• Genome engineering
• CRISPR technology
• Protein engineering
• Synthetic biology
• Functional genomics
• Combinatorial genetics
• Combination therapy
• Cancer therapeutics development
• Cancer neuroscience

• Postdoctoral Fellow/Associate, MIT Synthetic Biology Center, Research Laboratory of Electronics, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, USA (2012-2016)
• Ph.D., The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, Hong Kong (2007-2011)
• M.Phil., The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong (2005-2007)
• B.Sc., The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong (2002-2005)

Research Articles

1. Chan, B.K.C. *, Zhang, C. *, Poon, C.H. *, Lee, M.H.Y., Chu, H.Y., Wang, B., Chen, S.G., Yan, H.H.N.#, Leung, S.Y.#, Wong, S.L.A.# A combined enteric neuron-gastric tumor organoid reveals metabolic vulnerabilities in gastric cancer. Cell Stem Cell 32(10), 1593-1613 (2025) (* Equal contributions; #Corresponding authors)
2. Nan, L. *, Mao, T. *, Chan, C.W.F. *, Wang, B., Han, Z., Choi, G.C.G., Wei, X.Y.#, Wong, S.L.A.#, Shum, H.C.#. Droplet-based single-cell pairing for high-throughput interaction mapping of antigen-receptor combinations. Science Advances 11(50), eaeb1515 (2025) (* Equal contributions; #Corresponding authors)
3. Chan, C.W.F. *, Wang, B. *, Nan, L. *, Huang, X. *, Mao, T., Chu, H.Y., Luo, C., Chu H.#, Choi G.C.G.#, Shum, A.H.C.#, Wong, S.L.A.# High-throughput screening of genetic and cellular drivers of syncytium formation induced by the spike protein of SARS-CoV-2. Nature Biomedical Engineering 8, 291-309 (2024) (*Equal contributions; #Corresponding authors)
4. Chu, H.Y., Fong, J.H.C., Thean, T.G.L.,  Zhou, P., Fung, F.K.C., Huang, Y., Wong, S.L.A.# Accurate top protein variant discovery via low-N pick-and-validate machine learning. Cell Systems 15(2), 193-203.E6 (2024) (#Corresponding author)
5. Zheng, W. Fong, J.H.C., Wan Y.K., Chu, H.Y., Huang, Y., Wong, S.L.A., Ho J.W.K. Discovery of regulatory motifs in 5’ untranslated regions using interpretable multi-task learning models. Cell Systems 14(12), 1103-1112 (2023)
6. Fong J.H.C., Chu, H.Y., Zhou, P. , Wong, S.L.A.#. Parallel engineering and activity profiling of a base editor system. Cell Systems 14(5): 392-403.e4. (2023) (#Corresponding author)
7. Thean, D.*, Chu, H.Y.*, Fong J.H.C., Chan, K.C.B., Zhou, P., Kwok, C.C.S., Chan, Y.M., Mak, S.Y.L., Choi, G.C.G., Ho, J.W.K., Zheng, Z., Wong, S.L.A.# Machine learning-coupled combinatorial mutagenesis enables resource-efficient engineering of CRISPR-Cas9 genome editor activities. Nature Communications 13(1), 2219 (2022) (* Equal contributions; #Corresponding author)
8. Yuen, C*., Thean, D.G.*, Chan, B.K.C.*, Zhou, P.*, Kwok, C.S.C.*, Chu, H.Y., Cheung, M., Wang, B., Chan, Y.M. ,Mak, S., Leung, A.Y.L., Choi, G.C.G., Zheng, Z., Wong, S.L.A.#. High-fidelity KKH variant of Staphylococcus aureus Cas9 nucleases with improved base mismatch discrimination. Nucleic Acids Research 50(3): 1650-1660 (2022) (* Equal contributions; #Corresponding author)
9. Wang, T, Long, K., Zhou, Y., Jiang, X., Liu, J., Fong, J.H.C., Wong, S.L.A., Ng, W.L., Wang, W. Optochemical control of mTOR signaling and mTOR-dependent autophagy. ACS Pharmacology & Translational Science 5(3), 149-155 (2022).
