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Asian Thoracic Oncology Research Group ATORG Singapore

About ATORG

Thoracic Oncology Oncology Diagnostics

Asian Thoracic Oncology Research Group (ATORG) was formed in 2016 with the vision to be the central coordinating platform for multi-center clinical trials and translational research for thoracic malignancies in the Asia-Pacific region. At ATORG, we are driven by a shared commitment to combat one of the most challenging health issues facing our region and the world: lung cancer.

We believe that through dedicated research, compassionate care, and collaborative efforts, we can make a profound difference in the lives of those affected by this disease.

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Vision

To be the central coordinating platform for multi-center clinical trials and translational research for thoracic malignancies in the Asia-Pacific region. We envision a future where prevention, early detection, personalized treatments, and compassionate care are accessible to all.

Mission

To establish a Pan-Asia Pacific working group of Key Opinion Leaders in thoracic cancers for scientific oversight and coordination of clinical studies aimed at evaluating the therapeutic efficacy of new drugs for the treatment of such cancers.

Committee Members

Australia Thoracic Oncology Research
Thailand
Lung Cancer
Taiwan
Multi-center Clinical Trials
South Korea
Thoracic Cancers
Hong Kong
Molecular Profiling Project
Singapore
Targeted Therapies

Committee Members

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Executive Committee
Scientific Steering Committee
ATORG Singapore Thoracic Oncology
Dr. Daniel S W Tan
Senior Consultant, Medical Oncology
Dr Daniel Tan is the Head of Department of the Division of Clinical Trials and Epidemiological Sciences, a Senior Consultant with the Division of Medical Oncology at National Cancer Centre Singapore (NCCS) and a senior clinician-scientist at Genome Institute of Singapore. His main area of interest is in thoracic, head and neck malignancies and drug development.

He currently leads the Experimental Cancer Therapeutics Unit (ECRU) at NCCS and has been instrumental to growing it to one of the largest phase I units in Asia, running up to approximately 30-40 trials at any one time.

He is also the Principal Investigator of the Cancer Therapeutics Research Laboratory at NCCS focused on developing representative patient-derived preclinical models to gain insights to drug response and resistance, complementing his role as the principal investigator for multiple biomarker-driven early phase clinical trials including first-in-human studies.

He is the principal investigator for the National Medical Research Council Lung Cancer Large Collaborative Grant (2019-2023), and Chair of the Asian Thoracic Oncology Research Group, the latter set up as a platform to coordinate translational research and clinical trials in the region.

Dr Tan’s research interests include rational application of “omics” technologies to unravel drug resistance in cancer therapeutics and accelerating the development of novel agents and biomarkers in the clinic.

His research has been recognised through multiple local and international awards, including European Society of Medical Oncology (ESMO) Congress Travel Award, American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) Merit Awards, ASCO Young Investigator Award as well as most recently being awarded the IASLC Daniel C. Idhe Lectureship Award in 2019, the latter in recognition of his work in the field of medical oncology and extensive contributions to the lung cancer arena.

He also holds a SingHealth GCEO Outstanding Clinician-Researcher Award and is a two-time recipient of National Medical Research Council Clinician-Scientist Award. He has published widely in journals including Nature, Nature Medicine, Nature Genetics, The New England Journal of Medicine, The Lancet, The Lancet Oncology and Journal of Clinical Oncology.

He was the past Chair of the Education Committee of the International Association for Study of Lung Cancer (IASLC) and has participated in the organising scientific committees and faculty member for multiple international conferences including World Conference on Lung Cancer (WCLC), ESMO and ASCO. In ESMO 2021, he is the track chair for translational research.

He has been active in developing educational resources to enhance quality of lung cancer care globally. He serves as Associate Editor for the Journal of Thoracic Oncology, Journal of Clinical Oncology, as well as Scientific Editor for Cancer Discovery. He was the conference co-chair for WCLC 2020, the flagship and largest interdisciplinary conference of the IASLC.
Singapore National Cancer Centre Singapore
Executive Committee
Scientific Steering Committee
Oncology Diagnostics Thoracic Oncology Research
Prof. Tony SK Mok
Chairman, Department of Clinical Oncology
Li Shu Fan Professor of Clinical Oncology
Prof. Tony S. K. Mok trained at the University of Alberta, Canada and subsequently completed a fellowship in medical oncology at the Princess Margaret Hospital in Canada.

After working as a community oncologist in Toronto, Canada for seven years, he returned to Hong Kong in 1996 to pursue an academic career.

He is Li Shu Fan Medical Foundation Named Professor and Chairman of Clinical Oncology at The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong.

