Professor (Keith) Chee Ooi
MBBS, DipPaed, PhD, FRACP
Professor听(Keith) Chee Y. Ooi (MBBS, DipPaed, PhD, FRACP)听is a Clinical Academic at the Discipline of Paediatrics, School of Women鈥檚 and Children鈥檚 Health, Faculty of Medicine, University of New South Wales (探花系列), Sydney, Australia. He is a听Professor of Medicine, 探花系列听补苍诲 Specialist Paediatric Gastroenterologist at Sydney Children鈥檚 Hospital Randwick, Australia. Clinically, he sees children with all aspects of gastrointestinal, pancreatic and nutritional听conditions.
Past:
Dr Ooi graduated from the University of Melbourne in 2000, with the Clara Myers Prize in Paediatrics. He commenced training in paediatric gastroenterology at Sydney Children鈥檚 Hospital Randwick, supported by the Sydney Children鈥檚 Hospital Foundation Subspecialty Fellowship Award (2006, 2007). He accepted the offer of a 3-year clinical research fellowship (2007-2010) at the prestigious Hospital for Sick Children and University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada, to pursue a research path, undertake a PhD and broaden his clinical experience. He was supervised and mentored by late Dr Peter Durie (), a听giant in the field of paediatric gastroenterology, CF and pancreatology. This was supported by the Sydney Children鈥檚 Hospital Travelling Fellowship Award (2007), Canadian Cystic Fibrosis Foundation Fellowship Award (2008-2010) and Career Enhancement Award, Canadian Child Health Clinician Scientist Program (2009-2010). He听was awarded both the Dick Hamilton and Clinical Research awards in 2010 by the Hospital for Sick Children and University of Toronto respectively, for his research excellence. He returned to Sydney in mid-2010 as a clinical academic in pursuit of research and academia, while having opportunities for clinical interface within a tertiary hospital setting. He completed his PhD on genotype-phenotype correlations in CF at 探花系列 in 2014 and was awarded the Dean's Rising Star award (探花系列 Medicine) in 2015.
Present and Future:听
Dr Ooi听is a translational clinician scientist听aimed at improving patient听health outcomes. He is recognised internationally as an expert in gastrointestinal (GI) and nutritional issues in cystic fibrosis (CF).听
He established and听leads a research program that has been continually funded since 2015 (PhD conferred in 2014).听 Despite his听clinical duties, he has听led a successful program on CF Gastroenterology focused on GI inflammation, microbiome & pancreatic diseases related to CF and individuals who carry CF mutation(s). He听built听his research听team from scratch to听now include post-doctorals,听research assistant, higher degree research (PhD and Masters) students and undergraduate research students.
He initiated/leads/collaborates with听a local and international network of clinicians, allied healths and听scientists. He has听established industry partnerships for translational goals. He is the lead Chief Investigator a probiotic trial for children with CF (funded by the CF Foundation, USA). He is the only Australian听(and听only non-North American and non-European)听Chief (Principle)听Investigator听of INSPPIRE (INternational Study Group of Pediatric Pancreatitis: In search for a cuRE), which is the听largest and most successful听paediatric recurrent/chronic pancreatitis consortium globally (funded by the NIH, USA).
He has听published widely (>100) in peer-reviewed journal articles and听textbook chapters including as either first or last author in the highest ranked听journals in the fields of gastroenterology (Ooi et al. Gastroenterology 2010;听Ooi et al. Gastroenterology 2011), CF/pulmonology (Ooi et al. Thorax 2012;听Ooi et al. Thorax 2014) and paediatrics (Ooi et al. Pediatrics 2015; Kumar, Ooi et al. JAMA Peds 2016).听
He听is regularly invited to speak at prestigious international and national conferences.听He has won numerous awards and receives research funding nationally and internationally.
His research expertise and leadership have听been widely sought after, and has been听leveraged into broader fields:
- GI听inflammation & microbiome program related to: (1) colon cancer in adults with CF; (2) impact of serious medical illness in infancy on childhood mental health; and (3) autism spectrum disorder.听
- Pancreatic diseases program, including international studies in acute pancreatitis and as the听only paediatric founding member of the Australia-New Zealand Alliance for Pancreas Research.
- Publications
- Media
- Grants
- Awards
- Research Activities
- Engagement
- Teaching and Supervision
Dr Ooi has secured a total research income >AUD $8 million.