10. Xu, F.*, Tong, M.*, Tong, S.W.C., Chan, K.C.B., Chu, H.Y., Wong, T.L., Fong, H.C.J., Cheung S.H.M., Mak, H.M.K., Pardeshi, L., Huang, Y., Wong, K.H., Choi, C.G.G., Ma, S.#, Wong, S.L.A.#. A combinatorial CRISPR-Cas9 screen identifies ifenprodil as an adjunct to sorafenib for liver cancer treatment. Cancer Research 81(24):6219-6232 (2021) (* Equal contributions; #Corresponding authors)
11. Cao, J., Novoa, E.M., Zhang, Z., Chen, W.C.W., Liu, D., Choi, G.C.G, Wong, S.L.A., Wehrspaun, C., Kellis, M., Lu, T.K. High-throughput 5′ UTR engineering for enhanced protein production in non-viral gene therapies. Nature Communications 12: 4138 (2021)
12. Zhou, P., Chan, K.C.B., Wan, Y.K., Yuen, T.L.C., Choi, C.G.G., Li, X., Tong, S.W.C., Zhong, S.W.S., Sun, J., Bao, Y., Mak, Y.L.S., Chow, Z.Y.M., Khaw, J.V., Leung, S.Y., Zheng, Z., Cheung, W.T.L., Tan, K., Wong, K.H., Chan, H.Y.E., Wong, S.L.A.# Three-way combinatorial CRISPR screen for analysing interactions among druggable targets. Cell Reports 32(6), 108020 (2020) (#Corresponding author)
13. Li, X., Yang, K.Y., Chan, V., Leung, K.T., Zhang, X.B., Wong, S.L.A., Chong, C., Wang, C.C., Ku, M., Lui, K.O.. Single cell RNA-Seq reveals that CD9 is a negative marker of glucose-responsive pancreatic beta-like cells derived from human pluripotent stem cells. Stem Cell Reports S2213-6711(20): 30384-2 (2020)
14. Choi, C.G.G., Zhou, P., Yuen, T.L.C., Chan, K.C.B., Xu, F., Bao, S., Chu, H.Y., Thean, D., Tan, K., Wong, K.H., Zheng, Z., Wong, S.L.A.# Combinatorial mutagenesis en masse optimizes SpCas9’s genome-editing activities. Nature Methods 16(8), 722-730 (2019) (#Corresponding author)
15. Leung, C.S., Li ,J., Xu, F., Wong, S.L.A., Lui, K.O. Ectopic expression of recipient CD47 inhibits mouse macrophage-mediated immune rejection against human stem cell transplants. FASEB J. 33(1): 484-493 (2019).
16. Wong, S.L.A.*, Choi, C.G.G.*, Cui, C.H.*, Pregernig, G., Milani, P., Adam, M., Perli, S.D., Kazer, S.W., Gaillard, A., Hermann, M., Shalek, A.K., Fraenkel, E., Lu, T.K. Multiplexed barcoded CRISPR-Cas9 screening enabled by CombiGEM. Proceedings of National Academy of Sciences 113(9), 2544-2549 (2016). (*Equal contributions)
17. Wong, S.L.A., Choi, C.G.G., Cheng, A.A., Purcell, O., Lu, T.K. Massively parallel high-order combinatorial genetics in human cells. Nature Biotechnology 33(9), 952-961 (2015).
18. Lai, K.O., Wong, S.L.A., Cheung, M.C., Xu, P., Liang, Z., Lok, K.C., Xie, H., Palkos, M.E., Yung, W.H., Tessarollo, L., Cheung, Z.H., Ip, N.Y. TrkB phosphorylation by Cdk5 is required for activity-dependent structural plasticity and spatial memory. Nature Neuroscience 15(11), 1506-1515 (2012).
19. Wong, S.L.A., Lee, R.H.K., Cheung, A.Y., Yeung, P.K., Chung, S.K., Cheung, Z.H. and Ip, N.Y. Cdk5-mediated phosphorylation of endophilin B1 is required for induced autophagy in models of Parkinson’s disease. Nature Cell Biology 13(5), 568-579 (2011).
20. Wong, S.L.A., Chan, W. M. and Chan, H.Y.E. Sodium dodecyl sulfate-insoluble oligomers are involved in polyglutamine degeneration. FASEB J. 22(9), 3348-3357 (2008).
21. Wong, S.L.A., Chen, Y.W., Chan, C.M., Chan, C.S.M., Chan, P.K.S., Chui, Y.L., Fung, K.P., Waye, M.M.Y., Tsui, S.K.W. and Chan, H.Y.E. In vivo functional characterization of the SARS Coronavirus 3a protein in Drosophila. Biochem. Biophy. Res. Comm. 337, 720-729 (2005).