His main research interest focuses on biomarker and molecular targeted therapy in lung cancer. He co-founded the Lung Cancer Research Group, and has led a number of important multinational clinical trials, which include the IPASS, FASTAST 2, IMPRESS and PROFILE 1014 that contributed to the current standard of practice on management of advanced stage lung cancer.

Prof. Mok has contributed to over 185 articles in international peer-reviewed journals, including the New England Journal of Medicine, Science, Lancet and Journal of Clinical Oncology, and contributed to multiple editorials and textbooks. He is active and experienced in serving the academic societies.

He is the Past President of the International Association for the Study Of Lung Cancer (IASLC), Past Chair of the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) International Affairs Committee, a member of the ASCO Publications Committee and Vice Secretary of the Chinese Society of Clinical Oncology (CSCO).

He is closely affiliated with the oncology community in China, and has received an Honorary Professorship at Guang Dong Province People’s Hospital, Guest Professorship at Peking University School of Oncology, Visiting Professorship at Shanghai Jiao Tong University and West China School of Medicine/West China Hospital, Sichuan University.

He is an Editor on Thoracic Oncology for Journal of Clinical Oncology. He has also authored six books in Chinese and hosted three television series in Hong Kong.
Hong Kong The Chinese University of Hong Kong
Executive Committee
Scientific Steering Committee
Lung Cancer Multi-center Clinical Trials
Prof Dong-Wan Kim
Department of Internal Medicine
Dr. Dong-Wan Kim is a Professor of Medicine at the Seoul National University (SNU) College of Medicine and Seoul National University Hospital (SNUH), Seoul, Korea.

Dr Kim received his MD from the SNU and completed a residency in internal medicine at the SNUH.

After completing his fellowship at the SNUH, he has been working at SNUH and SNU College of Medicine as a staff member since 2003. He spent a year at the Duke Comprehensive Cancer Center as a Visiting Research Fellow in 2007.

Dr. Kim’s specialty is medical treatment for lung cancer and research interests include clinical and translational research related to lung cancer. He has extensive experience in conducting clinical studies including first-in-human phase I studies with molecular targeted agents.

Also, he carried out researches to identify predictive factors and resistant mechanisms of anti-cancer drugs for lung cancer patients.
South Korea Seoul National University Hospital
Executive Committee
Scientific Steering Committee
Thoracic Cancers Molecular Profiling Project
Dr. James Chih-Hsin Yang
Chairman, Department of Clinical Oncology
Director, Department of Oncology
Dr. James Chih-Hsin Yang is currently the Director and Professor of Graduate Institute of Oncology at the National Taiwan University (NTU). He is also the director of the Department of Oncology at the National Taiwan University Hospital. He has been a staff member in the Department of Oncology at the University Hospital since 1995.

Dr. Yang received his MD from NTU in 1986 and completed his internal medicine residency at the NTU Hospital. Between 1992 and 1995, he undertook medical oncology fellowship training at the National Cancer Institute at Bethesda, Maryland.

He completed his PhD degree between 1996 and 2000 at the Graduate Institute of Clinical Medicine, NTU.

Dr. Yang’s research focuses on lung cancer treatment and the mechanism of multidrug resistance of chemotherapy or targeted therapy. His basic research work includes molecular mechanisms of resistance and reversal of resistance to chemotherapeutic agents and tyrosine kinase inhibitors.

Dr. Yang is a leader in lung cancer clinical studies, especially in the development of epidermal growth factor receptor tyrosine kinase inhibitors (EGFR TKI). He and other Asian investigators have established EGFR TKI as the front line treatment for lung cancer patients with EGFR mutation (IPASS).

He is also the global principal investigator of several pivotal trials that led to the global approval of a second generation EGFR TKI, afatinib (LUX-LUNG 1, 2 &3). An area of active research is now focused on the development of third generation EGFR TKIs and Dr. Yang has contributed to the approval of osimertinib.

Dr. Yang has published more than 150 papers in peer-reviewed journals. He served on the editorial board of Annals of Oncology and Lung Cancer and is the current associate editor of the Journal of Thoracic Oncology and Nature Scientific Report.

He received the 2nd Kobayashi Foundation Cancer Research Award in Asian Clinical Oncology Society in 2012, and the distinguished research award of National Science Council, Taiwan from 2012-2015 and distinguished research award of Ministry of Science and Technology, Taiwan from 2016-2018.

He is also the recipient of the TECO award for biotechnology in 2015.
Taiwan National Taiwan University Hospital (NTUH)
Scientific Steering Committee
Targeted Therapies Asian Lung Cancers
Dr. Ross Soo
Senior Consultant, Department of Haematology-Oncology, NCIS
Principal Investigator, Cancer Science Institute of Singapore, NUS
Dr. Ross Soo is a senior consultant in the Department of Haematology-Oncology at the National University Cancer Institute Singapore, and an adjunct principal investigator at the Cancer Science Institute of Singapore, National University of Singapore.

