Dr Chook Jack Bee

Dr Chook Jack Bee

  • Senior Lecturer
  • Programme Leader of PhD and MSc in Medical Sciences
Department of Medical Sciences

Biography

Dr Chook Jack Bee graduated from the University of Malaya in 2001 with a Bachelor of Biomedical Sciences (Hons), and went on to achieve both his Master of Medical Science and PhD in Medicine at the same university. He researched on the development of hepatitis B virus genotyping method and its correlation with disease profile for his Master’s degree, and on the influence of viral and host characteristics on clinical outcome of hepatitis B for his doctorate. As a post-doctoral research fellow, he continued his research into hepatitis, focusing on the natural treatment and mutational analysis of hepatitis B virus. He also expanded his field of research to HIV and respiratory viruses. Dr Chook is active in the assay development for quantitative and qualitative PCR assay for HBV, HIV and respiratory viruses, and has even patented these assays. He has now extended his research into DNA methylation and microRNA profiling in communicable and non-communicable diseases. In his recent work, he did some technical analysis to predict new waves of COVID-19 in various countries. In addition, he is involved with a software development known as AlignMerger with one pending copyright.

 

Academic & Professional Qualifications

  • PhD in Medicine, University of Malaya, Malaysia (2013)
  • MMedSc, Medicine, University of Malaya, Malaysia (2006)
  • BBiomedSc (Hons) Medicine, University of Malaya, Malaysia (2001)

Research Interests

  • Mutational analysis and epigenetic profiling of hepatitis B virus-associated disease outcome
  • Molecular epidemiology of respiratory viruses
  • Assay design for real-time absolute quantification of viruses
  • Comparative genomic analysis of viruses
  • Mathematical modelling of infectious diseases
  • MicroRNA profiling in communicable and non-communicable diseases

