Room A108 Chown Building
Faculty of Medicine, University of
Manitoba,
753 McDermot Avenue, Winnipeg, Manitoba,
Canada R3E 0W3
Tel: (204) 789-3375
FAX: (204) 789-3842
Email: [email protected]
I. Biography
Current Position:
Associate Dean (Research), Faculty of
Medicine, University of Manitoba Professor, Departments of Biochemistry &
Medical Genetics and Pathology
Director, Centre for Research and
Treatment of Atherosclerosis, Winnipeg Health Science Centre
Personal Data:
Born June 16, 1944; married; one child
Education:
Doctorate in Medicine &
Biochemistry, University of North Dakota 1975
Bachelor of Science in Biochemistry,
McGill University 1969
Academic
Professor & Head, Dept of
Biochemistry & Med Genetics 1992‑99
Appointments:
Professor 1986‑
Associate Professor 1983‑86
Assistant Professor 1979-83
Professor Dept
of Pathology 1997-
Major Awards:
Career Awards: (Salary awards obtained through national open competitions)
MRC
Scientist Award (highest award of
MRC at that time) 1984-89
Canadian
Heart Foundation Research Scholarship (2nd term) 1982-84
Canadian Heart Foundation Research
Scholarship (1st term) 1979-82
Distinugished Scientist Awards:
AHFMR
Distinguished Lecturer Award, Univ. of Calgary 1984
World Bank Distinguished Professor
Fellowship, China
1990
Honorary and Visiting Professorship:
Honorary Professorship
Norman
Bethune University of Medical Sciences 1992
University
of Hong Kong 2002
Visiting
Professorship from many universities in Europe and Asia 1987
II. Professional Activities
(A) Office Held in Government,
Professional Societies and Foundations
Expert Advisory Committee, Office of
Natural Health Products, Health Canada (with Enhanced Reliability Status) 2000-
Vice-President and Board of Directors,
Heart and Stroke Foundation of Manitoba 1995-
President and Council Member, Canadian
Society of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology 1990‑91
Vice Chair, Manitoba Health Research
Council 1999-
Chair, Senior Scholarship Committee,
Alberta Heritage Foundation for Medical Research 2001-
Allocation Committee, Health Sciences
Centre Foundation, Winnipeg 2000-
Scientific Advisory Committee ,St.
Boniface Hospital Research Foundation, Winnipeg 2000-
External Committee Member, National
Science Foundation (USA) 1988-
External Reviewer, RGC, Government of
Hong Kong 1998-
Grants Review Committee (External) ,
Canadian Institutes of Health Research 2001-
Task-Force for Health Research
Development, Western Economic Diversification Fund, Government of Canada 2000-
Task-Force for Biotech-Industry
Strategic Dev Project, Health Care Products Association of Manitoba 2002
Working Group for Botanical Health
Products, European Training and Assessment Foundation 2002
Delegate to Health, Nutrition and
Population, World Trade Centre of Montreal and World Bank Group 2000
Research Enterprise Advisory Committee,
St. Boniface Hospital Research Foundation 2002
Task Force for the organization of the
Natural Health Product Research Society of Canada 2003
Manitoba Delegate to the Canada West
health Innovation Council 2002
Task Force for the organization of the
Functional Food Nutraceutical and Nutrition Innovation Network 2003
Chair, Task Force on Investment Policy
and Endowment Funds Heart and Stroke Foundation of Manitoba 2003
Member, Research Planning and Priority
Advisory Committee Heart and Stroke Foundation of Canada 2001
Task Force for the organization of the
Health Research Society of Canada Sponsored by the Canadian Institutes of
Health Research 2002
II. Professional Activities (cont)
(B) Organizer of Meetings and Symposia
Neurochemistry
Meeting, Harrison Hot Spring
1983
Lipid
and the Membrane Symposium, Quebec City
1988
Lipid
and Lipoprotein Symposium, Vancouver, BC
1992
Public
Forum on Cholesterol and Beyond, Winnipeg
1993
Lipid
and the Heart Symposium, Winnipeg
1993
Lipid
and Lipoprotein in Health and Disease Workshop, Shanghai 1994
Sino-Canadian
Symposium, Hong Kong 1998
Canadian
Federation of Biological Societies, Winnipeg 1999
International
Conference on Diabetes and Cardiovascular Disease 1999
The
XVII World Congress, International Soc. Heart Research 2001
