Date: 21 December 2023 (Thursday)
Time: 5:00 pm – 6:00 pm
Venue: Cheung Kung Hai Lecture Theatre 1, G/F, William M.W. Mong Block, 21 Sassoon Road

5:00 p.m.

Presenter: Ling XU (PhD candidate)
Primary Supervisor: Dr. Asif JAVED
Presentation Title: Role of TGF-beta signaling in retinal angiogenesis
Abstract: Rare begets common. Excessive neovascularization in the retina is the leading cause of vision loss. Familial exudative vitreoretinopathy (FEVR) is its rare counterpart and characterized by incomplete peripheral retina angiogenesis, which induces aberrant neovascularization. Despite advancement in precision medicine, currently known FEVR implicated genes only explain about half the cases. In a genomics study of previously unsolved FEVR cases, we identified Tgfbr2 as novel disease gene. TGF-beta signaling is a pivotal pathway regulating retina angiogenesis via mediating the expression of angiogenic/angiostatic factors. However, the molecular mechanisms of it governing retinal microvascular endothelial cell activity during the vascular-plexiform formation remain unclear. Using active RNA-seq (in house and public), in silico computational analyses, and in vitro experiments, we determine loss of Tgfbr2 impairs retinal endothelial cell behaviour by downregulating Norrin/Fzd4 signaling. A clearer understanding of the TGF-beta signaling controlling retinal sprouting angiogenesis will provide insights to therapeutic targets to impede pathogenic neovascularization.

5:30 p.m.

Presenter: Kun MA (MPhil candidate)
Primary Supervisor: Dr. Joshua HO
Presentation Title: Spatial transcriptomics reveal distinct patterns in ovarian tissue preserved with different methods
Abstract: We explore the use of spatial transcriptomics to investigate the preservation methods of ovarian tissue. The study reveals distinct patterns in gene expression and gene programs across cell types and across conditions, depending on the preservation method employed. By analyzing the spatial distribution of cell types of the ovarian tissue and their communication patterns, we propose the potential mechanism that contribute to the observed gene programs. The study is one of the very few studies employing Stereo-seq to study ovarian tissue (one of the highest resolution spatial transcriptomic methods), and we also made several observations regarding data processing as well as quality control of this sequencing platform. These findings contribute to our understanding of tissue preservation methods and their potential implications for therapeutic applications in a clinical setting as well as in the field of ovarian research.

ALL ARE WELCOME

Should you have any enquiries, please feel free to contact Jerry Siu at 3917 6912.