CHUA Jia Xin
Associate Professor Dr.
SDGs Focus
About Me
Jia Xin holds a Ph.D. in Oncology from the University of Nottingham, UK. She is an Associate Professor at Xiamen University Malaysia and Founder of MYmAb Biologics, a Malaysian biotechnology company. She spent over 12 years in the UK before returning to Malaysia and has more than 15 years of experience in therapeutic monoclonal antibody and cancer vaccine development. She is a co-inventor on multiple international patents, and her work has contributed to monoclonal antibodies licensed to a pharmaceutical company in deals valued at up to USD 1.2 billion, demonstrating strong translational potential.
Her research on novel direct-killing monoclonal antibodies has been recognised for scientific excellence, with her work highlighted by Medicine Innovates among the top 0.1% of global biomedical research. She has secured competitive funding in the UK and Malaysia and published in high-impact journals. She is passionate about translating science into real-world impact and improving healthcare equity, with current interests in applying artificial intelligence in precision medicine. In 2025, she received the Malaysia National Young Scientist Award (Medicine category) and was featured in a United States based CBS Global Health programme, recognising her work in translating innovation into impact and improving healthcare equity.
PhD in Oncology , University of Nottingham, UK, 2017
MSc in Cancer Immunology and Immunotherapy, University of Nottingham, UK, 2010
BSc in Biotechnology, University Putra Malaysia, Malaysia, 2007
American Association for Cancer Research, active member (2012-present)
British Society of Immunology, active member (2019-present)
The Scientific Research Honor Society (SIGMA XI), active member (2025-present)
- Molecular and Digital Medicine (Editorial board member, Scientific Editor)
Research Interests
Dr. Chua's research focuses on the discovery and development of glycan-targeting monoclonal antibodies for cancer diagnosis and therapy. I am particularly interested in generating novel therapeutic antibodies capable of directly killing cancer cells through cell membrane disruption, leading to oncolytic cell death. This process promotes the release of tumour-associated antigens and danger signals, thereby activating the immune system and enhancing anti-tumour responses—a mechanism known as immunogenic cell death.
I am also interested in identifying and characterising tumour-associated glycans as novel biomarkers of cancer progression and metastasis. Aberrant glycosylation is a hallmark of cancer, resulting in the overexpression of glycans that play critical roles in tumour survival, immune evasion, and metastatic spread. My work aims to develop highly specific antibodies targeting these glycans, enabling precision diagnostics and targeted therapeutics.
More broadly, my research is driven by a commitment to translating fundamental immunology into clinically relevant solutions. I am particularly interested in integrating artificial intelligence into biomedical research to advance biomarker discovery and precision oncology.
Research Project(s)
SARS-CoV-2 Omicron Susceptibility by Vaccine Type
This project investigates the relative susceptibility to SARS-CoV-2 Omicron variant infection among individuals vaccinated with ChAdOx1 nCoV-19, BNT162b2, and CoronaVac. It aims to compare breakthrough infection rates and immune protection across different vaccine platforms to inform vaccination strategies.Immune Marker Profiling in Breast Cancer (Southeast Asia)
This study examines immune-related biomarkers in breast cancer patients from Southeast Asia to determine their prognostic significance. The goal is to identify immune signatures associated with disease progression and clinical outcomes.Flow Cytometry-Based NK Cell Cytotoxicity Assay
This project develops and applies a flow cytometry-based cytotoxicity assay to measure human natural killer (NK) cell activity. It aims to provide a reliable method for evaluating innate immune function in research and clinical settings.
Local Grant(s)
SARS-CoV-2 Omicron Susceptibility by Vaccine Type, 2021 – 2022, Industry grant, RM60,000
Immune Marker Profiling in Breast Cancer (Southeast Asia), ongoing, Industry grant, RM100,000
Flow Cytometry-Based NK Cell Cytotoxicity Assay, ongoing, Industry grant, RM112,000
Journal
Ruben D. Houvast, Vincent Q. Sier, Maurice van Duijvenvoorde, Victor M. Baart, Timo Schomann, Jia Xin Chua, Mireille Vankemmelbeke, Lindy G. Durrant, Daniëlle Krijgsman, Pieter de Heer, Gert-Jan Hassing, J. Sven D. Mieog, A. Stijn. L. P. Crobach, Jacobus Burggraaf, Peter J.K. Kuppen, Alexander L. Vahrmeijer. Preclinical Evaluation of Glycan-Targeting Monoclonal Antibodies for Bimodal Near-Infrared Fluorescence and Photoacoustic Imaging of Gastrointestinal Cancers. EJNMMI Research, 2025.