The
5th Symposium on Cardiovascular Disease (with ICSM-HKU) 2002
(C) Invited Keynote Speaker in Major
Meetings and Conferences
The
Gordon Conference on Lipid Metabolism (USA) 1985
The
Hormel Conference (USA)
1987
The
Internation Meeting of Biochemistry (Beijing)
1987
The
Fourth Rossiter Conference (Canada)
1989
The
International Symposium on Lipid Metabolism in the Normoxic and Ischemic Heart
(Netherland) 1991
The
Lipids & Lipoproteins Symposium (Canada)
1992
World
Conference, International Society for Molecular Nutrition 1997
Lipid
and Lipoprotein Symposium, CFBS Meeting, Edmonton 1998
The
Nordlie Symposium, Grand Forks, USA 2000
The
XVII World Congress for
Cardiovascular Research 2001
The
Lipid and Lipoprotein Symposium, Ottawa 2002
The
International Society for Heart Research 2002
(D) Invited Seminars at other
Universities and Institutions
The University of British Columbia
1980
The Research Centre, Vancouver
1981
The University of San
Francisco Medical Centre
1982
The University of North Dakota, USA
1983
The University of Minnesota, USA
1984
The University of North Dakota (ManDak
Lecturer)
1985
The University of
Calgary 1986
The University of Western Ontario
1986
The Hormel Institute, Austin, USA
1986
The University of
Alberta
1987
Dalhousie
University
1987
The Shanghai Medical University,
China
1989
The Memorial University of
Newfoundland
1989
(D) Invited Seminars at other
Universities and Institutions (Cont.)
Institute
of Biochemistry, Shanghai
1990
The
Northeast Normal University, China
1990
The
Erasmus University of Rotterdam
1991
Norman
Bethune University of Medical Sciences, China 1992
Hong
Kong University of Science and Technology
1994
University
of Hong Kong 1996
University
of Hong Kong 1998
West
China University of Medical Sciences 1998
Shantou
University 2001
(F) Editorial Board
Molecular
and Cellular Biochemistry
1991‑94
The
CBS Bulletin (interim editor)
1988
Research
Highlights (newsletter), Heart and Stroke Foundation 1993‑
Editor,
Focussed Issue of Molecular and Cellular Biochemistry 1999
III. Research Supervision
(A) Supervision of Medical and Graduate Students
(1)
Research Supervisor of the following B.Sc. (med) students
Karin
Neufeld B.Sc. (med), M.D.
1986
Mitch
Giffin B.Sc. (med), M.D.
1988
Dorie‑Anna
Dueck B.Sc. (med),
M.D. 1997
Brian
Peters Current
B.Sc.(med) student
(2)
Research Supervisor of the following graduate students
Teresa
Zelinski M.Sc.
1981
Marc
Pelletier M.Sc.
1983
Teresa
Zelinski Ph.D.
1984
Tom
Mock M.Sc.
1985
Monika
Wientzek M.Sc.
1987
Karmin
O M.Sc.
1988
Grant
Hatch Ph.D.
1989
Karmin
O Ph.D.
1991
Chris
McMaster Ph.D.
1992
Paul
Tardi Ph.D.
1993
Adrian
Man M.Sc.
1993
Edmund
Lee M.Sc. 1995
Jason
Wong Ph.D 1998
Jenny
Jiang M.Sc. 2000
Doug Lee Ph.D.
2002
Biao Lu,
M.D. current Ph.D.
student
III. Research Supervision (Cont)
(B) Graduate Student Advisory Committee
Served as a member of the Ph.D. Research Advisory
Committee and/or Thesis Committee for over 35 students in the Departments of
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology, Pharmacology, Physiology, Medical
Microbiology and Chemistry in the last 23 years.
(C)
External Doctoral Thesis Examiner
Served as External Examiner for several Ph.D. students
at other universities including the University of Hong Kong, University of
British Columbia and University of Alberta.
(D) Supervision of Postdoctoral Fellows
Supervised
the research of over 20 postdoctoral fellows and research associates from
Africa, Asia, Europe and North America
(E) Hosting of Visiting Professors & Scientists (for short
term research leaves)
Hosted short visits of many professors and scientists from other
universities to work in my lab.
IV. Research Interest and Support
Research Support- Dr. Choy has received
continuous support from the MRC (currently the Canadian Institutes of Health
Research or CIHR) for more than two decades. Dr. Choy also received continuous support from the Heart and
Stroke Foundation for two decades. He has declined all grants from the Heart and
Stroke Foundation since he has been elected the Vice-President of the
Foundation, and also the Chair of the Research Advisory Committee.
