Chung Sze Or (柯頌詩)
University of Hong Kong
I obtained my MPhil degree in 2021 from department of Pathology, HKU. My project aimed to study the molecular alterations that are crucial for acquiring anchorage independence in gastric cancer. 54 patient-derived tumour organoids were evaluated in terms of the cell-cell and cell-matrix anchorage dependence. Interestingly, only half of them were anchorage independent, especially those with RhoA activation or loss of adhesion molecule E-cadherin. Throughout the study, I have noticed the heterogeneity between the organoids obtained from tumour surface and deeper tissue, this made me wonder how their surrounding environment affect the development of cancer cells. Yet my limited knowledge might not be enough to answer this question. During the literature reading, I realised the immune system plays important role during tumour development. To equip myself with the fundamentals in immunology, I am currently pursuing a PhD in autoimmunity under the guidance of Vera Chan and CS Lau.