Biography:

Professor Allen Chan is currently appointed as Professor at the Department of Chemical Pathology at the Chinese University of Hong Kong. He graduated from the University of Hong Kong in 1996 and obtained his PhD in molecular biology under the supervision of Professor Dennis Lo. He is a fellow of the Royal College of Pathologists of Australasia, Hong Kong College of Pathologists and Hong Kong Academy of Medicine. He is also a member of the Royal College of Physician.

Professor Chan’s main research interest is on the development of new diagnostic approaches based on circulating DNA analysis. He is an inventor of the noninvasive prenatal test for Down syndrome using plasma DNA analysis in pregnant women. He has over 40 patents/patent applications on molecular diagnostics.

Professor Chan has led a prospective trial involving over 20,000 subjects to investigate the use of liquid biopsy for the screening of early nasopharyngeal carcinoma. 

Apart from research, Professor Chan is also enthusiastic to teaching. He has received a total of four Teacher of the Year Awards from the Faculty of Medicine, CUHK.

Specialised Research Area(s):

Plasma Nucleic Acids Research for :

-        Noninvasive prenatal testing (NIPT)

-        Cancer detection and monitoring

1. Chan KCA, Woo JKS, King A, Zee BCY, Lam WKJ, Chan SL, Chu SWI, Mak C, Tse IOL, Leung SYM, Chan G, Hui EP, Ma BBY, Chiu RWK, Leung SF, van Hasselt AC, Chan ATC, Lo YMD. Analysis of Plasma Epstein–Barr Virus DNA to Screen for Nasopharyngeal Cancer. New England Journal Of Medicine. 2017; 377(6): 513-522. doi: 10.1056/nejmoa1701717.

2. Chan KCA, Jiang P, Sun K, Cheng YK, Tong YK, Cheng SH, Wong AIC, Hudecova I, Leung TY, Chiu RW, Lo YM. Second generation noninvasive fetal genome analysis reveals de novo mutations, single-base parental inheritance, and preferred DNA ends. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2016; 113(50):E8159-E8168. doi: 10.1073/pnas.1615800113.

3. *Sun K, *Jiang P, *Chan KCA, Wong J, Cheng YK, Liang RH, Chan WK, Ma ES, Chan SL, Cheng SH, Chan RW, Tong YK, Ng SS, Wong RS, Hui DS, Leung TN, Leung TY, Lai PB, Chiu RW, Lo YM. Plasma DNA tissue mapping by genome-wide methylation sequencing for noninvasive prenatal, cancer, and transplantation assessments. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2015;112(40):E5503-12. doi: 10.1073/pnas.1508736112. (*co-first authors)

4. *Jiang P, *Chan CW, *Chan KCA, Cheng SH, Wong J, Wong VW, Wong GL, Chan SL, Mok TS, Chan HL, Lai PB, Chiu RW, Lo YM. Lengthening and shortening of plasma DNA in hepatocellular carcinoma patients. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2015;112(11):E1317-25. doi: 10.1073/pnas.1500076112. (*co-first authors)

5. Chan RW, Jiang P, Peng X, Tam LS, Liao GJ, Li EK, Wong PC, Sun H, Chan KCA, Chiu RW, Lo YM. Plasma DNA aberrations in systemic lupus erythematosus revealed by genomic and methylomic sequencing. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2014 Dec 9;111(49):E5302-11. doi: 10.1073/pnas.1421126111.

6. *Yu SC, *Chan KCA, *Zheng YW, Jiang P, Liao GJ, Sun H, Akolekar R, Leung TY, Go AT, van Vugt JM, Minekawa R, Oudejans CB, Nicolaides KH, Chiu RW, Lo YM. Size-based molecular diagnostics using plasma DNA for noninvasive prenatal testing. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2014 Jun 10;111(23):8583-8. doi: 10.1073/pnas.1406103111 (*co-first authors)

7. Chan KCA, Jiang P, Chan CW, Sun K, Wong J, Hui EP, Chan SL, Chan WC, Hui DS, Ng SS, Chan HL, Wong CS, Ma BB, Chan AT, Lai PB, Sun H, Chiu RW, Lo YM. Noninvasive detection of cancer-associated genome-wide hypomethylation and copy number aberrations by plasma DNA bisulfite sequencing. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2013;110(47):18761-8. doi: 10.1073/pnas.1313995110.

