Maheswaran Solayappan

Senior Lecturer

Maheswaran Solayappan

Department / Discipline

Research Office

Primary Appointment

Director of Research

Short Bio

Mr Maheswaran Solayappan is Director of Research and Senior Lecturer at RCSI & UCD Malaysia Campus (RUMC), Penang, with over a decade of experience in cancer genomics, CRISPR-based genome engineering and biosensor development. His doctoral work in Medical Genetics at the Advanced Medical and Dental Institute, Universiti Sains Malaysia, centres on the regulatory roles of Tribbles pseudokinase genes TRIB1 and TRIB2 in acute myeloid leukaemia, including their analysis through transcriptomic sequencing. He has led and co-led multiple nationally funded projects, including Fundamental Research Grant Scheme (FRGS) awards on CRISPR-mediated cancer therapeutics and dengue vaccine development, and has supervised numerous postgraduate and undergraduate research projects. His contributions have resulted in high-impact publications and international collaborations, and his appointment as a Fellow of the ASEAN-India Research Training Fellowship underscores his recognised expertise in translational cancer research and academic research leadership.

Clinical / Industry Experience

Mr Maheswaran Solayappan has extensive preclinical research and translational experience in cancer biology, CRISPR gene editing and molecular diagnostics. He has worked widely with cancer cell line models to study gene regulation, particularly Tribbles pseudokinase signalling, and to investigate CRISPR-mediated genome editing and gene expression modulation. He has contributed to the development of biosensor platforms for HPV16-positive cervical cancer detection and is currently leading FRGS-funded projects on a live-attenuated dengue vaccine candidate and a biosensor device for breast cancer detection. He also collaborates actively with Moirai Tech, a precision oncology start-up founded by Dr Quek Yek Song, to develop innovative strategies for targeted and personalised cancer treatment.

Areas of Expertise
  • Cancer Biology
  • Cancer Hallmarks to Novel Therapies
  • Biosensor
  • Gene Editing (CRISPR)
  • AML (Acute Myeloid Leukemia)
Research Interests

Mr. Maheswaran’s research interests centre on elucidating the molecular mechanisms of Tribbles pseudokinase signalling in haematological malignancies and exploiting these pathways for CRISPR-based therapeutic genome engineering in cancer. He applies transcriptomic and other omics approaches to decode leukemic immune and gene-expression landscapes, with the goal of identifying actionable vulnerabilities. In parallel, he works on the development of biosensor and lab-on-chip platforms for early detection of cancer and infectious diseases and is actively exploring the engineering and repurposing of NK cells as a strategy to combat cancer. A unifying theme across his work is the translation of preclinical findings into precision medicine applications, driven by close collaborations between academia and industry.

Current Research & Projects
  • 2026 RaSper-FLO: Rapid & Specific Aptamer Derived Colorimetric Lateral Flow Assay for Clinical Dengue Diagnosis – This project focuses on developing a rapid and cost-effective diagnostic test for dengue by detecting the Dengue NS1 antigen using a novel aptamer-based lateral flow assay (LFA) platform. The technology, known as Rasper-FLO, aims to provide a sensitive and specific point-of-care dengue detection method that overcomes limitations of conventional antibody-based tests. The project is funded under the RUMC Internal Grant Scheme.
  • 2023 Elucidating the Immunopotency of CRISPR-Derived Stable Live-Attenuated Dengue Strain as a Promising Vaccine Candidate in Combating Dengue Fever – I serve as a Co-Investigator for the project which focuses on evaluating the immunogenic potential of a CRISPR-engineered attenuated dengue virus strain as a novel vaccine candidate to combat dengue infections. The project is funded with RM156,100.00 by the Ministry of Education Malaysia under the Fundamental Research Grant Scheme (FRGS).
  • 2019 Studying the differential expression of Tribbles Pseudokinase genes (TRIB1, 2 & 3) and exploring their potential knockdown through CRISPR in Acute Myeloid Leukemia (AML). The project is funded with RM118,000.00 by the Ministry of Education Malaysia under the Fundamental Research Grant Scheme (FRGS).

(Include funding body or collaboration partners where relevant)

  1. Studying the differential expression of Tribbles pseudokinase genes and their CRISPR-mediated knockdown in acute myeloid leukaemia (AML) to define pathogenic signalling and therapeutic targets (Fundamental Research Grant Scheme, Ministry of Education Malaysia). Year – 2019, Amount – RM118,000.00
  2. Elucidating the immunopotency of a CRISPR-derived stable live-attenuated dengue virus strain as a promising vaccine candidate against dengue fever, integrating in vitro and in vivo preclinical evaluations (FRGS, Ministry of Education Malaysia). Year – 2023 Amount – RM156,100.00
  3. Research Collaboration Agreement (RCA) with Dr. Quek Yek Song Moirai Tech to conduct a research study entitled “In vitro human erythrocytes differentiation from umbilical cord stem cells”. Year – 2023, Amount – RM 31,000.00.
  4. Development of dielectric-modulated MoTe₂ tunnel FET–based biosensor platforms for label-free, real-time detection of clinically relevant biomolecules (FRGS, Ministry of Education Malaysia). Year – 2022, Amount – RM137,000.00
  5. Geographic information system (GIS) and machine learning–based flood susceptibility and risk modelling in Pahang and Kedah, integrating environmental data to support public health and disaster preparedness planning (FRGS, Ministry of Education Malaysia). Year – 2022, Amount – RM87,650.00
  6. Establishment of TOP-1 and EGFR inhibition mechanism of in silico docked and synthesized novel CPT-11 analogues in oral squamous cell carcinoma, (FRGS, Ministry of Education Malaysia), Year – 2020, Amount – RM117,000.00
Awards, Grants & Recognition
  • Research Fellowship – ASEAN-India Research Training Fellowship scheme from Department of Science &Technology, India, 18th January – 18th May 2024
  • Travel Grant for Keynote – Healthcare and Clinical Innovation Conference 2025. Innovation and Challenges in Health and Clinical Management: Future Trends in Global Healthcare Systems. The conference was conducted by Zhengzhou Health College 22nd May, 2025 Zhengzhou China
Professional Membership & Appointments
  • Member – RUMC Research Committee
  • Member – Organ-on-a-Chip Technologies Network, UK
  • Member – Malaysian Board of Technologist (MBOT)