Dr Angela Fones

Dr Angela Fones started her academic pursuits with a Master's degree in Biotechnology from Durham University, England. Upon returning to her homeland of Singapore, she worked in a start-up Biotechnology Company. Her discovery of a novel antigen led to work to optimise its production and purification. Mass production of the recombinant protein and further testing enabled the production of a recombinant ELISA diagnostic kit for the early detection of nose cancer. This kit was commercialised and Dr Fones received a PhD for her innovative research and work.

Dr Fones was then approached to join a team of pioneers to set up the new Diploma of Biotechnology in Temasek Polytechnic. This project involved fitting and equipping the laboratories, planning the curriculum, and developing new practicals, lectures and tutorials through the inquiry-based learning model for the 3-year course.  

After seeing her successful first batch of students through, a few of which subsequently kept in touch and continued on to complete their PhDs, she migrated to Australia where she conducted postdoctoral research in the Microbiology laboratories of Monash University. However, her continuing interest in education and multimedia led her to further her studies with a Graduate Diploma in Education at Monash University and a Graduate Certificate in Multimedia at Victoria University.

In her current capacity as Project Coordinator - Research, Centre for Chronic Disease Prevention and Management (CCD), Dr Fones combines her previous interests and expertise through research communications and data management.

Publications

Refereed journal articles

Fones-Tan, A., Chan, S.H., Tsao, S.Y., Gan, L.H., Tan, W.H., Li, B., Khong, P.W. & Gan, Y.Y. (1994) 'Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) for IgA and IgG antibodies to Epstein-Barr-virus ribonucleotide reductase in patients with nasopharyngeal carcinoma', Int J Cancer, vol. 59, no. 6, pp. 739-42.

Gan, Y.Y., Fones-Tan, A., Chan, S.H., Tsao, S.Y., Li, B. & Tan, W.H. (1994) 'Molecular cloning and expression of Epstein-Barr virus antigens in the lambda gt11 expression vector: antibodies towards proteins from the BORF2 and BKRF4 reading frames in nasopharyngeal carcinoma patients', Intervirology, vol. 37, no. 5, pp. 233-5.

Gan, Y.Y., Fones-Tan, A., Chan, S.H. & Gan, L.H. (1996) 'Epstein-Barr Viral Antigens Used in the Diagnosis of Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma', J Biomed Sci, vol. 3, no. 3, pp. 159-69.

Gan, Y.Y., Fones-Tan, A. & Chan, S.H. (1996) 'Molecular diagnosis of nasopharyngeal carcinoma: a review', Ann Acad Med Singapore, vol. 25, no. 1, pp. 71-4.

Chan, S.H., Soo, M.Y., Gan, Y.Y., Fones-Tan, A., Sim, P.S., Kaur, A. & Chew, C.T. (1998) 'Epstein Barr virus (EBV) antibodies in the diagnosis of NPC--comparison between IFA and two commercial ELISA kits', Singapore Med J, vol. 39, no. 6, pp. 263-5.

Wong, V.W., Fones, A.M. & Lowrey, T.K. (1991) 'Electroelution and purification of chloroplast DNA suitable for restriction analyses', Anal Biochem, vol. 194, no. 2, pp. 378-80.