Vijayaprakash Suppiah

Phone: +61 421 959 843 (Mobile)

Email: celan99@yahoo.com

Updated: August 2010

I would like to be in the forefront of genetics/pharmacogenetics where the rapid evolution of the technology is changing the way discoveries are being made.

Medical Register of Australia Dip (Helth Couns) 2008 Health

Counselling

Queen’s University Belfast Ph.D. 2006 Human Genetics

National University of Singapore B. Sc. (Hons, 2^nd Upper) 2003 Pharmacy
Career History
Oct 2006 – present Postdoctoral Scientist, Westmead Millennium Institute, Australia

Project: Genetics of disease outcomes in chronic hepatitis C infection

Achievement: GWAS confirming the association of IL28B to treatment outcome in genotype 1 hepatitis C patients published in Nature Genetics. Subsequently, identifying two other variants which are acting in combination with the first identified gene. Skills acquired include patient recruitment, ethics submission, using Illumina platform for genotyping, gene expression and next generation sequencing and rtPCR. Setting up and successfully running a genetic diagnostic service for potential treatment patients suffering from chronic hepatitis C infection.
June 2008 – present Tutor, School of Pharmacy, University of Sydney, Australia

Tutoring pharmacy practice to second year Pharmacy students mainly interaction with patients in the community setting. This includes marking assessments and oral examination.

Project: A study of immune-regulatory genes: CTLA-4, IL-4, IL-4RA, SOCS3, IFNG and IL-26 in multiple sclerosis, rheumatoid arthritis and juvenile idiopathic arthritis.

Achievement: PhD project resulted in 4 first author papers, 2 second author papers and 2 oral presentations.
Oct 2003 – Sept 2006 Demonstrator for laboratory classes, School of Pharmacy, Queen’s University Belfast, Northern Ireland

Demonstrating mainly in Pharmaceutical technology and Pharmaceutical biotechnology classes throughout the 3 years that I was at Queen’s University of Belfast. This includes marking assessments and oral examination.

Jan 1997 – May 1999 Communications Specialist, Singapore Armed Forces

Method of determining a response to treatment with Immunodeficiency composition

Method of determining a response to treatment with Immunodeficiency composition

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  Restriction digestion
  
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  5’ Nuclease assay using Taqman probes
  
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  Template-directed dye terminator incorporation assay with fluorescence polarization (FP-TDI) using Analyst AD
  
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  Sequencing including next generation sequencing with Illumina platform
  
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  Microsatellite analysis
  
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  Illumina whole genome (HumanHap300 and CNV370-Quad) and custom-ordered arrays (Goldengate)
  

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  Transmission Equilibrium Test using TRANSMIT, UNPHASE and Haploview software
  
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  Haplotype analysis using Arlequin, FASTEH Plus, CHAPLIN, UNPHASE and Haploview software
  
• 
  Data management using Access, Excel and SPSS
  

RT-PCR

Gene expression using Illumina global gene expression arrays (Human ref8 and ref12)

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  Coordinating with nurses and research staff at various local and overseas centres for sample and data collection.
  
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  Working and overseeing 3 research assistants at various stages of the project.
  
• 
  
  

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  First yr Physiology Tutorial (30 students), 2005
  
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  Second yr Pharmaceutical Technology (PMY206) (30+ students), 2003 - 2006
  
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  Third yr Pharmaceutical Biotechnology (PMY372) (120 students), 2003 - 2006
  
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  Fourth yr Responding to Symptoms (PMY403) (30 students), 2003
  
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  Co-supervised 2 summer students and 5 honours year project students, 2003 – 2006
  

Undergraduate teaching in School of Pharmacy, USyd from 2008 - present

• 
  Second year Pharmacy Practice 2 (PHAR2617) (21 students)
  

1. 
   V Suppiah. Pharmacogenetics of Hepatitis C. Australasian Viral Hepatitis Conference. Melbourne. Sept 2010.
   

2. 
   V Suppiah. Department of Pharmacology Seminar Series, University of Sydney. Topic of presentation: Genetic Markers in Hepatitis C. August 2010.
   