Nurul Akmaryanti Abdullah, Nur Fariesha Md Hashim, Noraina Muhamad Zakuan, Jia Xin Chua. Thioredoxin system in colorectal cancer: Its role in carcinogenesis, disease progression, and response to treatment. Life Sciences, 2024.
Ruben D. Houvast, Maurice van Duijvenvoorde, Jia Xin Chua, Mireille Vankemmelbeke, Lindy G. Durrant, Akin Inderson, Jeanin E. van Hooft, J. Sven D. Mieog, Bert A. Bonsing, Cornelis F.M. Sier, A. Stijn L. P. Crobach, Alexander L. Vahrmeijer, Peter J. K. Kuppen. Prediction of Biomarker Expression On Primary Pancreatic Ductal Adenocarcinoma Tissues using Fine- Needle Biopsies: Paving the Way for a Patient-Tailored Molecular Imaging Approach. Molecular Diagnosis and Therapy, 2023.
Victoria Anne Brentville, Peter Symonds, Jia Xin Chua, Anne Skinner, Ian Daniels, Katherine Wendy Cook, Sasa Koncarevic, Roxana Martinez-Pinna, Sabaria Shah, Ruhul Hasan Choundhury, Poonam Veghela, Daisy Weston, Abdullah Al-Omari, James Davis, Lindy Gillian Durrant. Citullinated glucose-related protein 78 is a candidate target for melanoma immunotherapy. Frontier in Immunology, 2022.
Jia Xin Chua, Lindy Gillian Durrant, Yin Ling Chok and Oi Ming Lai. Susceptibility to SARS-CoV-2 Omicron following ChAdOx1 nCoV-19 nad BNT162b2 versus CoronaVac vaccination. iScience, 2022.
Ruben D. Houvast, Kira Thijse, Jesse V Groen, Jia Xin Chua, Mireille Vankemmelbeke, Lindy G. Durrant, J. Sven D. Mieog, Bert A. Bonsing, Alexander L. Vahrmeijer, Peter J.K. Kuppen, A. Stijn L. P. Crobach and Cornelis F.M. Sier. An immunohostochemical evaluation of tumor-associated glycans and mucins as targets for molecular imaging of pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma.Cancers, 2021.
Ruben D. Houvast, Victor M. Baart, Shadhvi S. Bhairosingh, Robert A. Cordfunke, Jia Xin Chua, Mireille Vankemmelbeke, Tina Parsons, Peter J.K. Kuppen, Lindy G. Durrant, Alexander L. Vahrmeijer and Cornelis F.M. Sier. Glycan-Based Near-infrared Fluorescent (NIRF) imaging of gastrointestinal tumours: a preclinical proof-of-concept in vivo study. Mol. Imaging Biol., 2020.
Caroline Soliman, Andrew J Guy, Jia Xin Chua, Mireille Vankemmelbeke, Richard S McIntosh, Sarah Eastwood, Vi Khanh Truong, Aaron Elbourne, Ian Spendlove, Lindy G Durrant, Paul A Ramsland. Molecular and structural basis for Lewis glycan recognition by cancer-targeting antibody. Biochem. J., 2020.
Mireille Vankemmelbeke, Richard S McIntosh, Jia Xin Chua, Thomas Kirk, Ian Daniels, Marilena Patsalidou, Robert Moss, Tina Parsons, David Scott, Gemma Harris, Judith M. Ramage, Ian Spendlove and Lindy G. Durrant. Engineering the human Fc-region enables direct killing by cancer glycan-targeting antibodies without the need for immune effector cells or complement. Cancer Research, 2020.
