2023 eastern region candidates 

Yu-Ju Chen

Distinguished Research Fellow, Institute of Chemistry, Academia Sinica, Taiwan 

Being one of the pioneering proteomics groups in Taiwan, Yu-Ju Chen has devoted her efforts to develop new mass spectrometry-based platforms for membrane proteome and post-translational modificom and their application to delineate the proteome network in biology and diseases. She has published more than 180 articles including J Proteome Res., Mol. Cell. Proteomics, Proteomics, Anal. Chem., Nat. Commun., PNAS, Cancer Cell and Cell. Based on her passion in tissue proteomics, she launched Taiwan Cancer Moonshot program in collaboration with International Cancer Proteogenome Consortium (ICPC) in 2016. Her invention of nanoprobe-based affinity mass spectrometry has led to a cancer diagnosis start-up awarded National Innovation Award in 2021. She is honored to have opportunity to serve as Senior Editor of Proteomics, editorial board of the European Journal of Mass Spectrometry, Journal of Proteome Research and is currently Associate Editor of Analytical Chemistry.

Since her early career, Yu-Ju has played a key role to actively promote proteomics research and networking in Taiwan. Her term as the President of the Taiwan Proteomics Society (2009-2011) has increased the participants to +400 registered members. Under her leadership, Taiwan successfully hosted the 15th HUPO congress (1,200 attendants) and AOHUPO (300 attendants) in 2016. She has served as the chair of Publication Committee (2012-2016), EC member (2014-2016) and council member (2014-2016) of HUPO, Vice President (2018-2019)/council member of AOHUPO and International Mass Spectrometry Foundation (2012-2015). In 2021, YuJu was honored to serve as the HUPO President (2021-2022). It was such an amazing team leadership experience to overcome the challenges during pandemic and enhanced HUPO financial balance. Proteomics is reaching the maturity stage to show impact and utility in biology and medicine. Yu-Ju is happy to continue her enthusiasm and contribution to promoting education and training, networking, and translating proteomics into utility in the real world.

Fuchu He

Professor and Director, Member of Chinese Academy of Sciences, National Center for Protein Sciences(Beijing), Beijing Proteome Research Center, China

As previous council member of HUPO, president of AOHUPO and CNHUPO, I have devoted myself over the past two decades to the development and application of proteomics in biomedical research and beyond, and to the efforts of introducing proteomics to scientists in other disciplines and to the general public.

In 2001, I have been involved in the HUPO since its very beginning and helped to kick start the initiative of HPP lunched by HUPO. Later as the inaugural chair of Human Liver Proteome Project (HLPP), I initiated HLPP that was remarkably applauded by international scientific entities including Nature and Science. Then I founded CNHUPO and Beijing Proteome Research Center, which was chosen as the HLPP headquarters. Notably, the roadmap of HLPP had been well-accepted by the later HUPO initiatives.

As the founder of CNHUPO, I have been the major force behind proteomics sciences in China and also the world. I initiated a series of the Chinese Human Proteome Programs, including the CNHPP, successfully organized 13 international and national proteomics conferences and over 30 training courses. Under my leadership, many proteomicsorientated research institutes were established in China. In recognition of my contribution to the HUPO and proteomic sciences, I have been awarded with the “Memorial Investigation Award” in 2004, the “Distinguished Service Award” in 2011, and “Distinguished Achievement in Proteomic Sciences” in 2020.

As an achieved scientist in the field of proteomics and an enthusiastic supporter of HUPO, if elected, I will promote proteomics associated initiatives to be well supported and funded worldwide in the future. With my valuable experience and resources, I believe all the HUPO activities and HPP initiatives in future will be well supported and funded in China. I remain resolute and confident in advocating for the development of proteomics research and proteomics driven precision medicine.

Teck Yew Low

Associate Professor, National University of Malaysia (UKM), Malaysia

Nobuaki Takemori

Senior Assistant Professor, Ehime University, Japan

HUPO has long played a central role in the international promotion of proteomics research. I have actively participated in HUPO Annual Meetings to gain the latest proteomic knowledge, and have had many wonderful opportunities to develop international collaborations with researchers I have met at these meetings. For instance, my recent research into the development of the PEPPI-MS method was the result of exchanges with researchers from different countries who first met at HUPO Congresses. Even during the pandemic, HUPO ReConnect provided an excellent forum for exchange in an online format. Inspired by this activity, I have been organizing a webinar series on top-down proteomics under the auspices of the Japanese Proteomics Society with experts from the United States, Germany, and France (www.jproswebinar.com). By coordinating schedules with speakers, presenters from different time zones were able to address an audience based primarily in Asia/Oceania, and I am proud to have made a significant contribution to the dissemination of the latest proteomics technologies in this part of the world.

With the end of the pandemic, international exchange is expected to flourish again, and if elected as a council member, I would like to make use of my own personal experience to make HUPO an exciting meeting point for fostering and further promoting international collaborative research. In particular, the use of online meeting tools such as Zoom has made it dramatically easier to hold international meetings, which could help us greatly improve regional disparities moving forward. By planning and organizing online educational seminars on the latest proteomics technologies by HUPO members, I hope to create ample opportunities for researchers from other fields to enter the field of proteomics research and to build opportunities for further development of proteomics research.

Suman Thakur 

Principal Scientist, Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology (CCMB) Hyderabad, India

I am passionate about mass spectrometry bases proteomics and application in basic and clinical science including understanding of cancer progression and its therapeutics. My research interests are advancement of proteomics technologies including single run, single cell and comprehensive proteomics, to find novel targets for cancer and diabetes using biomarker discovery and protein-protein interactions. Earlier, I had contributed in the development of single run technology in year 2011.

Currently, I am editorial board member of Journal of Proteome Research (JPR), BBA Protein and Proteomics, Scientific Reports, and associate editor in BB Reports. I had chance to bring special issue entitled "Proteomics and its applications in pandemic disease"as guest editor on COVID-19 in JPR in November 2020. Further, I had also chance to bring a special issue entitled "Proteomics and its application in Endocrine disorders"as guest editor in BBA Protein and Proteomics in year 2021. Furthermore, as guest associate editor and topic editor, myself along with colleagues had chance to bring special issue entitled "Proteomics and its application in cancer" in Frontiers in Oncology in 2021. I had chance to organize a proteomics brainstorm meeting with national and international speaker in year 2014 at Hyderabad, India as convener.

I am a member of HUPO family. Further, I am also life member of Proteomics society of India and earlier had chance to be executive council member of Proteomics society of India from year 2014 to 2019. I believe HUPO can play great role in development of proteomics as platform for large scale studies in basic and clinical research. Further, HUPO has potential to play an important role in the service of mankind. I would be very happy to be a part of executive council of HUPO and like to take forward the mandate of HUPO and provide help to the Proteomics community.