3. 
   V Suppiah. Keynote Speaker: State of Art lecture series by Schering-Plough. Topic of presentation: Genetic Markers in Hepatitis C. Brisbane and Adelaide. April 2010.
   

4. 
   V Suppiah. Pharmacogenetics: The Hepatitis C story. ADMET Symposium. Department of Pharmacy, National University of Singapore. Sept 2009.
   

5. 
   V Suppiah. Pharmacogenetics: Implications in healthcare setting. Invited lecture to students. Department of Pharmacy, National University of Singapore. Sept 2009.
   

6. 
   V Suppiah. Polymorphisms in the interleukin-4 and interleukin-4 receptor genes are associated with chronic inflammatory arthropathies in Northern Ireland. Irish Society for Rheumatology AGM 2005, Dublin, Republic of Ireland. Oct 2005.
   

7. 
   V Suppiah. The CTLA4 +49A/G*G–CT60*G haplotype is associated with susceptibility to multiple sclerosis in Flanders. 27^th Joint Research Seminar, Trinity College Dublin, Dublin, Republic of Ireland. April 2005.
   

1. 
   J Grebely, K Petoumenos, M Hellard, GV Matthews, V Suppiah, T Applegate, B Yeung, P Marks, W Rawlinson, AR Lloyd, D Booth, JM Kaldor, J George, GJ Dore for the ATACH Study Group. Potential role for the interleukin-28B genotype in treatment decision-making in recent hepatitis C virus infection. Hepatol 2010 (Epub ahead of print) (Impact factor: 10.84)
   

2. 
   V Suppiah, M Moldovan, G Ahlenstiel, T Berg, M Weltman, ML Abate, M Bassendine, U Spengler, GJ Dore, E Powell, S Riordan, D Sheridan, V Fragomeli, T Müller, M Bahlo, GJ Stewart, DR Booth and J George for the Hepatitis C Study. IL28B is associated with response to chronic hepatitis C interferon-alpha and ribavirin therapy. Nature Genet 2009; 41:1100-1104 (Impact factor: 34.284) Selected for Media Release.
   

3. 
   T Quirico-Santos, V Suppiah, S Heggarty, R Caetano, S Alves-Leon, K Vandenbroeck. Study of polymorphisms in the interleukin-4 and IL-4 receptor genes in a population of Brazilian patients with multiple sclerosis. Arquivos de Neuro-Psiquiatria 2007; 65: 15–19.
   

4. 
   S Heggarty, V Suppiah, J Silversides, C O’Doherty, A Droogan, G M^cDonnell, S Hawkins, C Graham, K Vandenbroeck. CTLA4 gene polymorphisms and their influence on susceptibility and disease course of multiple sclerosis in Northern Ireland. J Neuroimmunol 2007; 187: 187-191. (Impact factor: 2.88)
   

5. 
   V Suppiah V, M Rooney and K Vandenbroeck. Polymorphisms in the interleukin-4 and IL-4 receptor genes and chronic inflammatory arthropathies in Northern Ireland. Exp Mol Pathol 2006; 81:239–44. (Impact factor: 1.38)
   

6. 
   V Suppiah, C O’Doherty, S Heggarty, CC Patterson, DA Savage, K Vandenbroeck. Analysis of the CTLA4 +49A/G and CT60 polymorphisms in chronic inflammatory arthropathies in Northern Ireland. Exp Mol Pathol 2006; 80: 141-146. (Impact factor: 1.38)
   

7. 
   V Suppiah, I Alloza, S Heggarty, A Goris, B Dubois, H Carton and K Vandenbroeck. The CTLA4 +49A/G*G–CT60*G haplotype is associated with susceptibility to multiple sclerosis in Flanders. J Neuroimmunol 2005; 164: 148-153. (Impact factor: 2.88)
   

