Education
| 1997 | Ph. D. Department of Biochemistry, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong |
| 1990 | B. Sc. (Biochemistry), The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong |
Position
- Professor, School of Life Sciences
Research Interests
- Genetic manipulation by transgenic and gene knockout technology
- Study of Organogenesis and Tumorigensis using mouse as model organism
- Neural development and neuronal cell biology
- Stem cell research
Representative Publications
- Vong KI, Ma TC, Li B, Leung TCN, Nong W, Ngai SM, Hui JHL, Jiang L, Kwan KM. (2021) SOX9-COL9A3-dependent regulation of choroid plexus epithelial polarity governs blood-cerebrospinal fluid barrier integrity. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 118(6):e2009568118. doi: 10.1073/pnas.2009568118.
- Dong X, Kwan KM. (2020) Yin Yang 1 is critical for mid-hindbrain neuroepithelium development and involved in cerebellar agenesis. Mol Brain. 13(1):104. doi: 10.1186/s13041-020-00643-z
- Ma TC, Vong KI,Kwan KM. (2020) Spatiotemporal Decline of BMP Signaling Activity in Neural Progenitors Mediates Fate Transition and Safeguards Neurogenesis. Cell Rep. 30(11): 3616-3624.e4. doi: 10.1016/j.celrep.2020.02.089.
- Lui NC, Tam WY, Gao C, Huang JD, Wang CC, Jiang L, Yung WH, Kwan KM. (2017) Lhx1/5 control dendritogenesis and spine morphogenesis of Purkinje cells via regulation of Espin. Nat Commun. 8:15079. doi: 10.1038/ncomms15079.
- Wang L, Luo JY, Li B, Tian XY, Chen LJ, Huang Y, Liu J, Deng D, Lau CW, Wan S, Ai D, Mak KK, Tong KK, Kwan KM, Wang N, Chiu JJ, Zhu Y, Huang Y. (2016). Integrin-YAP/TAZ-JNK cascade mediates atheroprotective effect of unidirectional shear flow. Nature. doi: 10.1038/nature20602.
- Zhu J, Kwan KM, Mackem S. (2016) Putative oncogene Brachyury (T) is essential to specify cell fate but dispensable for notochord progenitor proliferation and EMT. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 113(14), 3820-3825.
- Vong KI, Leung CK, Behringer RR, Kwan KM. (2015). Sox9 is critical for suppression of neurogenesis but not initiation of gliogenesis in the cerebellum. Mol Brain. 8, 25.
- Tong KK, Kwan KM (2013). Common partner Smad-independent canonical bone morphogenetic protein signaling in the specification process of the anterior rhombic lip during cerebellum development. Mol Cell Biol. 33(10), 1925-1937.
- Wong YL, Behringer RR, Kwan KM (2012). Ventral limb ectoderm Smad1/Smad5 signaling functions redundantly and is required in interdigital programmed cell death. Dev Biol. 363(1), 247-257.
- Tam WY, Leung CK, Tong KK, Kwan KM (2011). Foxp4 is essential in maintenance of Purkinje cell dendritic arborization in the mouse cerebellum. Neuroscience. 172, 562-571.
- Zhao Y*, Kwan KM*, Mailloux CM, Lee WK, Grinberg A, Wurst W, Behringer RR and Westphal H (2007). LIM-homeodomain proteins Lhx1, Lhx5, and their cofactor Ldb1 control Purkinje cell differentiation in the developing cerebellum. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 104, 13182-13186. * equal contribution as first author
- Kwan KM. (2002). Conditional alleles in mice: practical considerations for tissue-specific knockouts. Genesis. 32, 49-62.
- Kwan KM, Pang MK, Zhou S, Cowan SK, Kong RY, Pfordte T, Olsen BR, Sillence DO, Tam PP and Cheah KS. (1997). Abnormal compartmentalization of cartilage matrix components in mice lacking collagen X: implications for function. J Cell Biol. 136, 459-471.
Research Grants
Research Grants Council (RGC) Hong Kong: General Research Fund
- 2019-2021, Functional analysis of Sox9 in choroid plexus development and regulation of cerebrospinal fluid secretion – HKD$ 971,368 (as PI)
- 2013-2015, Functional analysis of Foxp4 in exocrine pancreas development and homeostasis in mouse - HKD$ 850,000 (as PI)
- 2011-2013, GRF, Functional analysis of Foxp4 in Purkinje neurons of cerebellum in mice, HKD$ 1,133,900 (as PI)
- 2010-2012, GRF, Functional analysis of Sox9 in neural progenitor cells of cerebellum in mice, HKD$ 1,195,046 (as PI)
- 2009-2011, GRF, Functional analysis of Smad genes in granule neurons of cerebellum in mice, HKD$ 1,064,049 (as PI)
- 2008-2010, GRF, Functional analysis of Lhx1 and Lhx5 in Purkinje neurons of cerebellum in mice, HKD$ 1,146,611 (as PI)
Research Grants Council (RGC) Hong Kong: Collaborative Research Fund
- 2020-2023, The First Integrated State-of-the-Art Sample Preparation System for Cryo-Electron Microscopy/Tomography Analysis to Promote Advanced Cellular and Structural Biology Research in Hong Kong – HKD$ 7,439,308 (as Co-I)
- 2017-2020, The First Integrated cyco-EM and cryo-ET Shared Facility for Life Sciences Research in Hong Kong – HKD$ 9,500,000 (as Co-I)
- 2014-2017, Targeting RNA and protein toxicities of polyglutamine diseases using peptidylic inhibitors - HKD$ 7,044,220 (as Co-I)
- 2013-2016, Physical Exercise Promotes Vascular Health: Impact of Mechano-Transduction and Novel endothelium-derived Regulators - HKD$ 7,700,000 (as Co-I)
- 2012-2015, EXPO (Exocyst-positive Organelle): Dynamics, Biogenesis and Function in Plants - HKD$ 8,459,400 (as Co-I)
Research Grants Council (RGC) Hong Kong: Area of Excellence
- 2014-2020, Center for Organelle Biogenesis and Function - HKD$ 47,250,000 (as Co-I)
Health and Medical Research Fund (HMRF)
- 2015-2017, Investigation on ataxia disorder by using a novel genetically-modified mouse model - HKD$ 999,880 (as PI)
Awards
- 2009 and 2013 Science Faculty Exemplary Teaching Award, The Chinese University of Hong Kong
- 2008 The Young Researcher Award 2008, The Chinese University of Hong Kong
- 1991-1994 The Croucher Foundation Scholarship, Hong Kong