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= V. Wee Yong = Dr. V. Wee Yong is a Canadian neuroimmunologist specializing in multiple sclerosis and glioblastoma research. In addition to being the Canada Research Chair in Neuroimmunology (Tier 1) (2004-present) he was appointed Head of the Division of Translational Neurosciences within the Department of Clinical Neurosciences at the University of Calgary (2013-present). His laboratory is located at the Hotchkiss Brain Institute at the Cummings School of Medicine at the University of Calgary. Of his nearly 300 published works, one of his most notable contributions to the immunology and multiple sclerosis field is his discovery of the antibiotic minocycline as an effective treatment for multiple sclerosis.

Academic History
Dr. V. Wee Yong attended the University of Manchester in Manchester, England from 1978-1981 for his undergraduate degree, where he obtained a B.Sc. (Honours) in pharmacology. He then attended the University of British Columbia in Vancouver, Canada from 1981-1986 where he completed his Ph.D. in pharmacology and neurochemistry under the supervision of Dr. Thomas L. Perry Sr. In brief, his Ph.D. thesis, entitled "Neurochemical studies of the pathogenesis of four central nervous system disorders : Parkinson's disease, Huntington's Chorea, Dialysis Encephalopathy, and Hallervorden-Spatz Syndrome", discusses the pathology of four different neurological diseases[2]. Dr. Wee Yong remained at UBC to complete his postdoctoral research in the lab of Dr. Seung U. Kim from 1986-1988 in which he studied glial cell biology.

Dr. Wee Yong has has appointments at numerous universities, beginning during his post-graduate work when he was an instructor for the Department of Pharmacology and Therapeutics at the University of British Columbia (1986-1988). He then began lecturing and research at McGill University in the Department of Neurology and Neurosurgery; first as an assistant professor (1989-1994), then as an associate professor (1994-1996). Dr. Wee Yong then moved to Calgary, Alberta where he joined the Departments of Oncology Clinical Neuroscience at the Univeristy of Calgary as associate professor (1996-2001), where he currently remains as a full professor (2001-present), as well as the co-director of the Hotchkiss Brain Institute at the Cummings School of Medicine (2006-present).

Research Interests
Dr. Wee Yong's research focuses on the mechanisms of neuroinflammation in multiple sclerosis, spinal cord injury, and glioblastomas. His work aims to understand leukocyte trafficking and inflammation in the central nervous system in order to better understand how to tip the balance away from an inflammatory state, and towards a protective state. His current work, which was the focus of the recently published phase III clinical trial on minocycline as a treatment for MS, focuses on the use of generic drugs to treat or prevent development of multiple sclerosis. In addition to minocycline, recent work in the lab has sown that hydroxychloroquine, a drug typically used to treat malaria, also has anti-neuroinflammatory roles and is able to complement minocycline to prevent multiple sclerosis development.

Minocycline and Multiple Sclerosis
Minocycline, a tetracycline-derived antibiotic that is commonly used to treat chronic conditions such as acne and rosacea, has been shown in phase II and phase III clinical trials to prevent the transition from clinically isolated syndrome to multiple sclerosis. MS is not believed to be due to any particular infection, therefore the mechanism of action of minocycline is believed to be of an anti-inflammatory and neuroprotective mechanism. Specifically, it targets matrix metalloproteinases, which have been shown to be increased in multiple sclerosis and promotes blood-brain barrier permeability and neuroinflammation[3]. Its efficacy compared to other antibiotics is likely due to its ability to cross the blood-brain barrier in order to exert its effect[4].

Key Publications

 * 1) Yong VW, Power C, Forsyth P, Edwards DR. 2001. Metalloproteinases in biology and pathology of the nervous system. Nature Reveiws Neuroscience. 2: 502-511. Cited 734 times (from Web of Science Core Collection)
 * 2) Yong VW, Krekoski CA, Forsyth PA, Bell R, Edwards DR. 1998. Matrix Metalloproteinases and Diseases of the CNS. Trends in Neurosciences 21(2): 75-80. Cited 530 times (from Web of Science Core Collection)
 * 3) Yong VW, Wells J, Giuliani F, Casha S, Power C, Metz LM. 2004. The Promise of Minocycline in Neurology. Lancet Neurology 3(12): 744-751. Cited 321 times (from Web os Science Core Collection)
 * 4) Faissner S, Mahjoub Y, Mishra M, Haupelshofer S, Hahn JN, Gold R, Koch M, Metz LM, Ben-Hur T, Yong VW. 2018. Unexpected additive effects of minocycline and hydroxychloroquine in models of multiple sclerosis: Prospective combination treatment for progressive disease? Multiple Sclerosis Journal. 21(12): 1543-1556.
 * 5) Faissner S, Mishra M, Kausik DK, Wang J, Fan Y, Silva C, Rauw G, Metz L, Koch M, Wee Yong V. 2018. Systematic screening of generic drugs for progressive multiple sclerosis identifies clomipramine as a promising therapeutic. Nature Communications. 8:1990
 * 6) Metz LM, Li DKB, Traboulsee AL, Duqeuette P, Eliasziw M, Cerchaiaro G, Greenfield J, Riddehough A, Yeung M, Kremenchutzky M, Vorobeychik G, Freedman MS, Bhan V, Blevins G, Marriot JJ, Grand'Maison F, Lee L, Thibault M, Hill MD, Yong VW. 2017. Trial of Minocycline in a Clinically Isolated Syndrome of Multiple Sclerosis. New England Journal of Medicine. 376(22): 2122-2133.

Mentorship
Currently, the Wee Yong lab hosts 6 postdoctoral fellows, 3 PhD students, and 3 MSc students. The total numbers of trainees from the Wee Yong lab include 17 postdoctoral fellows, 19 PhD students, and 8 MSc students.

Current Appointments

 * 2001-present: Professor, Departments of Oncology and Clinical Neurosciences, University of Calgary
 * 2006-present: Co-director, Hotchkiss Brain Institute: Multiple Sclerosis Program, University of Calgary
 * 2009-present: Director, Alberta Regional Research and Training Centre, endMS Network of the MS Society of Canada
 * 2013-present: Head, Division of Translational Neurosciences, Department of Clinical Neurosciences, University of Calgary
 * 2016-present: Co-chair, Alberta MS Collaboration

Awards and Fellowships

 * National Certificate of Merit, MS Society of Canada (2000, 2007)
 * Awardee, Queen Elizabeth II's Golden Jubilee Year Medallion (2002)
 * Canada Research Chair (Tier 1) in Neuroimmunology (2004-present)
 * Fellow of the Canadian Academy of Health Sciences (2010).
 * Vice President, International Society of Neuroimmunology (2012-2014)
 * Fellow of the Royal Society of Canada (2014)
 * President, International Society of Neuroimmunology (2014-2016)
 * Awardee, Allyn Taylor International Prize in Medicine (2017)
 * Awardee, Killam Graduate Supervision and Mentorship Award (2018)