Recent major funding successes as Chief Investigator (CI)听include (1) >$1M for probiotic and microbiome research in CF (as lead CI: Cystic Fibrosis Foundation, USA; 2018); (2) >$2M in philantropic donations in CF (2016, 2017); (3) ~$3M for childhood recurrent/chronic pancreatitis (National Institutes of Health, USA; 2015).听听
Competitive 鈥 Chief Investigator
听
2019 听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听 SWSLHD Clinical Knowledge Exchange Seed Funding Application
Investigating the role of chronic stress in children with autism
$40,000 (18 months)
Chief Investigator 鈥 D
(CIA 鈥 Adam Walker and Valsamma Eapen)
听
2019听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听 探花系列 Medicine Neuroscience, Mental Health and Addiction Theme and SPHERE Clinical Academic Group
Collaborative Research Seed Funding
$40,000 (1 year)
Identifying Behavioural and Biological Profiles to inform targeted intervention in Autism Spectrum Disorder
Chief Investigator 鈥 D
(Eapen V, Walker A, Zieba J, Ooi CY, Masi A, Kasparian N, Morris M)
听
2019听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听 Australian Cystic Fibrosis Research Trust
听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听 $50,000 (1 year)
The use of non-invasive biomarkers as a screening tool and the role of gut inflammation and microbes in adult cystic fibrosis colorectal cancer.
Chief Investigator 鈥 A
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2018听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听 Evaluating the Gut-Brain Axis in Autism
听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听 探花系列 Medicine Neuroscience, Mental Health and Addictions Theme and SPHERE
听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听 $19,926 (12 months)
Chief Investigator 鈥 C
(Margaret M, Eapen V, Ooi CY, Kasparian N, Kendig M) 听听听听听听
听
2018听听听 听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听 Research computer for bioinformatics and complex statistical analysis
Equipment Grant
听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听 School of Women鈥檚 and Children鈥檚 Health, Medicine, 探花系列
听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听 $8,723.92 (12 months)
Chief Investigator - A听
听
2018 听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听 Supporting Children with Complex Feeding Difficulties (SuCCEED)
Study.
SPHERE 鈥淢aridulu Budyari Gumal鈥 (Sydney Partnership for Health, Education, Research and Enterprise) - Early Life Determinants of Health (ELDoH) Stream
$20,000 (12 months)
Chief Investigator
(CIA 鈥 Chris Elliott)
听
2018听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听 The PEARL-CF Study
听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听 Clinical Research Award
听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听 Cystic Fibrosis Foundation
听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听 USD $999,183 (3 years) = AUD $1,295,041
听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听 Chief Investigator - A
听
2017 听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听 RNA therapeutics : novel paradigm in mutation independent CF therapy
听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听 Cystic Fibrosis Australia Innovation Grant
听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听 $70,000 (2 years)
Chief Investigator 鈥 D
(Waters S, Jaffe A, Morris K, Ooi CY, Patel H)
听
2017听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听 The Heart-Gut-Brain Axis: Investigating the impact of serious medical illness in infancy on child and adolescent mental health, gut microbiota, and stress hormone levels.
探花系列 Neuroscience, Mental Health and Addictions and SPHERE Mindgardens. $40,000 (1 year).
Chief Investigator 鈥 E
(Kasparian N, Kan J, Callaghan B, Sholler G, Ooi CY, Winlaw D, Coffey M.)
听
2016-2017听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听 University of New South Wales
听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听 Pro-Vice Chancellor (Education)
听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听 PlayMed
听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听 $180,000
听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听 Chief Investigator - A听
听
2016-2017听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听 Thrasher Research Fund - Early Career Award Program
USD $25,000 = AUD $32,402
Probiotics in infants with cystic fibrosis: Effects of early intervention
听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听 Chief Investigator - A
听
2015-2020听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听 U01 Grant (U01 DK108334-01)
National Institute of Health, USA
USD $2,235,241 = AUD $2,897,000
International Study Group of Pediatric Pancreatitis: In search for a cure
(INSPIRRE) to Study Pediatric Chronic Pancreatitis
Principal Investigator
(CIA 鈥 Aliye Uc)
听
2015-2016听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听 University of New South Wales Learning and Teaching Innovation Grant
$20,000
听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听 A Novel Computer-based Approach to Educating Medical Students through an Online Experiential Role-playing Game
听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听 Chief Investigator - A
听
2015-2016听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听 Sydney Children鈥檚 Hospital Foundation Seed Funding
$20,000
Early Feeding in Acute Pancreatitis in Children 鈥 A Randomised Controlled Trial
Chief Investigator - A
听
2012听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听 Cystic Fibrosis Australia Research Trust
AUD $75,049
听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听 Project Title: The 鈥済ut-lung axis鈥: defining & understanding the gut microbiota in cystic fibrosis
