Ong Twee Hee, Rick
Assistant Professor, Saw Swee Hock School of Public Health
Tel: 6601 2507
Email: rick.tweehee.ong@nus.edu.sg

What are your present research interests?

Molecular epidemiology, pathogen genomics, bioinformatics population genetics.

Do you have a distinctive viewpoint to your research?

Numerous examples have highlighted pathogen genomics to be a transformative approach to the management and surveillance of infectious disease. The implementation for a national pathogen genomics surveillance and within the health systems are however not trivial and requires the inputs and persistent efforts of multiple stakeholders to maximise benefits for public health.

What do you see as your future research directions?

Application and implementation of pathogen genomics in health systems for clinical and public health management of infectious diseases.

Does your laboratory have a particularly strong research expertise?

My research group is a computational lab where we develop computational methods using population genetics models to represent, understand and analyse genetic variations in microbes correlating across a variety of ‘omics’ technologies for applications in public health particularly for investigating and describing transmission patterns in disease outbreaks, and monitoring of antimicrobial resistance.

Selected Publications

1. Comparisons of whole genome sequencing and phenotypic drug susceptibility testing for Mycobacterium tuberculosis causing MDR-TB and XDR-TB in Thailand; Faksri K1, Kaewprasert O2, Ong RT3, Suriyaphol P4, Prammananan T5, Teo YY6, Srilohasin P7, Chaiprasert A7. Link: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/30981926
2. Comparative whole-genome sequence analysis of Mycobacterium tuberculosis isolated from tuberculous meningitis and pulmonary tuberculosis patients; Kiatichai Faksri, Eryu Xia, Rick Twee-Hee Ong, Jun Hao Tan, Ditthawat Nonghanphithak, Nampueng Makhao, Nongnard Thamnongdee, Arirat Thanormchat, Arisa Phurattanakornkul, Somcharn Rattanarangsee, Chate Ratanajaraya, Prapat Suriyaphol, Therdsak Prammananan, Yik-Ying Teo & Angkana Chaiprasert; Link: : https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-018-23337-y
3. Risk factors and outcomes associated with the isolation of polymyxin B and carbapenem-resistant Enterobacteriaceae spp.: A case-control study; Teo JQ1, Chang CW2, Leck H3, Tang CY4, Lee SJ3, Cai Y2, Ong RT4, Koh TH5, Tan TT6, Kwa AL7. Link: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/30880229
4. Relating knowledge, attitude and practice of antibiotic use to extended-spectrum beta-lactamase-producing Enterobacteriaceae carriage: results of a cross-sectional community survey; Yin Mo, Ivan Seah, Pei Shi Priscillia Lye, Xiang Lee Jamie Kee, Kien Yee Michael Wong, Kwan Ki Karrie Ko, Rick Twee-Hee Ong, Paul A Tambyah, Alex R Cook, Link: https://bmjopen.bmj.com/content/9/3/e023859
5. ARGDIT: A Validation and Integration Toolkit for Antimicrobial Resistance Gene Databases; Chiu JKH1, Ong RT1. Link: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/30520940