Associate Professor in Molecular Biology
BSc (UM), PhD (2000, Queensland)

Tel: +6082583041

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Head, Lifelong Learning Unit (CTTC)

Research activities
My research focus on studying the association between genetic variation (structural and functional) with cancer and cardiovascular disease in human. Among the genes-of-interest in our cancer studies are those that encode for ribosomal proteins, periostin, inflammatory and non-inflammatory cytokines, Ras associated domain family 1 (RASSF1), tumour necrosis factor receptor associated factors (TRAFs), vigilin, and macrophage migration inhibitory factor (MIF). The main types of cancer used as our disease models are nasopharyngeal carcinoma, colorectal cancers and bladder carcinoma. For coronary artery disease (CAD), I focus on the genome-wide single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) association studies, and also on genes such as P-selectin, von Willebrand factor (vWF) and interleukin-6. The main approach in the cancer genetics and CAD studies include nucleotide mutation surveillance and gene expression profiling. We also employ Bioinformatics methodology in predicting models of protein-protein interaction. Our research aims to delineate the roles of selected genes (and the pathways mediated by them) in disease cases such as cancer and acute coronary syndrome. The findings from our studies will provide fundamental knowledge for the development of accurate detection platforms and effective treatment strategies of selected types of human cancer and heart disease. To date, my research is funded by the Malaysian Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation; and the Ministry of Health.


Selected publications - Refereed Journals

Sim, E.U.H., Ang, C.H., Ng, C.C., Lee, C.W., & Narayanan, K. (2010). Differential expression of a subset of ribosomal protein genes in cell lines derived from human nasopharyngeal epithelium. Journal of Human Genetics, 55 (2), 118-120. Journal Impact Factor = 2.547

Sim, E.U.H., Tiong, T.S., Selva, K.S., Ong, T.A., & Teh, G.C. (in press). Relationship of ethnicity, age and gender to incidence of bladder and nasopharyngeal cancers in Kuching, Sarawak. Sarawak Museum Journal. Journal indexed by SCOPUS.

Sim, E.U.H. (2010). Environmental ethics and bioethics: Anthropocentrism, converging ideology, and socio-political disposition. In J. Lee (Ed.), Sustainability and quality of life (ISBN: 978-0-9743472-1-9) (pp.77-90). USA: RIA University Press. Book Chapter.

Sim, E.U.H., Toh, A.K.L., & Tiong, T.S. (2008). Preliminary findings of down-regulated genes in nasopharyngeal carcinoma. Asia Pacific Journal of Molecular Biology & Biotechnology 16 (3), 79-84. Journal Indexed by ISI Thomson.

Sim, E.U.H., Bong, I.P.N., Balraj, P., Tan, S.K., Jamal, R., Sagap, I., Nadeson S., Rose, I.M., & Lim, P.K.M. (2006). A preliminary study on differentially expressed genes in Malaysian colorectal carcinoma cases. Journal of Bioscience, 17 (1), 19-37. Listed by GoogleScholar.

Sim, E.U.H., Smith, A., Szilagil, E., Ioannou, P., Lindsay, M.H. & Little, M.H. (2002). Wnt-4 regulation by the Wilms' Tumour Suppressor gene, WT1. Oncogene, 21(19), 2948-2960. Journal Impact Factor = 7.216

Chia, S.W. & Sim, E.U.H. (2009). Expression of periostin and identification of periostin isoforms in colorectal carcinoma. Malaysian Journal of Science, 28 (1), 15-23. Journal indexed by SCOPUS.

Chia, S.W. & Sim, E.U.H. (2009). Overexpression of wildtype periostin and transforming growth factor beta I genes in colorectal carcinoma: A preliminary study. Pertanika Journal of Tropical Agricultural Science, 32 (2), 153-159. Journal indexed by SCOPUS.

Ma, X.R., Sim, E.U.H., Balraj, P., Lim, P., & Jamal, R. (2008). Overexpression of WNT2 and TSG101 in colorectal carcinoma. Tropical Biomedicine, 25 (1), 46-57. Journal Impact Factor = 0.59

Bong, I.P.N, Lim, P., Balraj, P., Sim, E.U.H., & Zakaria Z. (2006). Quantitative analysis of the expression of p53 gene in colorectal carcinoma by using real-time PCR. Tropical Biomedicine, 23 (1), 53-59. Journal Impact Factor = 0.59

Little M.H., Forrest, A., Grimmond, S., Lindsay, M., Martinez, G., Rae, F., Sim, E.U.H., Smith, A., Szilagi, E., & Wells, C. (2002). Target genes of the Wilms’ Tumour Suppressor gene as identified by cDNA expression profiling. Nephrology, 7 (1), A5-A5. [doi:10.1046/j.1440-1797.2002.00007-1-5.x]. Journal Impact Factor = 1.215.

