1A-103, 1/F, Block 1, To Yuen Building
+852 3442-6743
+852 3442-0549
rebecca.chin@cityu.edu.hk
CityU Scholars
Lab Website
Personalized targeted therapy • Cancer drivers and vulnerabilities in triple-negative breast cancer • PI3K/Akt signaling pathway in therapeutic resistance • Brain metastasis • Tumor organoids

Dr Chin received her Bachelor of Technology's degree (Biomedical Science) with First Class Honours from the University of Auckland in New Zealand. She completed her PhD in Microbiology and Immunology with Marshall Horwitz at Albert Einstein College of Medicine (New York) in 2006. With a postdoctoral fellowship from Susan G. Komen for the Cure Breast Cancer Foundation, Dr Chin studied the signal transduction events that drive breast cancer metastasis with Alex Toker at Harvard Medical School (HMS). In 2013, she began her career as an Assistant Professor at HMS. Her research work has garnered more than 2350 citations (Google Scholar). Dr Chin joined the City University of Hong Kong in September 2016.
Dr Chin is a recipient of a 2015 V Scholar Award. She was named an Albert Wyrick Scholar, which recognizes young scientists who pioneer techniques to make breakthroughs in cancer research. Rebecca also received the Howard Temin Pathway to Independence Award (NIH K99) and the National Science Fund for Young Scholar (NSFC).
Research InterestsThe major goal of our lab is to elucidate signaling pathways perturbed by genetic and epigenetic alterations in breast cancer, with an emphasis on precision medicine and the identification of novel targets for synthetic lethality strategy. We are particularly interested in triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC), an aggressive form of breast cancer with poor prognosis. Another major area of our investigation is to explore how PI3K/Akt pathway contributes to therapeutic resistance. The approaches that we are taking including live-cell signaling dynamics, high-throughput proteomics, 3D co-culture system and bioinformatics. The ultimate goal of our research is to develop more effective therapies with lower toxicity for cancer patients.
Current Projects
Functional characterization of super-enhancers in driving expression of TNBC-specific cancer genes
Leveraging epigenetic landscape to identify novel players in TNBC
Combinatorial approaches for pinpointing vulnerabilities of different subtypes of TNBC
PI3K/Akt pathway in therapeutic resistance
in vivo models and 3D co-cultures for uncovering TNBC brain metastasis mechanisms
More information can be found at Dr Chin’s lab website.
Position AvailableWe are looking for talented postdocs, graduate students and research assistants to join our group. If you are creative, enthusiastic, persevere and self-driven, we would like you to be part of our team.
Applicants of PhD program should:
have a Master’s degree in molecular biology / cell biology or related disciplines;
be able to work independently and in a team; with fluent English;
have strong research experience (publication record is highly desirable)
PhD candidates are encouraged to apply through the Hong Kong PhD Fellowship Scheme, Department of Biomedical Sciences PhD programme or the Interdisciplinary Programme in Veterinary Science. Interested candidates should send a statement of interest and CV to rebecca.chin@cityu.edu.hk.
Publications (* corresponding author)TCOF1 upregulation in triple-negative breast cancer promotes stemness and tumor growth, and correlates with poor prognosis.
Hu JY, Lai Y, Huang H, Ramakrishnan S, Pan Y, Ma VW, Cheuk W, So GY, He Q, Lau CG, Zhang L, Cho WC, Chan KM, Wang X, Chin YR *. Br J Cancer, In Press (2021)
Defining super-enhancer landscape in triple-negative breast cancer by multiomic profiling.
Huang H, Hu JY, Maryam A, Huang QH, Zhang YC, Ramakrishnan S, Li JY, Ma HY, Ma VW, Cheuk W, So GY, Wang W, Cho WC, Zhang L, Chan KM, Wang X *, Chin YR *. Nat Commun, 12:2242 (2021) PMID: 33854062Featured in a press release on the CityU website
Featured in Nature Portfolio Cancer Community
Media coverage in Hong Kong Economic Times, PChome News, LIFE TW, Taiwan News
ANLN enhances triple-negative breast cancer stemness through TWIST1 and BMP2 and promotes its spheroid growth.
Maryam A, Chin YR *. Front Mol Biosci, 8:1 (2021) PMID: 34277708
Upregulation of Akt3 confers resistance to Akt inhibitors in breast cancer.
Stottrup C, Tsang T, Chin YR *. Mol Cancer Ther, 15:1964 (2016) PMID: 27297869
PtdIns(3,4,5)P3-dependent activation of the mTORC2 kinase complex.
Liu P, Gan W, Chin YR, Ogura K, Guo J, Zhang J, Wang B, Blenis J, Cantley LC, Toker A, Su B, Wei W. Cancer Discov, 5:1194 (2015) PMID: 26293922
PTEN-deficient tumors depend on Akt2 for maintenance and survival.
Chin YR, Yuan X, Balk SP, Toker A. Cancer Discov, 4:942 (2014) PMID: 24838891Cover image of Cancer Discov Vol. 4, Num. 8 issue
Targeting Akt3 signaling in triple-negative breast cancer.
Chin YR, Yoshida T, Marusyk A, Beck AH, Polyak K, Toker A. Can Res, 74:964 (2014) PMID: 24335962Highlighted as a Very Good finding by Arthur Mercurio: F1000Prime Biology
Akt-ing up on SRPK1: Oncogene or tumor suppressor?
