Head of SIgN Flow Cytometry Platform
Singapore, Singapore

My goal as the Head of the A*STAR Singapore Immunology Network (SIgN) is to build and maintain a world-class SRL that provides openly-accessible, cutting-edge flow cytometry technology, expertise and education to the Singapore research ecosystem.

I am particularly passionate about improving the flow cytometry knowledge in Singapore, in light of the rapid advancements in reagents, instrumentation and best practices. To achieve this, I regularly organize a series of events open to all researchers across the nation, such as the annual SingFlow conference, educational seminars, and training workshops. These are aimed at researchers of all experience levels, providing comprehensive theoretical and practical flow cytometry education. As Singapore is a small island-nation, my mission is to use my platform to foster collaborations and build a nation-wide network of researchers with a unified understanding of flow cytometry and its best practices who can carry out rigorous and exciting research.

One topic especially dear to me is sharing my methodology to perform post-acquisition compensation for data analysis. I have been invited to give seminars and workshops on this topic internationally, and it has always garnered healthy interest.
My other scientific and technical interests that I am developing in my platform include:
– The generation of flexible, high-dimensional core panels for deep phenotyping, especially immune profiling. These panels can be edited and reused for multiple projects, and have the potential to maximize reagent use and reduce manpower and consumable costs.
– Small particle flow cytometry for the detection, enumeration and sorting of extracellular vesicles and microplastics.
– Yeast, bacterial and microbiome analysis and cell sorting to address the burgeoning interest in the association between the microbiome and human health and disease.

Website/LinkedIn Profile Link: https://www.linkedin.com/in/you-yi-leon-hwang/