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Adj Assoc Prof Ann Lee-Lim

Adj Assoc Prof Lee-Lim Ann

DPhil (Oxon), FRCPath

National Cancer Centre Singapore

Profile

​Adj. A/Prof Ann Lee trained at the Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre in Melbourne, the WHO Immunology Centre at NUS and the John Radcliffe Hospital in Oxford. She obtained her PhD from the University of Oxford and has led research studies on breast cancer risk and biomarker discovery which have been published in high impact international journals. Her team’s current research interests are in the areas of breast cancer genetics and novel biomarker discovery for the early detection of breast cancer.

Her research group has:

• Identified new breast cancer risk loci using a novel targeted next-generation sequencing strategy.
• Performed panel testing using a 25-gene panel of breast cancer predisposition genes for the largest Asian series of cases at the time.
• Identified PALB2 mutations in Singaporean patients and recommended that PALB2 be included in genetic testing for individuals eligible for BRCA1 and BRCA2 testing.
• Reported the identification of a BRCA1 founder mutation among breast cancer patients of Malay ethnicity.
• Identified the first family in Singapore with Li-Fraumeni syndrome.
• Recommended that screening for the CHEK2*1100delC mutation in Asian women with a family history of breast cancer is unwarranted, in contrast to recommendations for such screening in Northern/Eastern European women with a similar history.

In addition to her research work at NCCS, Professor Lee teaches at NUS where she is an Adjunct Associate Professor. She is also an Adjunct Associate Professor at Duke-NUS Medical School and has served as a member of the international UICC TNM Expert Panel for breast cancer.

Education

​• BSc (Hons) (Melbourne) 1984
• MSc (Singapore) 1988
• DPhil(Oxon) 1990

Professional Appointments and Committee Memberships

Professional Appointments

• Principal Investigator, Division of Cellular and Molecular Research, National Cancer Centre Singapore (NCCS) (2007 – present)
• Adj. Assoc. Prof., Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore (2013 – present)
• Adj. Assoc. Prof., Duke-NUS Medical School, Singapore (2013 – present)
• Chairperson, Grant Review Committee, NCC Research Fund (2015 – present)
• Member, Research Biosafety Committee, NCCS (2012 – present)​

Academic Appointments

• Principal Investigator, Division of Cellular and Molecular Research, National Cancer Centre Singapore
• Adj. Assoc. Prof., Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore
• Adj. Assoc. Prof., Duke-NUS Medical School

Awards

​• Overseas Research Studentship, University of Oxford, 1987-1990
• Tan Kah Kee Foundation Postgraduate Scholarship, 1987

Research Interests

• Breast cancer genetics
• Novel biomarker discovery for the early detection of breast cancer.
• Cancer susceptibility and familial cancer

Publications

1. Cancer risks associated with germline PALB2 pathogenic variants - an international study of 524 families. X Yang, G Leslie,…. P Ang, …..ASG Lee, ….DF Easton, WD Foulkes, AC Antoniou*, M Tischkowitz*. J Clin Oncol. (2020) https://doi.org/10.1200/JCO.19.01907 (Online)(In press)

2. A circulating miRNA signature for stratification of breast lesions among women with abnormal screening mammograms. SY Loke, P Munusamy, GL Koh, CHT Chan, P Madhukumar, JL Thung, BKT Tan, KW Ong, WS Yong, YR Sim, CL Oey, SZ Lim, PMY Chan, JTS Ho, JBK Khoo, JSL Wong, CH Thng, BK Chong, EY Tan, VKM Tan, ASG Lee *. Cancers (Basel) (2019) 11(12), 1872.

3. Evaluation of Three Polygenic Risk Score Models for the Prediction of Breast Cancer Risk in Singapore Chinese. CHT Chan, P Munusamy, SY Loke, GL Koh, AZY Yang, HY Law, CSYoon, CY Wong, WS Yong, NS Wong, RCH Ng, KW Ong, P Madhukumar, CL Oey, GH Ho, PH Tan, MH Tan, P Ang, YS Yap, ASG Lee*. Oncotarget (2018) 9:12796-12804.

4. Identification of Novel Breast Cancer Risk Loci. CHT Chan, P Munusamy, SY Loke, GL Koh, ESY Wong, HY Law, CS Yoon, MH Tan, YS Yap, P Ang, ASG Lee*. Cancer Res. (2017) 77: 5428-5437.

5. Inherited Breast Cancer Predisposition in Asians: Multigene Panel Testing Outcomes from Singapore. ESY Wong, S Shekar, M Met-Domestici, C Chan, M Sze, YS Yap, SG Rozen, M-H Tan, P Ang, J Ngeow and ASG Lee*. npj Genomic Medicine (2016) 1: 15003.

6. Breast-cancer risk in families with mutations in PALB2. AS Lee*, P Ang. N Engl J Med. (2014) 371: 1650-1.

7. Identification of Circulating MicroRNA Signatures for Breast Cancer Detection. M Chan, CS Liaw, SM Ji, HH Tan, CY Wong, AA Thike, PH Tan, GH Ho, AS Lee*. Clin Cancer Res. (2013) 19,4477-4487.

8. LARG at chromosome 11q23 has functional characteristics of a tumor suppressor in human breast and colorectal cancer. DCT Ong, YM Ho, C Rudduck, K Chin, W-L Kuo, DKH Lie, CLM Chua, PH Tan, KW Eu, F Seow-Choen, CY Wong, GS Hong, JW Gray & ASG Lee*. Oncogene (2009) 28,4189-200.

9. CHEK2*1100delC screening of Asian women with a family history of breast cancer is unwarranted. ASG Lee* & P Ang. J Clin Oncol (2008) 26,2419.

10. BRCA1 and BRCA2 mutations in an Asian clinic-based population detected using a comprehensive detection strategy. P Ang, IHK Lim, T-C Lee, J-T Luo, D Ong, PH Tan, ASG Lee*. Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev (2007) 16,2276-84.

Research Trials