 2018 - October 2018)
Next position: Graduate Student, Assistant Prof. Lorainne Tudor Car's lab (LKCMedicine)


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​Yun Xuan (Philip) Ngo
Undergraduate Student
Nanyang Technological University, School of Biological Sciences (April 2017 - January 2018)
Next position: Intern, the Karolinska Institute, Sweden


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Logesvaran Krshnan, Ph.D. (Structural Biology)
Research Fellow  (April 2017 - April 2018 )
Next position: Postdoc, The University of Oxford, U.K.


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Chek Mei Bok, M.Sc.
Research Associate (May 2016 -December 2017 )
Next position: Research Associate, Genome Institute of Singapore (GIS)


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​Naoki Arasaki
Visiting Undergraduate Student
University of the Ryukyus School of Medicine, Japan
(February 2017 - March 2017)
Next position: Student, University of the Ryukyus School of Medicine, Japan

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