Chief Investigator 鈥 A
听
2012听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听 Servier Staff Research Fellowship, Royal Australasian College of Physicians Research and Education Foundation Award
AUD $10,000
听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听 Project Title: Molecular characterization and understanding the effects of altered gut microbiota in cystic fibrosis
Chief Investigator 鈥 A
听
Philantropic 鈥 Chief Investigator
听
2018-2019听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听 University of New South Wales Foundation (Evolution Health Pty Ltd)
听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听 PEARL-CF study
$126,380.98
听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听 Chief Investigator - A
听
2017听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听 University of New South Wales Foundation (Bank Of Queensland)
听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听 The early life effects of probiotics on the gut in CF (PEARL-CF 鈥淧lus鈥)
$30,690.05
听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听 Chief Investigator - A
听
2016听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听 University of New South Wales Foundation (Evolution Health Pty Ltd)
听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听 PEARL-CF study
$60,000
听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听 Chief Investigator - A
听
2016听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听 Sydney Children鈥檚 Hospital Foundation
Establishing Ex Vivo models for accelerating drug discovery and treatment in cystic fibrosis (CF): Development of the Cystic Fibrosis Avatar
$2,320,000
Chief Investigator
听
Competitive 鈥 Associate Investigator/Co-Investigator/Collaborator
听
2019听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听 Australian Cystic Fibrosis Research Trust
David Millar Giles Innovation Grant
鈥淎n Australian Alliance of personalised lab grown mini-organs to save the rarest of them all鈥
$45,000 (12 months; CI 鈥 Shafagh Waters)
Associate Investigator
听
2018听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听 Breakthrough Research Grant
听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听 探花系列 Business School
听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听 Good Decisions in Education: The Smart Tech & Education Project (STEP)
听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听 $80,000 (12 months)
听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听 Associate Investigator
听
2017 听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听 Supporting Children with Complex Feeding Difficulties (SuCCEED)
Study.
SPHERE 鈥淢aridulu Budyari Gumal鈥 (Sydney Partnership for Health, Education, Research and Enterprise) - Early Life Determinants of Health (ELDoH) Stream
$50,000 (12 months)
Co-Investigator (Collaborator)
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2014-2015听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听 R21 Grant (DK096327-02S1)
National Institute of Health, USA
USD $107,662 = AUD $140,000
International Study Group of Pediatric Pancreatitis: In search for a cure
(INSPIRRE)
听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听 Co-Investigator (Collaborator)
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2012-2015听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听 R21 Grant (DK096327)
National Institute of Health, USA
USD $275,000 = AUD $360,000
International Study Group of Pediatric Pancreatitis: In search for a cure
(INSPIRRE)
听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听 Co-Investigator (Collaborator)
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2012听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听 University of New South Wales/Goldstar-NHMRC 鈥 APP1027693 听听听听听听听听听听听听 听
Project Title: Investigation of the role of the intestinal microflora in the aetiology of Crohn's Disease
AUD $40,000
听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听Associate Investigator 鈥 H
He has received:听
- 3 research awards, including听the 探花系列 Medicine Dean鈥檚 Rising Star Award in 2015.
- 1 Best Oral Presentation award (Australasian CF Conference 2019)
- 4 Poster awards
Research Areas:
- Cystic fibrosis (CF)
- Gut microbiome and inflammation
- In CF, autism spectrum disorder and other chronic diseases
- Evaluation of taxonomic and functional alterations of the gut microbiome to identify pathogenic mechanisms, correlations with clinical phenotype, and听uncover novel therapeutic interventions.
- Role of diet -听"Let your food be your medicine and your medicine be your food." (Hippocrates)
- Impact on mental health and quality of life (via the "gut-brain" axis)
- Pancreatic diseases
- Pancreatitis
听
Summary Metrics:听(updated Jan 1, 2020)
- He has 97 peer-reviewed journal articles (including letters and editorials)听with 58听(60%) as first and/or senior author. 69听of them听(71%) were published since 2015 (PhD conferred in 2014) i.e. upward publications trajectory of ~240%.
- h-index of 27 (Google Scholar) and 21听(WOS and Scopus)
- Click on the links to different publications in the top right "Publications" box of this page听听
- 46 invites as symposium speaker (26 at international conferences).
- 42 oral abstract presentations听at international conferences (including听those as听senior investigator and presented by his听student/trainee)
听
Examples of Research Achievements:
CF gastroenterology
- Dr Ooi has clinical-research expertise and interests in gastrointestinal issues in CF including gut inflammation, changes in the gut microbiome, pancreatitis, pancreatic insufficiency and the emerging issue of increased risk of gastrointestinal cancers.
