Wanjin HONG

Wanjin Hong is both a Professor at  the Institute of Molecular and Cell Biology (IMCB)  and Chief Business Development Officer, Biomedical Research Council (BMRC), Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR). 

Prior to his current appointment, he was the Executive Director of IMCB for over a decade. During his leadership from 2011-2023, IMCB has recruited and mentored a new generation of scientific leaders as PIs, sustained its research excellence with increasing external funding, increased collaborations within A*STAR research institutes and externally with universities and academic medical centres. In addition, IMCB has developed innovative technologies such as medical proteomics, humanized mouse models, 3D culture of organoids, mouse models of human diseases, advanced molecular histopathology and imaging analysis, to facilitate the scientists to define the underlying molecular and cellular mechanisms of major human diseases. Furthermore, IMCB has also increased meaningful collaborations with biotech and pharma companies while focusing on creation of A*STAR spin-off companies to contribute to the biotech ecosystem in Singapore. 

Apart from his leadership roles at A*STAR, Wanjin’s research lab focuses on protein trafficking to understand cellular organisation and cancer signalling pathways relevant to human diseases such as cancer. His early works identified over half of mammalian SNARE proteins, revealed Phox (PX) domain as a binding motif for PI3P, defined the role and mechanisms of small molecular GTPases such as Arl1, Rab7 and Rab34 in membrane trafficking.  

Wanjin’s recent focus on Hippo pathway enabled his lab to define TAZ as a new oncogene and its oncogenic function depending on interaction with TEAD transcriptional factors. His lab and collaborators resolved the crystal structures of YAP-TEAD, TAZ-TEAD and Vgll1-TEAD complexes, revealed the first time that TEADs have a hydrophobic pocket druggable by small molecule inhibitors, and identified flufenamic acid as the very first binder of the pocket. The breakthrough discoveries have facilitated biotech and pharma companies and academic community to develop inhibitors targeting YAP/TAZ-TEAD interaction and the hydrophobic pocket as cancer therapy with over 5 different inhibitors in clinical trials for cancer therapy.  He also serves on the Editorial Board of Science Signaling, TRAFFIC and Cell & Bioscience.