He received his medical degree from Monash University, underwent specialist training in Melbourne and Sydney, and subsequently became a fellow of the Royal Australasian College of Physicians and the Academy of Medicine, Singapore.

He specialises in lung cancer and head and neck cancer and leads the lung tumour group at the National University Cancer Institute, Singapore.

Dr. Soo’s professional affiliations include memberships of the American Society of Clinical Oncology, the International Association for the Study of Lung Cancer, and the Singapore Society of Oncology.

He sits on various committees including National Healthcare Group Domain-Specific Ethics Review Board, Ministry of Health Drug Advisory Committee (DAC), DAC-Oncology Drug Subcommittee, Medical Oncology Specialist Training Committee, Chapter of Medical Oncology Executive Committee, and the International Association for the Study of Lung Cancer Communications Committee.
Singapore National University Cancer Institute Singapore
Scientific Steering Committee
Clinical Research Regional Clinical Cancer Research
A/Prof Chee Khoon Lee
Consultant Medical Oncologist
Director, Clinical Research Unit (Medical Oncology), St George Hospital
Clinical Lead Research Fellow, NHMRC Clinical Trials Centre, The University of Sydney
Dr. Chee Khoon Lee is a consultant medical oncologist, and a staff specialist at the St George Hospital and the Sutherland Hospital. He obtained his medical degree (with honours) from The University of Sydney in 2000. He completed his clinical fellowship training in internal medicine and medical oncology at St George and Prince of Wales Hospitals, and is a fellow of the Royal Australasian College of Physicians (2009). He has Master degrees in clinical epidemiology (2004), and in biostatistics (2009). He obtained his PhD from the University of Sydney in 2012 for his methodological work in the conduct of clinical trials involving biomarkers for personalising treatment in patients with advanced cancers.

Dr. Lee’s clinical interests are broad ranging with a subspeciality focus on thoracic and gynaecological malignancies. He is the Director of the Clinical Research Unit (Medical Oncology) at St George Hospital. Dr. Lee is principal investigator of a number of academic and pharmaceutical clinical trials conducted at St George Hospital. He actively enrolls patients into clinical studies that investigate novel therapeutic agents in lung, ovarian, and breast cancers.

Dr. Lee also contributes significantly to research and teaching. He also works as a Clinical Lead Research Fellow at the National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) Clinical Trials Centre at the University of Sydney. His research interests include development of more efficient clinical trial designs, and investigate novel statistical approaches to demonstrate the prognostic, predictive and surrogate properties of molecular and other novel biomarkers. He is a chief investigator in a number of NHMRC project grants totaling more than $1.5 million. Dr. Lee serves as a scientific advisory committee member for the Australia and New Zealand Breast Cancer Trials Group (since 2013), project team member of the Cancer Australia Genomic Cancer Clinical Trials Initiative (since 2013) and project team member of the Cancer Molecular Screening and Therapeutics (MoST) study (since 2014). Dr. Lee is a teaching faculty member of the Master of Clinical Trials Research and Masters of Public Health programs at the University of Sydney and the Australia & Asia Pacific Clinical Oncology Research Development Workshop.
Australia St George Hospital
Scientific Steering Committee
Genetic Markers and Precision Medicine Early Detection Innovations
A/Prof Thanyanan Baisamut (Reungwetwattana)
Assistant Professor
Division of Medical Oncology, Department of Medicine
Faculty of Medicine, Ramathibodi Hospital, Mahidol University
Dr. Thanyanan Baisamut (Reungwetwattana) is a consultant at Division of Medical Oncology, Department of Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Ramathibodi Hospital, Mahidol University, Thailand. She received her medical degree from the Thai Board of Internal Medicine and Thai Subspecialty Board in Medical Oncology at Ramathibodi Hospital, Mahidol University, Thailand. After that, she spent 3 years from August 2009 to June 2012 as a clinical research fellow in thoracic malignancies and also obtained a Master’s Degree of Biomedical Science (Clinical Research Training Program) at the Mayo Clinic Cancer Center, Rochester, MN, USA. Subsequently, she extended her training as a Clinical Fellow in Advanced Medical Oncology focusing on Cancer Drug Development Program at Roswell Park Cancer Institute, NY, USA from July 2012 to July 2013.

Dr. Reungwetwattana’s research interests are in lung cancer and drug development which involve both in clinical and translational settings. She recently received a 3-year grant from the Thai government for one of her lung cancer research projects. Furthermore, Dr. Reungwetwattana has served as an editorial board member and committee of the Journal of Thoracic Oncology from June 2013 to present. She also sits on the Communication committee of the International Association for the Study of Lung Cancer (IASLC) from 2015 to present
Thailand Ramathibodi Hospital