Amy Wong

Dr. Amy Wong completed her undergraduate degree in the Life Sciences at the University of Toronto in 2001 and went on to achieve graduate degrees at the University of Toronto, a Masters in Cardiovascular sciences (with Dr. Bradley Strauss, 2001-2003) and PhD in lung regeneration (with Dr. Thomas Waddell, 2004-2008). She then joined SickKids Research Institute in early 2009 as a post-doctoral fellow in the labs of Dr. Janet Rossant and Dr. James Ellis. Merging developmental biology concepts and stem cell engineering, Wong was the first to develop a method to generate airway epithelia that model Cystic Fibrosis (CF) lung disease in-vitro. Importantly, airway cells derived from induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSC) can be used to identify targeted and personalized therapies to correct the CF defect. This work was pivotal in the development of the world’s most unique bioresource CF patient iPSC, primary airway cells and whole genome sequencing data (CF Individualized Therapy program’s 100-cell project) to support on-going and future CF research across the globe.

Wong is a pioneer in using human stem cells to model lung development and disease. Her lab continues to contribute to the CF field with developing high throughput models to screen putative therapeutic compounds for each CF patient (Genome Canada LSARP funding).

Education and experience

• 2017–2019: Senior Research Associate – People Manager, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, ON, Canada 
• 2015–2016: Senior Research Associate, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, ON, Canada  
• 2009–2015: Post-doctoral research fellow, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, ON, Canada 
• 2004–2008: PhD, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada 
• 2001–2003: M.Sc., University of Toronto, Toronto 
• 1997–2001: Hons B.Sc., University of Toronto, Toronto

Achievements

• 2019: New Investigator Award, SickKids Foundation & CIHR-IHDCYH 
• 2017: CF Research Innovation Award, Vertex 
• 2017–2019: MEMBER, Training & Educations Committee, Canadian Stem Cell Network 
• 2016–2019: CHAIR, Training & Communications Committee, Canadian Stem Cell Network 
• 2012: Lap-Chee Tsui Publication Award, CIHR-Institute of Genetics  
• 2012: Young Investigators Forum Best Research Award, CIHR-Institute of Circulatory & Respiratory Health  
• 2011: SickKids Best Trainee Award- DSCB, Hospital for Sick Children 
• 2009: Post-doctoral fellowship Award, Ontario Ministry of Research and Innovation

1. Conversion of human and mouse fibroblasts into lung-like epithelial cells. Wong AP, Shojaie S, Liang Q, Xia S, Di Paola M, Ahmadi S, Bilodeau C, Garner J, Post M, Duchesneau P, Waddell TK, Bear CE, Nagy A, Rossant J.Sci Rep. 2019 Jun 21;9(1):9027. doi: 10.1038/s41598-019-45195-y.PMID: 31227724 
2. The CF Canada-Sick Kids Program in individual CF therapy: A resource for the advancement of personalized medicine in CF. Eckford PDW, McCormack J, Munsie L, He G, Stanojevic S, Pereira SL, Ho K, Avolio J, Bartlett C, Yang JY, Wong AP, Wellhauser L, Huan LJ, Jiang JX, Ouyang H, Du K, Klingel M, Kyriakopoulou L, Gonska T, Moraes TJ, Strug LJ, Rossant J, Ratjen F, Bear CE.J Cyst Fibros. 2019 Jan;18(1):35-43. doi: 10.1016/j.jcf.2018.03.013. Epub 2018 Oct 10.PMID: 29685812
3. Phenotypic profiling of CFTR modulators in patient-derived respiratory epithelia. Ahmadi S, Bozoky Z, Di Paola M, Xia S, Li C, Wong AP, Wellhauser L, Molinski SV, Ip W, Ouyang H, Avolio J, Forman-Kay JD, Ratjen F, Hirota JA, Rommens J, Rossant J, Gonska T, Moraes TJ, Bear CE.Version 2. NPJ Genom Med. 2017 Apr 14;2:12. doi: 10.1038/s41525-017-0015-6.PMID: 28649446 
4. Efficient generation of functional CFTR-expressing airway epithelial cells from human pluripotent stem cells. Wong AP, Chin S, Xia S, Garner J, Bear CE, Rossant J.Nat Protoc. 2015 Mar;10(3):363-81. doi: 10.1038/nprot.2015.021. Epub 2015 Feb 5.PMID: 25654755
5. Directed differentiation of human pluripotent stem cells into mature airway epithelia expressing functional CFTR protein. Wong AP, Bear CE, Chin S, Pasceri P, Thompson TO, Huan LJ, Ratjen F, Ellis J, Rossant J.Nat Biotechnol. 2012 Sep;30(9):876-82. doi: 10.1038/nbt.2328.PMID: 22922672