New partnership to tackle Asian breast cancer through AI

[Group Photo] From left to right: Assoc. Prof. Vishnu Monn, Deputy Head of School (Education); Assoc. Prof. Ting Chee Ming, Director of the MedAI Hub; Dr Mohamad Hazwan Fikri, Post-Doctoral Scientist (CRMY); Dr Pan Jia Wern, Head of Genomics Unit (CRMY); Professor Dr Cheong Sok Ching, Chief Scientific Officer (CRMY); Professor Anthony Guo, Head of School of Information Technology; Dr Sicily Ting, Research Theme Lead of MedAI Hub; Prof. Wong Kok Sheik, Deputy Head of School (Research); Chee Min Hao, Master of AI (Research).

On 27 January 2026, the MedAI Hub from our School of Information Technology, Monash University Malaysia and Cancer Research Malaysia (CRMY) signed a landmark Research Collaboration Agreement to advance breast cancer genomics research focused on Asian populations.

The partnership addresses a persistent blind spot in cancer science. Much of the genomic data shaping diagnosis and care today is drawn from Western cohorts., This collaboration shifts the lens to Asian breast cancer patients, where genetic drivers, risks and outcomes can differ in meaningful ways..

Leveraging multi-omics data collected by CRMY from Asian breast cancer tumours, the joint team will study complex gene interaction networks. The primary goal is to develop predictive models for recurrence and metastasis risk, providing more tailored and effective clinical insights.

[Group Photo] From left to right: Dr Pan Jia Wern, Head of Genomics Unit (CRMY); Professor Dr Cheong Sok Ching, Chief Scientific Officer (CRMY); Professor Anthony Guo, Head of School of Information Technology; Dr Sicily Ting, Research Theme Lead of MedAI Hub.

During the ceremony, Professor Anthony Guo, Head of the School of Information Technology and Professor Dr Cheong Sok Ching, Chief Scientific Officer from Cancer Research Malaysia, shared their vision for the partnership, noting that it is built on a foundation of mutual respect and a shared goal of improving community health outcomes. The signing marks the official start of a project that promises to deliver vital insights into the genetic drivers of cancer in Asian patients.

The project will be led by Dr Sicily Ting, Research Theme Lead of MedAI Hub and Dr Pan Jia Wern, Head of Genomics Unit from CRMY, with support from Dr Mohamad Hazwan Fikri, Post-Doctoral Scientist from CRMY.

With the agreement now in place, the collaborative work on Asian-centric breast cancer research will begin in earnest.

[Signatory’s Photo] From left to right: Professor Dr Cheong Sok Ching, Chief Scientific Officer (CRMY); Professor Anthony Guo, Head of School of Information Technology.

[Witness’s Photo] From left to right: Dr Pan Jia Wern, Head of Genomics Unit (CRMY); Professor Dr Cheong Sok Ching, Chief Scientific Officer (CRMY); Professor Anthony Guo, Head of School of Information Technology; Dr Sicily Ting, Research Theme Lead of MedAI Hub.