Suan Sin Foo

Suan Sin (Jolin) Foo is an Assistant Staff at the Lerner Research Institute and an Assistant Professor of Molecular Medicine at the Cleveland Clinic Lerner College of Medicine, Case Western Reserve University. Her research focuses on viral infections during pregnancy, particularly Zika virus and SARS-CoV-2, examining maternal-fetal immunology and long-term immune repercussions.

Education & Professional Highlights:

• PhD in Medical Science from Griffith University (2011-2015)
• Postdoctoral training at University of Southern California and Cleveland Clinic (2016-2021)
• Research Associate at Cleveland Clinic (2020-2022)

Research Interests: Dr. Foo investigates how prenatal viral infections alter maternal and fetal immune landscapes. Her lab employs a "bench-bedside-bench" approach, integrating in vitro models, pre-clinical immunocompetent mouse models, and clinical studies using mother-infant dyads cohorts. Key areas include fetal programming, viral pathogenesis, and host-viral determinants.

Recent Publications highlight trends in maternal-fetal inflammation triggered by SARS-CoV-2, long-term immune effects of Zika virus exposure, and molecular mechanisms of viral replication. Her work spans virology, immunology, and clinical microbiology, with collaborations across international institutions.

Scientific Awards:

• Travel awards for academic presentations
• Research fellowships during PhD candidature

Labs & Teams: The Suan Sin Foo Laboratory at Cleveland Clinic collaborates with infectious diseases clinician-researchers globally. Her team explores host-viral interactions during pregnancy, utilizing molecular, immunological, and clinical models to address real-world biomedical challenges.