An R&D Scientist currently working at BioCell Innovations Pte. Ltd. My work focuses on the development of novel CAR-T cells and manufacturing processes, aiming to create effective, safer, and more accessible cell therapies for advancing patient care.
Science and discovery has been an enduring passion for me ever since I was a child. My dream then was to become a paleontologist. While I have found my way into another field, it seems that scientific research was always where I was meant to be.
I am currently working as an R&D Scientist with BioCell Innovations Pte. Ltd., a Singapore-based startup developing novel CAR-T cell therapies. We aim to develop safer and more effective therapies by using humanized CARs and a proprietary CAR-T cell manufacturing workflow which reduces the production of cytokines associated with adverse side effects in the final product.
Currently, I am involved in the end-to-end development of CAR-T cell therapies from the packaging of lentiviral vectors to downstream validation assays of the final product. I also drive the scaling up of BioCell's CAR-T cell manufacturing workflows using closed, modular systems, being the primary operator as well as co-developer of these processes. I also support business development activities in the company, providing data analysis, technical insight, and drafting of Standard Operating Procedures for external clients.
Apart from my responsibilities as a Scientist, I am also responsible for the management and content of BioCell's corporate LinkedIn page. This includes content creation as well as data analytics.
Outside of the lab, I am a trained emergency medical technician and a self-taught guitarist. I also have experience with graphic design software such as Figma, GIMP, Canva, and BioRender, as well as web development tools such as Webflow. Furthermore, I am capable of speaking three languages - English, Chinese, and my Teochew dialect.
Led screening and validation efforts for two pipeline CAR-T candidates - BC-002 & BC-003
Primary operator and co-developer of BioCell's large-scale CAR-T cell manufacturing workflows using closed, modular systems
Established content pipeline for corporate LinkedIn page, tripling page followers within the first 3 months
Research Fellow with the Department of Microbiology & Immunology upon successful thesis defense
Established a novel transgenic mouse model capable of lung-specific expression of a constitutively active p38α mutant
Reported a potential role for p38α as the link between a high-fat diet and obesity-associated lung diseases
2 peer-reviewed publications in total, including 1 as first author
Joint Ph.D. Programme between the National University of Singapore and the Hebrew University of Jerusalem
Developed multiple novel transgenic mouse models allowing for controllable p38α expression
5 peer-reviewed publications in total, including 1 as first author
Joint Ph.D. Programme between the National University of Singapore and the Hebrew University of Jerusalem
Developed multiple novel transgenic mouse models allowing for controllable p38α expression
5 peer-reviewed publications in total, including 1 as first author
You may contact me via:
Email (Personal): mattheng@hotmail.sg
Email (Work): matthew.heng@biocell.com.sg
LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/matthew-heng
