Ruey-Chyi Su, BSc (Hons), PhD

Research Summary

Dr. Su’s research program focuses on understanding the interaction between host cell and microbes. Her group’s current overarching goal is to advance the development of novel or improved diagnostic tools for more accessible detection of latent TB infection (TBI) and TB disease (ATB).

Her work includes:

1. Identification of biomarkers for detecting TBI for young children and adults with weak immunity.
2. Optimize the available TBI and ATB diagnostic tests for point-of-care (POC) or near-POC.
3. Exploring extracellular vesicle (EV) for uses in diagnosis and therapeutics.

Research interests

• Development of diagnostics for treatment and diagnosis
• Immunological regulation of TBI
• Epigenetics and environmental regulation of genes in re-activation of TBI
• Extracellular vesicles: exosomes and membrane vesicles (MVs)

Research affiliations

Research scientist, National Microbiology Laboratory (NML), Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC)

Dr. Ruey Su is a senior research scientist at the Public Health Agency of Canada in the National Reference Center for Mycobacteriology Section, Vaccine Preventable Disease Division. She leads the Diagnostic Development for latent TB-infection group at the National Microbiology Laboratory in Winnipeg.

Dr. Su earned her BSc (Hons) in Immunology and Microbiology and her PhD in Medical Biophysics from the University of Toronto. She completed postdoctoral training in the epigenetic regulation of gene expression at the Howard Hughes Medical Institute, University of California, Los Angeles, and in the molecular mechanisms underlying childhood asthma and allergies at the University of Manitoba.

In addition, Dr. Su serves as a member of the College of Reviewers for Canadian Institutes of Health Research, and of the Health Canada-PHAC REB Board. Her current research program focuses on  the interaction between host immunity and microbial infection, with emphasis on latent TB-infection.

Education

• Postdoctoral Fellow,  University of Manitoba (2004- 2008)
• Postdoctoral Fellow,  Howard Hughes Medical Institute, University of California (2000- 2004)
• Doctor of Philosophy, University of Toronto, Canada (1995-2000)
• Bachelor of Science (Honours), University of Toronto (1995)