Wai Kit (Calvin) Chan

Understanding how the mammalian brain develops.

Dr Wai Kit (Calvin) Chan 

Postdoctoral Research Fellow

Hugh Robson Building

15 George Square

Edinburgh EH8 9XD

Contact details

 Work: +44 (0) 131 651 7112

 Email: waikit.chan@ed.ac.uk

 Web: Mason Research Group

 

Personal profile

  • 2017 – present: Postdoctoral Research Fellow, Mason Lab, University of Edinburgh.
  • 2016 – 2017: Postdoctoral Research Fellow, Pratt Lab, University of Edinburgh.
  • 2012 – 2016: PhD in Integrative Physiology (Developmental Neurobiology), University of Edinburgh.
  • 2011 – 2012: MSc. By Research Biomedical Science, University of Edinburgh.
  • 2007 – 2010: BSc. (Hons) 1st Class, Genetics & Molecular Biology, University of Malaya, Malaysia.

Research

I’m interested in  understanding how the mammalian brain develops. I have previously studied how heparan sulphate regulates Fgf signalling during brain development. In collaboration with Dr Richard Mort of Lancaster University, we have developed a live imaging platform to examine the cell cycle during brain development.

Currently, I am using cerebral organoids to model brain development. In particular, I am investigating the role(s) of possible signalling centres in developing cerebral organoids.

Techniques:

Live imaging

Confocal & lightsheet imaging

Image analysis

Human & mouse cerebral organoid culture

Human & mouse embryonic stem (ES) cell culture

Primary cell culture

Cell cycle analysis (BrdU, EdU)

Immunohistochemistry, in situ hybridization, qPCR, LACE assays

Collaborations

Dr Richard Mort Lancaster University

Publications

Chan, W. K., Price, D. J., Pratt, T. Fgf8 Morphogen Gradients are Differentially Regulated by Heparan Sulphotransferases Hs2st and Hs6st1 in The Developing Brain. Biol Open. 2017 Dec 15;6(12):1933-1942.

Chan, W. K., Howe, K., Clegg, J. M., Guimond, S. E., Price, D. J., Turnbull, J. E., & Pratt, T. 2-O Heparan Sulfate Sulfation by Hs2st Is Required for Erk/Mapk Signalling Activation at the Mid-Gestational Mouse Telencephalic Midline. PLoS One, 10(6), e0130147. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0130147.