Pua, K.C., Khoo, A.S.B., Yap, Y.Y., Selva, S.K., Ong, C.A., Gopala-Krishnan, G., Shahid, H., & The Malaysian Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma Study Group (Subathra, S., Ee, Y.S., Goh, M., Rahmah, A.H., Fong, C.H., Punithavathi, N., Ong, L.M., Dipak, B.D., Deepak, R., Lau, F.N., Shalini, P., Atiliyana, M.A., Shamshinder, S., Anura, M., Bustam, A.Z., Saad, M., Dahalil, M., Looi, L.M., Shahfinaz, P., Hashim, O., Ng, C.C., Rahmat, O., Amin, J., Kumaran, N.M., Teo, S.H., Yap, L.F., Tiong, T.S., Sim, E.U.H., Tharumalingam, T.W., Norlida, D., Zulkarnaen, M., Lai, W.H., Bokari, S., Lum, C.L., Vievekananda, A., Othman, A., Jayendran, D., Kam, A., Hassan, S., Biswal, B., Fariza, H.N., Mubassir, H.A., & Sheikh, A.H.) (2008). Nasopharyngeal carcinoma database. The Medical Journal of Malaysia (Med. J. Malaysia), 63 (Suppl. C), 59-62. Listed by PubMed.

Narayanan, K., Sim, E.U.H., Ravin, N.V., & Lee, C.W. (2009). Recombination between linear double-stranded DNA substrates in vivo. Analytical Biochemistry, 387 (1), 139-141. Journal Impact Factor = 3.002

Lee, C.W., Ng, A.Y.F., Narayanan, K., Sim, E.U.H., & Ng, C.C. (2009). Isolation and characterization of culturable bacteria from tropical coastal waters. Ciencias Marina, 35 (2), 153-167. Journal Impact Factor = 1.5

Apun, K., Chang, P.P., Sim, E.U.H., & Micky, V. (2006). Clonal diversity of Escherichia coli isolates from marketed beef in East Malaysia. World Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology, 22, 661-667. Journal Impact Factor = 0.945


Selected publications - Proceedings

Ma, X.R., Sim, E.U.H., Tiong, T.S., Selva, S.K., Khoo, A.S.B., & The Malaysian NPC Study Group. (2010). Underexpression of RPL32 in nasopharyngeal carcinoma. Proceedings of the 3rd Biotechnology Colloquim 2010, 143-147.

Tiong, W.N.., Sim, E.U.H., & Fong, A.Y.Y. (2010). The relationship between serum markers of inflammation, platelet activation and endothelial dysfunction in multiethnic sarawak population during the early phase of acute coronary syndrome – preliminary results. Proceedings of the 3rd Biotechnology Colloquium 2010, 153-156.

Ma, X.R., Sim, E.U.H., Tiong, T.S., Khoo, A. & The Malaysian NPC Study Group (2009). Differential Expression of Ribosomal Protein (RP) Genes in Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma (NPC) Cases: A Preliminary Study. Proceedings of the the 3rd Regional Conference of Molecular Medicine (RCMM 2009) (ISBN 978-983-44297-0-6.), p41.

Chua, G.S.N., & Sim, E.U.H. (2009). Molecular study of differentially expressed genes in Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma (NPC). Proceedings of the the 3rd Regional Conference of Molecular Medicine (RCMM 2009) (ISBN 978-983-44297-0-6.), p26.

Ma, X.R., Sim, E.U.H., Tiong, T.S., Khoo, A., & the Malaysian NPC Study Group. (2009). Down-regulation of RPS26 in nasopharyngeal carcinoma cases. Proceedings of the 2nd Biotechnology Colloquium – Progress in Knowledge and Applications (ISBN: 978-983-9257-99-1), 6-10.

Chua, G.S.N., & Sim, E.U.H. (2009). Differential expression of vigilin and TRAF6 in nasopharyngeal carcinoma. Proceedings of the 2nd Biotechnology Colloquium – Progress in Knowledge and Applications (ISBN: 978-983-9257-99-1), 80-84.

Sim, E.U.H. (2008). Biotechnology and Bioinformatics: More than just a marriage of convenience. Proceedings of 10th Symposium of the Malaysian Society of Applied Biology: Realization of biodiversity potentials through Applied Biology. Plenary lecture paper, p3.  

Hasan, N.H., Sim, E.U.H., & Abdullah, M.T. (2008). A preliminary study on the morphology and phylogenetic analysis of Kerivoulinae using cytochrome b gene region. Proceedings of 10th Symposium of the Malaysian Society of Applied Biology: Realization of biodiversity potentials through Applied Biology, 134-140.

Chia, S.W., & Sim, E.U.H. (2008). A study of periostin gene in colorectal carcinoma: Mutation analysis and expression study. Proceedings of the 1st Research Symposium on Biotechnology: Current State of Knowledge and Future Direction (ISBN: 978-983-9257-98-4), 13-16.

Chong, J., Sim, E.U.H., & Subramaniam, S.K. (2008). Investigating for effects of betel quid chewing on expression of selected genes in oral mucosal cells. Proceedings of the 1st Research Symposium on Biotechnology: Current State of Knowledge and Future Direction (ISBN: 978-983-9257-98-4), 37-42.

Current postgraduate student list:

Ma Xiang Ru (PhD student)
Tiong Wen Ni (MSc student)
Chua Suk Ngo (MSc student)