Dr Chao Yinxia earned her medical degree in 1999 and subsequently completed specialist training in both Neurology and Immunology. She currently serves as a Junior Principal Investigator and Clinician Scientist at the National Neuroscience Institute (NNI). In addition, she holds the position of Assistant Professor at Duke-NUS Medical School, where she leads the Immunology in Body & Disease course.

Her primary research focuses on identifying biomarkers and therapeutic targets for Parkinson’s disease (PD) within the peripheral immune system. This includes screening for autoantibodies, autoreactive T cells, and other molecules involved in autoimmunity, supported by funding from the National Medical Research Council (NMRC). She also investigates the role of monocytes and neutrophils in PD pathogenesis, a collaborative project funded by the Michael J. Fox Foundation (MJFF).

Dr. Chao is further exploring genetic factors and protein misfolding mechanisms—such as alpha-synuclein oligomerisation—in the development of PD. Her overarching goal is to discover novel diagnostic and therapeutic targets and to advance immunotherapy for PD and other neurodegenerative diseases.She collaborates with Prof. Tan Eng-King (NNI); Drs. Olaf Rötzschke and Bernett Lee (Singapore Immunology Network, SIgN, A*STAR); Prof. Dario Alessi and Dr. Esther Sammler (University of Dundee).

• PhD (Neuroscience/Immunology), National University of Singapore, 2009
• M.Med (Neurology), Zhong-Shan University of Medical Science, 2004
• MBBS, Tongji Medical University, 1999

• Junior Principal Investigator, National Neuroscience Institute, SIngapore
• Assistant Professor, Duke-NUS Medical School, Singapore
• Co-Director: Body & Disease Course, Department of MERE, Duke-NUS Medical School, Singapore

• Clinician Scientist Award (CSA, MicroRNA-Mediated Neurodegeneration in Parkinson’s Disease), NMRC/CSAINV20nov-0015, 2021-2025
• Transition Award (TA, The role of monocytes in the pathogenesis of Parkinson’s disease), NMRC/TA/0044/2015, 2015-2019

• Biomarker and therapeutic target in Parkinson’s disease (PD)
• Drug development in PD
• Autoimmunity and immunotherapy in PD
• Genetics in PD

• Chew EG, Liu Z, Li Z, Chung SJ, Lian MM, Tandiono M, Heng YJ, Ng EY, Tan LC, Chng WL, Tan TJ, Peh EK, Ho YS, Chen XY, Lim EY, Chang CH, Leong JJ, Peh TX, Chan LL, Chao Y, Au WL, Prakash KM, Lim JL, Tay YW, Mok V, Chan AY, Lin JJ, Jeon BS, Song K, Tham CC, Pang CP, Ahn J, Park KH, Wiggs JL, Aung T, Tan AH, Ahmad Annuar A, Makarious MB, Blauwendraat C, Nalls MA, Robak LA, Alcalay RN, Gan-Or Z, Reynolds R, Lim SY, Xia Y, Khor CC, Tan EK, Wang Z, Foo JN. Exome sequencing in Asian populations identifies low-frequency and rare coding variation influencing Parkinson's disease risk. Nat Aging (IF: 17 ). 2024 Nov 21. doi: 10.1038/s43587-024-00760-7.
• Tan JSY, Lee B, Lim J, Ma DR, Goh JX, Goh SY, Gulam MY, Koh SM, Lee WW, Feng L, Wang Q, Chao Y*, Rötzschke O, Tan EK. Parkinson's Disease-Specific Autoantibodies against the Neuroprotective Co-Chaperone STIP1. Cells. (IF: 7.666) 2022; 11(10):1649.
• Chia SJ, Tan EK, Chao YX*. Historical Perspective: Models of Parkinson's Disease. Int J Mol Sci (IF: 4.9). 2020; 21(7):2464. doi: 10.3390/ijms21072464.
• Chao YX, Lee B, Ng EYL, Lian ML, Guo EYC, Tandiono M, Li Z, Khor CC, Kumar P, Tan LCS, Foo JN, Tan EK. Association Analysis of PSAP Variants in Parkinson’s Disease Patients. Brain (IF: 15.255) 2020, awaa358.
• Goh SY, Chao YX*, Thameem DS, Tan EK, Tay SSW. Role of MicroRNAs in Parkinson’s disease. Int J Mol Sci (IF: 4.9). 2019; 20(22). pii: E5649.
• For Full List of Publications: Chao Yinxia-Google Scholar