Notable Publications

  1. Wong SW, Ting YW, Yong YK, Tan HY, Barathan M, Riazalhosseini B, Chook JB, Tee KK, Larsson M, Velu V, Shankar EM, Mohamed R. Chronic inflammation involves CCL11 and IL-13 to facilitate the development of liver cirrhosis and fibrosis in chronic hepatitis B virus infection. Scand J Clin Lab Invest. 2021 Feb 2:1-13. doi: 10.1080/00365513.2021.1876245. PMID: 33528280.
  2. Chook, J. B., Bradley, D. A., Teo, K. L., Lai, K. H., Teh, J. K. L., Peh, S. C. (2020). Unique Cross-Practice Analysis reveals 23 Countries which are likely to experience COVID19 Second Wave. https://covid19.pemandu.org/insights/unique-cross-practice-analysis-reve...
  3. Chook, J. B., Bradley, D. A., Teo, K. L., Lai, K. H., Teh, J. K. L., Peh, S. C. (2020). Lower Case-Fatality Rates for Economic Blocks which have both High Ambient Temperatures and Low Latitude. https://covid19.pemandu.org/insights/lower-case-fatality-rates-for-econo...
  4. Teh, C.P., Chook, J.B., Ngeow, Y.F., Tong, T.Y.K., Tee, K.K., Bong, J.J., Rosmawati M. (2020). Primer and probe conservation issue in the quantification of Hepatitis B virus DNA. Reviews in Medical Virology. https://doi.org/10.1002/rmv.2182
  5. Chook, J. B., Ngeow, Y. F., Tee, K. K., Lee, J., & Mohamed, R. (2019). Increased Coffee Intake Reduces Circulating HBV DNA and HBsAg Levels in HBeAg-Negative Infection: A Cohort Study. Viruses, 11(9), 808. https://doi.org/10.3390/v11090808 \
  6. Ng KT, Oong XY, Lim SH, Chook JB, Takebe Y, Chan YF, Chan KG, Hanafi NS, Pang YK, Kamarulzaman A, Tee KK. Viral Load and Sequence Analysis Reveal the Symptom Severity, Diversity, and Transmission Clusters of Rhinovirus Infections. Clin Infect Dis. 2018 Jul 2;67(2):261-268. doi: 10.1093/cid/ciy063. PMID: 29385423.
  7. Oong, X. Y., Chook, J. B., Ng, K. T., Chow, W. Z., Chan, K. G., Hanafi, N. S., Pang, Y. K., Chan, Y. F., Kamarulzaman, A., & Tee, K. K. (2018). The role of human Metapneumovirus genetic diversity and nasopharyngeal viral load on symptom severity in adults. Virology journal, 15(1), 91. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12985-018-1005-8
  8. Tee, K. K., Chook, J. B., &Tan, J. L. (in press). Oligonucleotides and a method for detection and/or quantifying human parainfluenza viruses. [Patent - Application no. UI 2016700127]. Chook, J. B., Ngeow, Y. F., Mohamed, R., & Tee, K. K. (2017). Utility innovation: Oligonucleotides for digital quantification of hepatitis B virus. [Patent – Application no. UI 2016700127]
  9. Chook, J. B., Ngeow, Y. F., Tee, K. K., Peh, S. C., & Mohamed, R. (2017). Novel Genetic Variants of Hepatitis B Virus in Fulminant Hepatitis. Journal of pathogens, 2017, 1231204. https://doi.org/10.1155/2017/1231204
  10. Oong, X. Y., Ng, K. T., Takebe, Y., Ng, L. J., Chan, K. G., Chook, J. B., Kamarulzaman, A., & Tee, K. K. (2017). Identification and evolutionary dynamics of two novel human coronavirus OC43 genotypes associated with acute respiratory infections: phylogenetic, spatiotemporal and transmission network analyses. Emerging microbes & infections, 6(1), e3. https://doi.org/10.1038/emi.2016.132 Tee, K. K., Chook, J. B., &Tan, J. L. (in press). Oligonucleotides and a method for detection and/or quantifying human parainfluenza viruses. [Patent - Application no. pending].
  11. Chook, J. B., Ngeow, Y. F., Mohamed, R., & Tee, K. K. (2017). Utility innovation: Oligonucleotides for digital quantification of hepatitis B virus. [Patent – application no. UI 2016700127]
  12. Oong, X. Y., Ng, K. T., Takebe, Y., Ng, L. J., Chan, K. G., Chook, J. B., Kamarulzaman, A., & Tee, K. K. (2017). Identification and evolutionary dynamics of two novel human coronavirus OC43 genotypes associated with acute respiratory infections: Phylogenetic, spatiotemporal and transmission network analyses. Emerg. Microbes. Infect., 6(1), e3. doi:10.1038/emi.2016.132
  13. Ng, K. T., Chook, J. B., Oong, X. Y., Chan, Y. F., Chan, K. G., Hanafi, N. S., Pang, Y. K., Kamarulzaman, A., & Tee, K. K. (2016). Performance of a taqman assay for improved detection and quantification of human rhinovirus viral load. Sci. Rep., 6, 34855. doi:10.1038/srep34855
  14. Chook, J. B., Ong, L. Y., Takebe, Y., Chan, K. G., Choo, M., Kamarulzaman, A., & Tee, K. K. (2015). Molecular detection of HIV-1 subtype B, CRF01_AE, CRF33_01B and newly emerging recombinant lineages in Malaysia. Am. J. Trop. Med. Hyg., 92(3), 507-512.
  15. Chook, J. B., Teo, W. L., Ngeow, Y. F., Tee, K. K., Ng, K. P., & Rosmawati, M. (2015). Universal primes for detection and sequencing of HBV genomes across genotypes A-G. J. Clin. Microbiol., 53(6), 1831-1835.
  16. Ng, L. J., Chook, J. B., Mohamed, R., & Tee, K. K. (2015). AlignMerger: A tool for merging large nucleotide and amino acid alignments. [Copyright – Application no. LY2015002693]