Prof. Tom Cheung received his Ph.D. in Biochemistry from the University of Colorado at Boulder in 2006. He then completed his postdoctoral training in Prof. Thomas Rando’s laboratory at Stanford University School of Medicine. In 2013, he joined the Division of Life Science at HKUST, currently serving as the Associate Head (Research and Development) and Professor in the Division of Life Science. He is also the Director of the Biotechnology Research Institute, the Director of the HKUST-Nan Fung Life Sciences Joint Laboratory, the Director of the HKUST-MGI Joint Research Center (formerly HKUST-BGI Joint Research Center), the Associate Director of the Biosciences Central Research Facility, and the Associate Director of the HKUST-Shanghai Sixth People’s Hospital Joint Research Center for Brain Science. He is also the Assistant Center Director of the Hong Kong Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases.

Research Question

Molecular mechanisms of stem cell quiescence and activation

Adult stem cells have the unique ability to produce differentiated daughter cells as well as replenish the stem pool through the process of self-renewal. In the absence of stimulus, subsets of mammalian adult stem cells can reside in the quiescent state for prolonged periods of time. Importantly, disruption of quiescence was shown to result in the depletion of the stem cell pool. Satellite cells are adult muscle stem cells that are primarily quiescent in resting muscle and that represent an excellent model to study stem cell quiescence. The main areas of interest of the laboratory are to specify the molecular pathways that control stem cell quiescence and stem cell-mediated tissue regeneration. Using both in vitro and in vivo approaches, we are also interested in getting a better understanding of adult stem cell function in the context of tissue regeneration, disease and aging.

Representative Publications

1. Zeng W, Zhang W, Tse EHY, Liu J, Dong A, Lam KSW, Luan S, Kung WH, Chan TC, Cheung TH*. Restoration of CPEB4 Prevents Muscle Stem Cell Senescence During Aging. Developmental Cell. 2023; 58 (15): 1383-1398. E6.
2. Dong A, Liu J, Lin K, Zeng W, So WK, Hu S, Cheung TH*. Global chromatin accessibility profiling analysis reveals a chronic activation state in aged muscle stem cells. iScience. 2022; 25(9): 104954.
3. Zeng W, Yue L, Lam SW, Zhang W, So WK, Tse EHY, Cheung TH*. CPEB1 directs muscle stem cell activation by reprogramming the translational landscape. Nature Communications. 2022; 13(1): 947.
4. Dong A, Preusch CB, So WK, Lin K, Luan S, Yi R, Wong JW, Wu Z, Cheung TH*. A Long Noncoding RNA, LncMyoD, Modulates Chromatin Accessibility to Regulate Muscle Stem Cell Myogenic Lineage Progression. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. 2020; 117(51): 32464-32475.
5. Yue L, Wan R, Luan S, Zeng W, Cheung TH*. Dek Modulates Global Intron Retention during Muscle Stem Cells Quiescence Exit. Developmental Cell. 2020; 53(6): 661-676.e6.

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