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    Dr Vivian Chua

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Dr Vivian Chua

Vice Chancellor's Research Fellow

Staff Member Details
Email: v.chua@ecu.edu.au
Campus: Joondalup  
ORCID iD: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1873-6820

Dr Vivian Chua is a Vice Chancellor’s Research Fellow in the School of Medical and Health Sciences, within the Melanoma Research Group.
She is also part of the Centre for Precision Health, an ECU Strategic Research Centre.

Background

I am a cancer and molecular biologist. I completed my PhD in 2016 from the University of Western Australia. I then trained as a postdoctoral research fellow at Thomas Jefferson University, focusing on uveal melanoma research, under the supervision of Professor Andrew Aplin. I was promoted in 2020 to Research Instructor and to in 2022 to Research Assistant Professor within the Department of Pharmacology, Physiology and Cancer Biology, Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia, USA.

Research Areas and Interests

My research area is in metastatic uveal melanoma, the deadliest form of eye cancer in adults that represents about 5% of all melanomas. Uveal melanoma metastasises primarily to the liver and responds poorly to clinically available therapies. My research aims to 1) investigate mechanisms promoting the metastasis of uveal melanoma (with specific focus on BAP1 mutations), 2) identify novel therapeutic targets for metastatic uveal melanoma, and 3) uncover more effective treatment strategies for metastatic uveal melanoma. Other research interests include studying tumour interactions with the liver microenvironment, targeting liver metastases, and the roles of diet/nutrition on the development and growth of liver metastases.

Associations

  • 2016-present: The Society for Melanoma Research (SMR) (Member)
  • 2015-present: American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) (Active Member)

Awards and Recognition

  • 2023: Melanoma Research Institute of Excellence Pilot Award
  • 2022: Melanoma Research Institute of Excellence Pilot Award
  • 2022: Department of Defense (USA) Melanoma Research Academy Scholar Award
  • 2017-2019: National Cancer Center Postdoctoral Fellowship (USA)
  • 2017-2018: American association for Cancer Center (AACR)/Ocular Melanoma Foundation (OMF) Postdoctoral Fellowship (in memory of the Kammerman family) (USA)
  • 2017: Jefferson Postdoctoral Travel Fellowship (USA)
  • 2012-2015: University of Western Australia (UWA) Safety Net Top-Up Scholarship, University of Western Australia (UWA), Perth, Australia
  • 2012-2015: Australian Postgraduate Award (APA), University of Western Australia (UWA), Perth, Australia
  • 2014: Basic Science Encouragement Award for Oral Presentation, Young Investigators’ Day, Royal Perth Hospital, Perth, Australia
  • 2013: Silver Prize for Oral Presentation, Australian Society for Medical Research Symposium, Perth, Australia
  • 2012: Basic Science Encouragement Award for Oral Presentation, Young Investigators’ Day, Royal Perth Hospital, Perth, Australia
  • 2010: Vice Chancellor’s Commendation for Academic Excellence (Australia)
  • 2009: Vice Chancellor’s Commendation for Academic Excellence (Australia

Qualifications

  • Doctor of Philosophy, The University of Western Australia, 2016.

Research Outputs

2024

Journal Articles

  • Chua, V., Lopez-Anton, M., Tanaka, R., Baqai, U., Purwin, T., Haj, J., Waltrich, F., Trachtenberg, I., Luo, K., Tudi, R., Jeon, A., Han, A., Chervoneva, I., Davies, M., Aguirre-Ghiso, J., Sato, T., Aplin, A. (2024). Slow proliferation of BAP1-deficient uveal melanoma cells is associated with reduced S6 signaling and resistance to nutrient stress. Science Signaling, 17(840), article number eadn8376. https://doi.org/10.1126/scisignal.adn8376.

2023

Journal Articles

  • Han, A., Mukha, D., Chua, V., Purwin, T., Tiago, M., Modasia, B., Baqai, U., Aumiller, J., Bechtel, N., Hunter, E., Danielson, M., Terai, M., Wedegaertner, P., Sato, T., Landreville, S., Davies, M., Kurtenbach, S., Harbour, J., Schug, Z., Aplin, A. (2023). Co-Targeting FASN and mTOR Suppresses Uveal Melanoma Growth. Cancers, 15(13), article number 3451. https://doi.org/10.3390/cancers15133451.
  • Baqai, U., Kurimchak, A., Trachtenberg, I., Purwin, T., Haj, J., Han, A., Luo, K., Pachon, N., Jeon, A., Chua, V., Davies, M., Gutkind, J., Benovic, J., Duncan, J., Aplin, A. (2023). Kinome profiling identifies MARK3 and STK10 as potential therapeutic targets in uveal melanoma. Journal of Biological Chemistry, 299(12), article number 105418. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jbc.2023.105418.