8. 
   V Suppiah, A. Goris, I. Alloza, S. Heggarty, B. Dubois, H. Carton, A. Antigϋedad, M. Mendibe, C. Graham, G. McDonnell, A. Droogan, S. Hawkins and K. Vandenbroeck. Polymorphisms in the interleukin-4 and IL-4 receptor genes and multiple sclerosis: a study in Spanish-Basque, Northern Irish and Belgian populations. Internatl J Immunogenet 2005; 32: 383-388. (Impact factor: 1.33)
   

1. 
   V Suppiah, S Heggarty, C O’Doherty, M Rooney and K Vandenbroeck. CTLA-4 gene polymorphisms in chronic inflammatory arthropathies in Northern Ireland. Irish Society for Rheumatology AGM 2005, Dublin, Republic of Ireland. Oct 2005.
   

2. 
   V Suppiah, I Alloza, S Heggarty, C O’Doherty, A Goris, B Dubois, A Antigϋedad, M Mendibe, S Hawkins, C Graham, M Rooney and K Vandenbroeck. Cytokine gene polymorphisms and their association with susceptibility to autoimmune diseases. The 2005 Annual Meeting of the International Society for Interferon and Cytokine Research, Shanghai, China Cell Research 2005; 15: S259-S259.
   

3. 
   K Vandenbroeck, I Alloza, S Heggarty, A Goris, V Suppiah and M Rooney. High-resolution identification of an interferon-gamma gene haplotype associated with rheumatoid arthritis in male but not female patients. American College of Rheumatology (ACR) 69^th Annual Scientific Meeting, San Diego, USA Arthritis and Rheumatism 2005; 52: S148-S148.
   

4. 
   V Suppiah, S Heggarty, I Alloza, C Patterson, M Rooney and K Vandenbroeck. Polymorphisms in the interleukin-4 and interleukin-4 receptor genes are associated with chronic inflammatory arthropathies. American College of Rheumatology (ACR) 69^th Annual Scientific Meeting, San Diego, USA Arthritis and Rheumatism 2005; 52: S147-S147.
   

5. 
   V Suppiah, S Heggarty, C O’Doherty, M Rooney, K Vandenbroeck. CTLA-4 gene polymorphisms in chronic inflammatory arthropathies. American College of Rheumatology (ACR) 69^th Annual Scientific Meeting, San Diego, USA Arthritis and Rheumatism 2005; 52: S147-S147.
   

6. 
   V Suppiah, S Heggarty, A Droogan, G McDonnell, S Hawkins, A Goris, B Dubois, A Antiguedad, M Mendibe, I Alloza and K Vandenbroeck. Interlukin-4 (IL-4) and IL-4 receptor (IL-4R) polymorphisms: Influence on clinical course of multiple sclerosis. Association of British Neurologists – Spring Meeting, Belfast, March 30–April 1, 2005. J Neurol Neurosurg Psychiatry 2005; 76: 1320-1320.
   

7. 
   V Suppiah, I Alloza, S Heggarty, C O’Doherty, A Goris, B Dubois, A Antigüedad, M Mendibe, S Hawkins, C Graham, M Rooney and K Vandenbroeck. Polymorphisms in cytokine genes and their association with susceptibility to autoimmune diseases. International Symposium on new approaches to understanding the basis of Multiple Sclerosis, Valencia, Spain, June 26 -27, 2005.
   

8. 
   V Suppiah, A Antigüedad, M Mendibe, B Dubois, A Goris, C Graham, S Hawkins, A Droogan, G McDonnell and K Vandenbroeck. Interleukin-4 and its receptor: role for disease modification in multiple sclerosis? MS Frontiers, Birmingham, UK, May 10–11, 2004.
   

1. 
   Prof Brian Walker
   

McClay Chair in Biomedicinal Chemistry

School of Pharmacy
97 Lisburn Road
Belfast BT9 7BL
Northern Ireland

Email: brian.walker@qub.ac.uk

2. 
   Associate Prof Chan Sui Yung
   

Department of Pharmacy

National University of Singapore

Science Drive 4

Laboratory Manager

Genomics Core Facility

c/o Regional Genetics Centre