- OOI et al. Gastroenterology 2011;140(1):153鈥161 (https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20923678). This is the first study to unravel the complex relationship between severity of cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator听(CFTR) mutations and risk of pancreatitis.听Developed & validated a听novel surrogate measure of CF mutation and genotype severity, known as the 鈥淧ancreatic Insufficiency Prevalence (PIP)鈥 score, with wide clinical & research application.听 This score has been used clinically to predict pancreatitis risk and for patient education. This score has been used in research to classify cystic fibrosis (CF) patients by CFTR genotype. Methodology to derive score also directly adapted to study other CF phenotypes.听
- His recent works has extended into understanding the disease processes affecting the gastrointestinal tract in CF, using faecal biomarkers听(Pang et al. J Gastroenterol Hepatol 2015, Dhaliwal et al. J Pediatr Gastroenterol Nutr 2015, Ooi et al. Dig Dis Sci 2015, Garg et al.听J Cyst Fibros 2017,听Garg et al.听J Cyst Fibros 2018).听
- Nielsen,鈥OI (SENIOR AUTHOR). Sci Rep 2016;6:24857 ().听Identified potential window of therapeutic opportunity in early childhood for CF gut dysbiosis, and provided justification for a probiotic trial in very young children with CF (AUD1.3M by the CF Foundation, USA) & industry engagement (national & international) for probiotic research.听
- Kumar, OOI et al (CO-FIRST AUTHORS). JAMA Pediatr 2016;170(6):562-9 (). NIH funded. Showed childhood recurrent/chronic pancreatitis has different causative factors compared to adults, with genetic causes most frequent. The most frequent mutation identified were CFTR mutations.听Findings incorporated/cited by 3 international guidelines. Genetic tests now recommended听as part of routine workup for children with recurrent/chronic pancreatitis.听
CF diagnostic issues and non-classic manifestations
- Dr Ooi is passionate about diagnostic issues related to children and adults with single-organ manifestations of CF (Ooi et al. Thorax 2012, Ooi et al. Thorax 2014) and newborn screen positive infants with an indeterminate diagnosis of CF (Ooi et al. Pediatrics 2015). He has experience in electrophysiological diagnostic tests, including the nasal potential difference test and intestinal ion channel measurement. He developed a novel diagnostic test for CF known as the 鈥渃ombined ion channel measurement鈥 (Ooi et al. Ann Am Thorac Soc 2014).
- OOI et al. Thorax 2012;67(7):618-24 (). Found the same CF patients who undergo same diagnostic tests can have different diagnostic outcomes geographically due to different guidelines. Led experts to revise into a single, global CF diagnostic guideline. Received an editorial & voted one of best 2012 articles by Thorax editor.
- OOI et al. Pediatrics 2015;135(6):e1377-85 (). Findings showed decades-old clinical practice of discharging infants with inconclusive CF diagnosis to be inappropriate. 10% of these infants developed CF and risked missing out early therapies. Informed new international management guidelines.
Pancreatitis and pancreatic diseases听
- Dr Ooi is an international expert in childhood pancreatitis. He has developed clinical tools for predicting severe () and biliary causes () of acute pancreatitis in children. He is Chief Investigator of an international听randomised controlled trial in paediatric acute pancreatitis. Dr Ooi is a founding member of ANZ Alliance for Pancreatic Research.听
My Research Supervision
Dr Ooi supervises medical students (e.g. Independent Learning Projects and Honours) and higher degree research (PhD or Masters) students in his areas of research (refer above and to keywords).
My Teaching
Dr Ooi is an innovator in medical education and serious game developer. He is听interested in improving the quality of teaching through novel innovative approaches to medical education.
He received the Learning and Teaching Innovation Grant in 2015 to develop PlayMed. PlayMed is a novel educational game to teach medicine through immersive, experience-based learning. His achievements with PlayMed听has been featured in media such as听The Australian听鈥淕aming injects medical practice into studies鈥 (听or ) and The Australian Hospital Healthcare Bulletin 鈥淚n Conversation鈥.. with Dr Keith Ooi鈥澨(). He is conducting a randomised controlled trial in serious games using PlayMed.
He is also the co-creator of VirtualDoc, which is the world's first virtual reality game to teach paediatric resuscitation.听
He was the Convenor for Paediatrics (Phase 3 of the undergraduate medical program) for the Faculty of Medicine, 探花系列 between 2010-2013.