Mahesh A Choolani

I am a clinician-scientist with a long track record in clinical and basic science research, whose main research goal is translational medicine through the development of technology that addresses the unmet need for faster and more accurate diagnostic testing for precision healthcare of Asian women.I have been actively pursuing technology for the isolation of cell-based fetal DNA non-invasively from maternal blood for prenatal diagnosis of chromosomal abnormality. The technology has resulted in several patents, publications and interest from industry. I introduced and validated non-invasive prenatal testing/screening (NIPT/NIPS) using cell-free fetal DNA in the plasma fraction of maternal blood. This liquid biopsy assay is an excellent screening tool for the three common fetal trisomies (21, 18, 13) and is currently offered to pregnant women in Singapore and the region.My research team and I discovered and subsequently patented the biomarker haptoglobin, present within the ovarian cyst fluid (OCF), which is able to differentiate between benign ovarian tumours and epithelial ovarian cancer (EOC) with high diagnostic accuracy. We went on to develop and clinically validate an in vitro diagnostic (IVD) kit, OvaCis™, for rapid detection of haptoglobin in EOCs. The OvaCis™ kit is CE-marked and available commercially, takes five minutes to obtain results and is comparable to frozen section. Collaboration with the Chinese University of Hong Kong has resulted in the development of an Asian-specific preeclampsia risk prediction model and clinical validation in currently underway to evaluate the efficacy, acceptability and safety of first-trimester screening and prevention preeclampsia complications with aspirin prophylaxis. Additionally, my research interest includes fetal medicine, therapy & immunology, origins of high-grade serous carcinoma of the ovary and stem cells.