ASSOCIATE PROF. DR. TAN CHOO HOCK

Choo Hock Tan (MBBS, PhD, MD) is based at the Venom Research and Toxicology Laboratory (Vetox Lab) of the Department of Pharmacology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Malaya. His research interests span a wide range of subjects in the field of venom toxinology, which include molecular and functional characterization of venoms, medical pharmacology of antivenom (production, kinetics and dynamics), “-omics” of venomous species and toxins in drug discovery. Choo Hock enjoys passionately his research activities, from collecting specimens in the wild to conducting experiments in his laboratory. He is also the supervisor and mentor to undergraduate and postgraduate students working on the various aspects of toxinology, and his team is in close collaboration with local and international researchers, who share a common aim of translating new knowledge into scientific application and medical practice. At present, their findings have been presented in many conferences and published in numerous academic journals and books.

Choo Hock is also affiliated to several professional bodies, for instance, he serves as the Honorary Secretary for the Malaysian Society on Toxinology, and is a member of the WHO Snakebite Envenoming Roster of Experts. He is also a recipient of awards such as the Academic Training Fellowship from the Malaysian government and the International Award of Young Scientist from the Japanese Association of Laboratory Animal Sciences, Japan. Choo Hock’s other “non-venomous” research interests include problem-based learning, prescribing skills training and inter-professional learning in medical education.