Tel (65) 6516 8594
Email engeong.ooi@duke-nus.edu.sg

The global emergence of epidemic dengue and other Aedes-borne flaviviruses is fuelled in part by an incomplete understanding of the determinants of immunity against these viruses and the molecular underpinnings of disease pathogenesis. My laboratory aims to address these critical gaps in knowledge at the interface between clinical epidemiology, virology and immunology. We combine molecular virology and host response investigations with epidemiological investigations and experimental medicine studies, including clinical trials. Specifically, we are interested in elucidating: (1) the mechanisms that govern the clinical and epidemiological fitness of flaviviruses; (2) the immune responses necessary for flaviviral immunity and infection enhancement; and (3) the molecular correlates of clinical outcome of flaviviral infection. By developing deeper understanding in these areas, we hope to contribute to the development of effective vaccines and treatment against dengue and other Aedes-borne flaviviruses. 

• NUS Saw Swee Hock School of Public Health (Joint)
• Deputy Director, Programme in Emerging Infectious Diseases, Duke-NUS Medical School (Primary)
• SingHealth Duke-NUS Global Health Institute

• Dengue virology and pathogenesis; flavivirus-host interactions; development of molecular correlates of vaccine and antiviral safety and efficacy

• Flaviviral virology, immunology and epidemiology

• BM,BS (University of Nottingham)
• PhD (National University of Singapore)
• FRCPath (UK)

• NMRC Clinician Scientist Award (Senior Investigator) 2010
• NMRC Clinician Scientist Award (Senior Investigator) 2014
• NMRC Clinician Scientist Award (Senior Investigator) 2019

• Deputy Director, Programme in Emerging Infectious Diseases, Duke-NUS Medical School
• Co-Director, Viral Research and Experimental Medicine Centre, SingHealth Duke-NUS Academic Medical Centre

• Editor, Journal of General Virology
• Director, Global Dengue and Aedes-transmitted Diseases Consortium (GDAC)

• Robinson LN, Tharakaraman K, Rowley KJ, Costa VV, Chan KR, Wong YH, Ong LC, Tan HC, Koch T, Cain D, Kirloskar R, Viswanathan K, Liew CW, Tissire H, Ramakrishnan R, Myette JR, Babcock GJ, Sasisekharan V, Alonso S, Chen J, Lescar J, Shriver Z, Ooi EE and Sasisekharan R (2015). Structure-guided design of an antibody against dengue virus directed to a non-immunodominant epitope. Cell, 162:493-504.
• Manokaran G, Finol E, Wang C, Gunaratne J, Bahl J, Ong EZ, Tan HC, Sessions OM, Ward AM, Gubler DJ, Harris E, Garcia-Blanco M and Ooi EE (2015). Dengue subgenomic RNA binds TRIM25 to inhibit interferon expression for epidemiological fitness. Science, 350:217-21.
• Chan KR, Wang X, Saron WA, Gan ES, Tan HC, Mok DL, Zhang SL, Lee YH, Liang C, Wijaya L, Ghosh S, Cheung YB, Tannenbaum SR, Abraham SN, St John AL, Low JG and Ooi EE (2016). Cross-reactive antibodies enhance live attenuated virus infection for increased immunogenicity. Nat Microbiol, 1:16164.
• Wilder-Smith A, Ooi EE, Horstick O, Wills B (2019). Dengue. Lancet 393:350-63.
• Chan KR, Gan ES, Chan CYY, Liang C, Low JZH, Zhang SL, Ong EZ, Bhatta A, Wijaya L, Lee YH, Low JG, Ooi EE (2019). Metabolic perturbations and cellular stress underpin susceptibility to symptomatic live attenuated yellow fever infection. Nat Med, 25;1218-1224.

• Climate change need not mean more dengue cases if cities are built better: Experts, Straits Times, 26 April 2024
• Why Childhood Vaccinations Matter – and is there a Dengue Vaccine?, Singapore Motherhood, 23 June 2022