Silvana T Tivadar, Richard S McIntosh, Jia Xin Chua, Robert Moss, Tina Parsons, Abid M Zaitoun, Srinivasan Madhusudan, Lindy G Durrant and Mireille Vankemmelbeke. Monoclonal antibody targeting sialyl-di-Lewisa-containing internalising and non-internalising glycoproteins with cancer immunotherapy development potential. Mol Cancer Ther, 2019.
Caroline Soliman, Jia Xin Chua, Mireille Vankemmelbeke, Richard S McIntosh, Andrew J Guy, Ian Spendlove, Lindy G Durrant. The terminal sialic acid of stage-specific embryonic antigen-4 has a crucial role in binding to a cancer-targeting antibody, J Biol. Chem, 2019.
Y Louise Wan, Puja Sapra, James Bolton, Jia Xin Chua, Lindy G Durrant, Peter L Stern. Combination treatment with an antibody drug conjugate (A1mcMMAF) targeting the oncofetal glycoprotein 5T4 and carboplatin improves survival in xenograft model of ovarian cancer. Target Oncol, 2019.
Mireille Vankemmelbeke, Jia Xin Chua, and Lindy G Durrant, Cancer cell associated glycans as targets for immunotherapy. Oncoimmunology, 2016.
Jia Xin Chua, Mireille Vankemmelbeke, Richard S McIntosh, Philip Clarke, Robert Moss, Abed M Zaitoun, Srinivasan Madhusudan, Lindy G Durrant. Monoclonal Antibodies Targeting LecLex-Related Glycans with Potent Antitumor Activity. Clin Cancer Res, 2015.
Book
Jia Xin Chua and Lindy Durrant (2017). Monoclonal Antibodies Against Tumour-Associated Carbohydrate Antigens, Carbohydrate, Prof. Mahmut Caliskan (Ed.), InTech, DOI: 10.5772/66996.
Conference
Malaysia-Australia Women Biotech Luncheon (Bioeconomy Corporation and CSIRO Australia), Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, Discussion panelist
AACR 2025, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia- Attendee
International Breast Cancer Symposium 2025, Shandong China- Keynote speaker
NBioSHOWCASE 2025, Sarawak, Malaysia- Exhibitor
- NICE 2025, Shandong China- Exhibitor
SEA Healthcare and Pharma Show 2025, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia — Attendee
AACR Annual Meeting 2025, Chicago, USA — Attendee
4th Selangor Life Sciences Convention 2024, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia — Attendee
NBiOSHOWCASE 2024, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia — Attendee
National Conference on Integrating Research in Agriculture, Food and Communicable Diseases Towards Achieving Sustainable Development Goals (IRAFCD_SDG 2024), UTAR Kampar, Malaysia— Attendee
11th Digital Pathology & AI Congress 2024, London, UK — Attendee
UTAR R&D Colloquium 2024, Selangor, Malaysia — Speaker
Immuno-Oncology Summit Europe 2023, London, UK — Speaker
4th MK-FMHS International Conference 2023, Selangor, Malaysia — Speaker and Chairperson
AACR 2019, Paris, France- Presenter
British Society for Immunology Congress 2019, Liverpool, UK —Presenter
Antibody Engineering and Therapeutics Conference 2012, San Francisco, USA — Presenter
Malaysia National Young Scientist Award (Medicine Category), MOSTI, 2025
Selected Expert- CBS News GlobalHealth Campaign, CBS United States, 2025
Top 10 Best Business Leaders Alumni From University Putra Malaysia, Asia Business Outlook Magazine, 2024
Best poster prize, British Society for Immunology Congress UK, 2019
Biomedical Research Excellence, Medicine Innovate Canada, 2015
Best poster prize, Antibody Engineering and Therapeutics Conference USA, 2012
(2013)- Glycans functional cancer targets and antibodies thereto
US10072073B2
EP3063160B1
(2019)- SSEA-4 binding members
EP4025601A1
US20220324997A1
JP7682167B2
CN115279786B
BR112022003565A2
CA3149556A1
AU2020342787A1
KR20220058560A