JUSTL participant: Dr Vincent Chun Wai Kwan
Dr Vincent Chun Wai Kwan is a Research Scientist working with Dr Yu-Chiun Wang in the Laboratory of Epithelial morphogenesis at the RIKEN Center for Biosystems Dynamics Research in Kobe (Japan). Dr Kwan obtained his MPhil in 2010 from The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology. He worked in the laboratory of Professor King Lau Chow (Division of Life Science) and his project was involved in investigating the function of the Mab21l2 gene in the development of the retina in the mouse. This gene is the mouse homologue of mab-21, which is known to play a key role in the specification of cell fate in the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans. After completing his MPhil degree, Dr Kwan went to the University of Chicago and undertook his PhD training in the laboratory of Dr Urs Schmidt-Ott in the Department of Organismal Biology and Anatomy. Dr Kwan obtained his PhD in 2017, and his project was involved in investigating the evolution of the extra-embryonic tissues in Diptera (two-winged flies). He demonstrated that differences in the extraembryonic tissue complexity can be explained by their distinct gradients of bone morphogenetic proteins (BMPs) and he elucidated the genetic mechanism that shapes these gradients.
Current Work
Dr Kwan started working in Dr Wang’s laboratory in May 2017. He is continuing his research on flies, and is currently studying how in Drosophila, epithelial cells transform from being columnar to squamous (flattened) in shape during the differentiation of the extraembryonic tissues.
JUSTL Programme
Dr Kwan participated in the 2009 JUSTL programme. He worked with JUSTL Co-director, Professor Robert Baker (New York University Medical School) on two projects investigating different aspects of zebrafish development. In the first project, Dr Kwan conducted experiments to analyse the function of the Hox4b gene in the development of the hindbrain, whereas in the second project he examined the migration of cells in the developing anterior trunk. Dr Kwan found that the experience he gained in several of the techniques he learned at the MBL, were useful for his MPhil project on his return to Hong Kong.
Like many of the other JUSTL participants, Dr Kwan also attended the Embryology course lectures. In his end-of-programme report, he said that he learned a lot of developmental biology and became more aware about the current progress in this field. “One thing that really struck me about the lectures was the amazing diversity of model organisms [that] scientists are currently using. In addition to the more conventional model organisms, such as the mouse or Drosophila, scientists [ ] were using organisms like choanoflagellates, ctenophore, cnidarians, amphipods, butterflies, flatworms, stickleback fish and bats to address many different kinds of questions in developmental biology.” Indeed, Dr Kwan found that, “Talking with researchers and visiting their labs made me realise the diversity of life and the different modes of development. This experience stimulated my interest in how the diversity of life is created by developmental processes and encouraged me to pursue my study of evolutionary developmental biology.”
This was Dr Kwan’s first visit to the US and he said that while it was a culture shock, it also exposed him to the international science community. Indeed, he told me that, “During my stay, I met with students and scientists from around the world and learned more about their research. Talking with them gave me fresh insight about my own research.” It was spending time at the MBL that encouraged Dr Kwan to go to the US for his PhD training.