2022

Journal Articles

  • Han, A., Chua, V., Baqai, U., Purwin, T., Bechtel, N., Hunter, E., Tiago, M., Seifert, E., Speicher, D., Schug, Z., Harbour, J., Aplin, A. (2022). Pyruvate dehydrogenase inactivation causes glycolytic phenotype in BAP1 mutant uveal melanoma. Oncogene, 41(8), 1129-1139. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41388-021-02154-0.
  • Chua, V., Han, A., Bechtel, N., Purwin, T., Hunter, E., Liao, C., Harbour, J., Aplin, A. (2022). The AMP-dependent kinase pathway is upregulated in BAP1 mutant uveal melanoma. Pigment Cell and Melanoma Research, 35(1), 78-87. https://doi.org/10.1111/pcmr.13007.
  • Baqai, U., Purwin, T., Bechtel, N., Chua, V., Han, A., Hartsough, E., Kuznetsoff, J., Harbour, J., Aplin, A. (2022). Multi-omics Profiling Shows BAP1 Loss Is Associated with Upregulated Cell Adhesion Molecules in Uveal Melanoma. Molecular Cancer Research, 20(8), 1260-1271. https://doi.org/10.1158/1541-7786.MCR-21-0657.

2021

Journal Articles

  • Han, A., Purwin, T., Bechtel, N., Liao, C., Chua, V., Seifert, E., Sato, T., Schug, Z., Speicher, D., William Harbour, J., Aplin, A. (2021). BAP1 mutant uveal melanoma is stratified by metabolic phenotypes with distinct vulnerability to metabolic inhibitors. Oncogene, 40(3), 618-632. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41388-020-01554-y.
  • Chua, V., Mattei, J., Han, A., Johnston, L., Lipira, K., Selig, S., Carvajal, R., Aplin, A., Patel, S. (2021). The Latest on Uveal Melanoma Research and Clinical Trials: Updates from the Cure Ocular Melanoma (CURE OM) Science Meeting (2019). Clinical Cancer Research, 27(1), 28-33. https://doi.org/10.1158/1078-0432.CCR-20-2536.

2020

Journal Articles

  • Teh, J., Purwin, T., Han, A., Chua, V., Patel, P., Baqai, U., Liao, C., Bechtel, N., Sato, T., Davies, M., Aguirre-Ghiso, J., Aplin, A. (2020). Metabolic Adaptations to MEK and CDK4/6 Cotargeting in Uveal Melanoma. Molecular Cancer Therapeutics, 19(8), 1719-1726. https://doi.org/10.1158/1535-7163.MCT-19-1016.

2019

Journal Articles

  • Ambrosini, G., Do, C., Tycko, B., Realubit, R., Karan, C., Musi, E., Carvajal, R., Chua, V., Aplin, A., Schwartz, G. (2019). Inhibition of NF-κB–Dependent Signaling Enhances Sensitivity and Overcomes Resistance to BET Inhibition in Uveal Melanoma. Cancer Research, 79(9), 2415-2425. https://doi.org/10.1158/0008-5472.CAN-18-3177.
  • Chua, V., Orloff, M., Teh, J., Sugase, T., Liao, C., Purwin, T., Lam, B., Terai, M., Ambrosini, G., Carvajal, R., Schwartz, G., Sato, T., Aplin, A. (2019). Stromal fibroblast growth factor 2 reduces the efficacy of bromodomain inhibitors in uveal melanoma. EMBO Molecular Medicine, 11(2), article number e9081. https://doi.org/10.15252/emmm.201809081.

2018

Journal Articles

Research Projects

  • Investigating the roles of liver cells on the growth and metastasis of uveal melanoma, Edith Cowan University, Early-Mid Career Researcher Grant Scheme 2025 (Stream 2), 2025 ‑ 2026, $39,806.
  • Investigating effects of fimepinostat, a dual HDAC1/2/3/10 and PI3K inhibitor, in uveal melanoma, Australian Melanoma Research Foundation, 2024 Research Grant, 2024 ‑ 2025, $12,500.

Research Student Supervision

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