Cheng Siang Tan

Dr. Cheng-Siang Tan is an Associate Professor at the Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Universiti Malaysia Sarawak (UNIMAS). He is an expert in infectious and emerging diseases and biosafety and biorisk management.

Dr. Cheng-Siang Tan is an Associate Professor at the Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Universiti Malaysia Sarawak (UNIMAS), where he is also head of its Centre for Tropical and Emerging Diseases.

He completed his master’s degree in medical biotechnology at UNIMAS and graduated with a doctorate in virology from Newcastle University, UK. His areas of expertise include virology, microbiology, medical biotechnology, vaccines, biosafety, biosecurity and bioethics, pathogen detection surveillance, biosurveillance, and One Health initiatives.

Apart from teaching and research, he is also involved in the safe handling of infectious biological agents, receiving formal training in biorisk management via the Malaysian Biosafety and Biosecurity Association (MBBA). He has an International Federation of Biosafety Associations (IFBA) Professional Certifications in Biorisk Management, Biological Waste Management, and Biosafety Cabinets.

Dr. Cheng-Siang has been a consultant for local and international biosafety and biosecurity trainings. He works closely with the MBBA and other Malaysian agencies and was in the technical committee that helped draft the Malaysian Laboratory Biosafety and Biosecurity Policy and Malaysian Biological Weapon and Toxin Convention Bill.

Selected links:

Vaccines and vitamin D: Measuring immune responses - Asia Research News, March 10, 2023
Covid-19: Automation tools to speed up backlog testing, expert advice - Malaysiakini, Apr 8, 2020
Unimas studying antibody progression pattern after Covid-19 vaccination - Borneo Post, Sam Chua, July 1, 2021
[Q&A] Behind COVID-19 test labs and processes - Science Media Centre Malaysia, Su Lin, April 8, 2020

Selected publications

SCOPUS
ResearchID
GoogleScholar
Tan, C.S., Noni, V., Melina, W.U.H.U. et al. Antibody dynamics post-Comirnaty and CoronaVac vaccination in Malaysia. Sci Rep 12, 15665 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-022-19776-3
Tan, C.S., et al. The discovery of novel coronaviruses in bat guano, Sarawak, Malaysian Borneo. International Journal of Infectious Diseases. Volume 116, Supplement, Pages S102-S103 (2022). DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijid.2021.12.242
Tan C., Noni V., Sathiya Seelan J., Denel A. and Anwarali Khan F. (2021). Ecological surveillance of bat coronaviruses in Sarawak, Malaysian Borneo. BMC Research Notes, 14(461), 1-6. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1186/s13104-021-05880-6
Ryu S, Kim BI, Lim JS, Tan CS, Chun BC. One Health Perspectives on Emerging Public Health Threats. J Prev Med Public Health. 2017 Nov;50(6):411-414. doi: 10.3961/jpmph.17.097