8. Le QT, Zhang Q, Cao H, Cheng AJ, Pinsky BA, Hong RL, Chang JT, Wang CW, Tsao KC, Lo YD, Lee N, Ang KK, Chan AT, Chan KCA. An international collaboration to harmonize the quantitative plasma Epstein-Barr virus DNA assay for future biomarker-guided trials in nasopharyngeal carcinoma. Clin Cancer Res. 2013 Apr 15;19(8):2208-15. doi: 10.1158/1078-0432.CCR-12-3702.

9. Chan KCA, Hung EC, Woo JK, Chan PK, Leung SF, Lai FP, Cheng AS, Yeung SW, Chan YW, Tsui TK, Kwok JS, King AD, Chan AT, van Hasselt AC, Lo YM. Early detection of nasopharyngeal carcinoma by plasma Epstein-Barr virus DNA analysis in a surveillance program. Cancer. 2013;119(10):1838-44. doi: 10.1002/cncr.28001.

10. Chan KCA, Jiang P, Zheng YW, Liao GJ, Sun H, Wong J, Siu SS, Chan WC, Chan SL, Chan AT, Lai PB, Chiu RW, Lo YM. Cancer genome scanning in plasma: detection of tumor-associated copy number aberrations, single-nucleotide variants, and tumoral heterogeneity by massively parallel sequencing. Clin Chem. 2013;59(1):211-24. doi: 10.1373/clinchem.2012.196014.

11. Tsui NB, Kadir RA, Chan KCA, Chi C, Mellars G, Tuddenham EG, Leung TY, Lau TK, Chiu RW, Lo YM. Noninvasive prenatal diagnosis of hemophilia by microfluidics digital PCR analysis of maternal plasma DNA. Blood. 2011;117(13):3684-91. doi: 10.1182/blood-2010-10-310789.

12. Chiu RW, Akolekar R, Zheng YW, Leung TY, Sun H, Chan KCA, Lun FM, Go AT, Lau ET, To WW, Leung WC, Tang RY, Au-Yeung SK, Lam H, Kung YY, Zhang X, van Vugt JM, Minekawa R, Tang MH, Wang J, Oudejans CB, Lau TK, Nicolaides KH, Lo YM. Non-invasive prenatal assessment of trisomy 21 by multiplexed maternal plasma DNA sequencing: large scale validity study. BMJ. 2011;342:c7401. doi: 10.1136/bmj.c7401.

13. Lo YM, Chan KCA, Sun H, Chen EZ, Jiang P, Lun FM, Zheng YW, Leung TY, Lau TK, Cantor CR, Chiu RW. Maternal plasma DNA sequencing reveals the genome-wide genetic and mutational profile of the fetus. Sci Transl Med. 2010;2(61):61ra91. doi: 10.1126/scitranslmed.3001720.

14. Yung TK, Chan KCA, Mok TS, Tong J, To KF, Lo YM. Single-molecule detection of epidermal growth factor receptor mutations in plasma by microfluidics digital PCR in non-small cell lung cancer patients. Clin Cancer Res. 2009;15(6):2076-84. doi: 10.1158/1078-0432.CCR-08-2622.

15. Chiu RW, Chan KCA, Gao Y, Lau VY, Zheng W, Leung TY, Foo CH, Xie B, Tsui NB, Lun FM, Zee BC, Lau TK, Cantor CR, Lo YM. Noninvasive prenatal diagnosis of fetal chromosomal aneuploidy by massively parallel genomic sequencing of DNA in maternal plasma. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2008;105(51):20458-63. doi: 10.1073/pnas.0810641105.

16. Lun FM, Tsui NB, Chan KCA, Leung TY, Lau TK, Charoenkwan P, Chow KC, Lo WY, Wanapirak C, Sanguansermsri T, Cantor CR, Chiu RW, Lo YM. Noninvasive prenatal diagnosis of monogenic diseases by digital size selection and relative mutation dosage on DNA in maternal plasma. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2008;105(50):19920-5. doi: 10.1073/pnas.0810373105.