Ong Sek Tong Derrick

Derrick Ong Sek Tong serves as Assistant Professor at the Department of Physiology, National University of Singapore (NUS), holding the President's Assistant Professorship with affiliations at the NUS Centre for Cancer Research and Translational Research Programme. His research centers on brain stem cell mechanisms in both pathological and physiological contexts.

His academic trajectory includes:

• PhD in Chemical Biology, The Scripps Research Institute (Mentor: Dr. Jeffery Kelly)
• Postdoctoral Training, Dana Farber Cancer Institute/Harvard Medical School & UT MD Anderson Cancer Center (Mentor: Dr. Ronald DePinho)

Dr. Ong investigates proliferation and self-renewal mechanisms in glioma stem cells and embryonic neural stem cells, with particular emphasis on transcriptional/epigenetic regulation and age-related neural decline. His interdisciplinary approach integrates chemical biology, stem cell biology, and cancer therapeutics to identify novel targets for brain cancer intervention. Current projects explore chromatin topology, RNA modifications, and metabolic dependencies in glioblastoma stemness maintenance.

Analysis of his publication record reveals consistent focus on molecular drivers of brain cancer stemness across high-impact journals. Recent work demonstrates how epigenetic regulators (PHF2, H2AZ), RNA modifications (METTL8), and signaling scaffolds (CAMK2D) govern glioma stem cell behavior, while earlier contributions established foundational principles in proteostasis for neurodegenerative diseases. His research bridges basic discovery with translational applications in neuro-oncology.

His scientific contributions have been recognized through:

• National Research Foundation Fellowship (2017)
• NUS President's Assistant Professorship (2017)
• Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine Research Excellence Award (2023)
• Early Career Research Award (2018)
• Odyssey Fellowship at MD Anderson (2012-2015)

As principal investigator, Dr. Ong leads a multidisciplinary research group supported by major grants including the NRF Fellowship and President's Assistant Professorship. His laboratory employs patient-derived glioma stem cells and embryonic neural models to investigate stem cell regulation, with emphasis on discovering therapeutic vulnerabilities. He actively mentors students in chemical biology and cancer research methodologies while collaborating across NUS translational programs.

The Ong laboratory operates within NUS Physiology Department, utilizing advanced genomic, chemical biology, and stem cell techniques. His team maintains strong partnerships with the NUS Centre for Cancer Research and clinical oncology groups, focusing on translating molecular discoveries into novel therapeutic strategies for glioblastoma through nanoparticle delivery systems and metabolic targeting approaches.