Book Chapters/ Reviews/ Protocols/ Commentaries 

1. Chu, H.Y., Peng, J., Mou, Y., Wong, S.L.A#. Quantifying protein-nucleic acid interactions for engineering useful CRISPR-Cas9 genome-editing variants. Methods in Molecular Biology, 2870:227-243 (2025) (#Corresponding author)
2. Fong J.H.C., Wong, S.L.A.#. Advancing CRISPR/Cas gene editing with machine learning. Current Opinion in Biomedical Engineering 28: 100477. (2023) (#Corresponding author
3. Kellogg E.H., Gootenberg J., Abudayyeh O., Wong, S.L.A., Dahlman J., Lapinaite A., Myhrvoid C., Liu C.C., Hsu P.D., Mali P., Qi L.S. What are the current bottlenecks in development and applying CRISPR technologies? Cell Systems 13(8): 589-593 (2022)
4. Wang, B., Wong, S.L.A. CRISPR screening in cancer stem cells. Essays in Biochemistry EBC20220009 (2022)
5. Chu, H.Y. Wong, S.L.A.# Facilitating Machine Learning-Guided Protein Engineering with Smart Library Design and Massively Parallel Assays. Advanced Genetics 2100038 (2021) (#Corresponding author)
6. Thean D.G.L., Wong, S.L.A#. Combinatorial genetics methods for discovering high-order regulatory combinations and engineering genetic drivers for neural differentiation. Neural Regeneration Research 16, 2403-2404 (2021) (#Corresponding author)
7. Zhou P., Wan Y.K., Chan K.C., Choi C.G.G., Wong S.L.A#. Extensible combinatorial CRISPR screening in mammalian cells. STAR Protocols, 2(10): 100255 (2021) (#Corresponding author)
8. Wan Y.K., Choi C.G.G., Wong, S.L.A#. High-Throughput Protein Engineering by Massively Parallel Combinatorial Mutagenesis. In: Chen Y.W., Yiu CP.B. (eds) Structural Genomics. Methods in Molecular Biology, vol 2199. Humana, New York, NY. (2021) (#Corresponding author)
9. Wong, S.L.A., Choi, C.G.G., Lu, T.K. Deciphering combinatorial genetics. Annual Review of Genetics 50, 515-538 (2016).
10. Wong, S.L.A., Cheung, Z.H. and Ip, N.Y. Molecular machinery of macroautophagy and its deregulation in diseases. Biochimica et Biophysica Acta – Molecular Basis of Disease 1812(11), 1490-1479 (2011).
11. Huen, N.Y.M., Wong, S.L.A. and Chan, H.Y.E. Transcriptional malfunctioning of heat shock protein gene expression in spinocerebeller ataxias. The Cerebellum 6(2), 111-117 (2006).

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• RGC – General Research Fund (GRF) 2025/26 (PI)
• RGC – Theme-based Research Scheme 2024/2025 (Co-PI)
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• Health@InnoHK - Centre for Oncology and Immunology, Innovation and Technology Commission of the HKSAR, 2020 (Team Leader in Functional Genomics)
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• YASHK member, The Hong Kong Young Academy of Sciences (2026-Present)
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