Toker A, Chin YR *. Mol Cell, 54:329 (2014) PMID: 24813709
RhoB differentially controls Akt function in tumor cells and stromal endothelial cells during breast tumorigenesis.
Kazerounian S, Gerald D, Huang M, Chin YR, Udayakumar D, Zheng N, Oí’Donnell RK, Perruzzi C, Mangiante L, Pourat J, Phung T, Bravo-Nuevo A, Shechter S, McNamara S, DuHadaway J, Kocher ON, Brown L, Toker A, Prendergast GC and Benjamin LE. Can Res, 73:50 (2013) PMID: 23135917
Acetylation-Dependent Regulation of Skp2 Function.
Inuzuka H, Gao D, Finley L, Yang W, Wan L, Fukushima H, Chin YR, Zhai B, Shaik S, Lau AW, Wang Z, Gygi SP, Nakayama K, Teruya-Feldstein J, Toker A, Haigis MC, Pandolfi PP and Wei W. Cell, 150:179 (2012) PMID: 22770219
mTOR drives its own activation via SCF(βTrCP)-dependent degradation of the mTOR inhibitor DEPTOR.
Gao D, Inuzuka H, Tan MK, Fukushima H, Locasale JW, Liu P, Wan L, Zhai B, Chin YR, Shaik S, Lyssiotis CA, Gygi SP, Toker A, Cantley LC, Asara JM, Harper JW and Wei W. Mol Cell, 44:290 (2011) PMID: 22017875
NFAT promotes carcinoma invasive migration through glypican-6.
Yiu GK, Kaunisto A, Chin YR and Toker A. Biochem J, 440:157 (2011) PMID: 21871017
Akt isoform-specific signaling in breast cancer: Uncovering an anti-migratory role for palladin.
Chin YR * and Toker A. Cell Adh Migr, 5:211 (2011) PMID: 21519185
The actin bundling protein palladin is an Akt1-specific substrate that regulates breast cancer cell migration.
Chin YR and Toker A. Mol Cell, 38:333 (2010) PMID: 20471940Featured in a press release on the Harvard Medical School BIDMC website
Featured in Breast Cancer Network News
Highlighted as a Must Read finding by Brendan Manning: Faculty of 1000 Biology
Akt2 regulates expression of the actin-bundling protein palladin.
Chin YR * and Toker A. FEBS Lett, 584:4769 (2010) PMID: 21050850
Akt/Protein kinase B and glycogen synthase kinase-3β signaling pathway regulates cell migration through the NFAT1 transcription factor.
Yoeli-Lerner M, Chin YR, Hansen CK, and Toker A. Mol Cancer Res, 7:425 (2009) PMID: 19258413
Phosphorylation by Akt1 promotes cytoplasmic localization of Skp2 and impairs APC-Cdh1-mediated Skp2 destruction.
Gao D, Inuzuka H, Tseng A, Chin RY, Toker A, and Wei W. Nat Cell Bio, 11:397 (2009) PMID: 19270695
Function of Akt/PKB signaling to cell motility, invasion and the tumor stroma in cancer.
Chin YR and Toker A. Cell Signal, 21:470 (2009) PMID: 19110052
PDK1 potentiates upstream lesions on the PI3K pathway in breast carcinoma.
Maurer M, Su T, Koujak S, Hopkins BD, Saal LH, Barkley CR, Wu J, Nandula S, Dutta B, Xie Y, Chin YR, Kim D, Ferris JS, Gruvberger-Saal SK, LaaksoM, Wang X, Memeo L, Rojtman A, Matos T, Yu JS, Cordon-Cardo C, Isola J, Terry MB, Toker A, Landry DW, Mills GB, Zhao JJ, Murty VV, Hibshoosh H, Parsons R. Can Res, 69:6299 (2009) PMID: 19602588
The Adenovirus RID complex enhances degradation of internalized tumor necrosis factor receptor 1 without affecting its rate of endocytosis.
Chin YR *, and Horwitz MS. J Gen Virol, 87:3161 (2006) PMID: 15542663
Mechanism for removal of TNF receptor 1 from the cell surface by the Adenovirus RIDα/β complex.
Chin YR *, and Horwitz MS. J Virol, 79:21 (2005) PMID: 16227281
Inhibition of TNF signal transduction by the Adenovirus group C RID complex involves downregulation of surface levels of TNF receptor 1.
Fessler SP, Chin YR, and Horwitz MS. J Virol, 78:23 (2004) PMID: 15542663
High-throughput screening of potential inhibitors for the metabolism of the investigational anti-cancer drug 5,6-dimethylxanthenone-4-acetic acid.
Zho S, Chiang D, Chin R, Kestell P, Paxton JW. J Chromatogr B Analyt Technol Biomed Life Sci., 767:19 (2002) PMID: 11863291
Effects of anticancer drugs on the metabolism of the anticancer drug 5,6-dimethylxanthenone-4-acetic (DMXAA) by human liver microsomes.
Zhou S, Chin R, Kestell P, Tingle MD, Paxton JW. Br J Clin Pharmacol, 52:129. (2001) PMID: 11488768
9 October 2021


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