Research Interests- There are three
areas of research interests
(A) The regulation of
membrane lipid biosynthesis at the molecular level in mammalian tissues and the
purification, cloning, kinetics and characteristics of membrane-bound enzymes.
(B) The role of
phospholipases in cardiovascular diseases and the role of vitamins in the
control of membrane lipid metabolism.
(C)
The role of low density lipoprotein in health and diseases and the pathogenesis
of atherosclerosis.
V. University
Administration
Dr.
Choy has been elected or appointed to over 50 different standing and ad hoc
committees at the departmental, faculty and university levels. Some of the
committees are listed:-
Member
of the University Senate
Member,
Senate Subcommittee on University Research
Chair,
Environmental Health and Safety Committee of the University
Chair,
Bannatyne Campus Animal User Committee
Chair,
Faculty of Medicine Space Committee
Chair,
Faculty of Medicine Research Committee
Chair,
Canada Research Chair Selections Committee
Chair,
CSCI-CIHR Awards Committee
Chair,
McLaughlin-MMSF Fellowship Committee
Chair,
Selections committee for the Angel Award in Clinical Research
Coordinator,
UM/Jilin University Academic Exchange Program
Coordinator,
UM/Shantou University Academic Exchange Program
Coordinator,
UM/Shanghai Medical University Academic Exchange Program
Member,
New Faculty Orientation Committee
Member,
Fellowship Awards Committee, HSC Foundation
Member,
Fellowship Awards Committee, Faculty Fund
Member,
ADR/ILO Committee
Member,
Commercialization Assessment Committee, UILO
Member,
Advisory Committees for CIHR Training Grants
Member,
MD/PhD Advisory Committee
Member,
Faculty of Medicine Strategic Planning Committee
Member,
Research Day Advisory Committee
VI. Publications
Dr. Choy has published over 100 full-length, peer-reviewed
papers and over 100 proceedings/abstracts. He has contributed to 15 book
chapters as well as to the Encyclopedia of Science and Technology, 9th
Edition. Ten sample publications
over the last twenty five years are listed.
Lee, YP and CHOY, PC (1974) Glycerol
3-phosphate dehydrogenases III: Studies on the immunological differences of
nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide linked L-glycero-3-phosphate dehydrogenase in
various organs of the rat and rabbit. J. Biol. Chem. 249, 475‑481.
Vance, D.E., CHOY, P.C., Farren, S.B., Lim, P.H. and Schneider,
W.J. (1977) Asymmetry of phospholipid biosynthesis. Nature 270, 268‑269.
CHOY, P.C. (1982) Control of phosphatidylcholine biosynthesis in
myopathic hamster heart. J. Biol. Chem. 257, 10928‑10933.
Arthur, G. and CHOY, P.C. (1986)
Acylation of 1-alkenyl-glycero‑3-phosphorylcholine and 1 Acyl
glycero-phosphocholine in guinea pig heart. Biochem. J. 236, 481‑487.
Cao, Y.Z., Tam, S.W., Arthur, G., Chen,
H. and CHOY, P.C. (1987) The purification and characterization of a
phospholipase A in hamster heart cytosol for the hydrolysis of
phosphatidylcholine. J. Biol. Chem. 262, 16927‑16935.
McMaster, C.R. and CHOY, P.C. (1992)
Serine regulates phosphatidylethanolamine biosynthesis in the hamster heart. J.
Biol. Chem. 267, 14586-14591.
Liu, S.Y., Lu, X., Choy, S., Dembinski,
T.C., Hatch, G.M., Mymin, D. Shen, X., Angel, A., CHOY, P.C. and Man, R.Y.K.
(1994) Alteration of lysophosphatidylcholine content in low density lipoprotein
after oxidative modification: relationship to endothelium dependent relaxation.
Cardiovas. Res. 28, 1476-1481
Wong, J., Tran, K.,Pierce, G., Chan, A.,
O, K and CHOY, P.C. (1998) Lysophosphatidylcholine stimulates the release of
arachidonic acid in human endothelian cells. J. Biol. Chem. 273, 6830-6836
Zhang, M., Gong, Y., Corbin, I., Mellon,
A., CHOY, P.C. and Minuk, GY. (2000) The effects of light, moderate and heavy
ethanol consumption on liver regeneration in the rat. Is ligh ethanol
consumption beneficial to the liver? Gastroenterology 119, 1333-1339
Jiang, J.Y., Hatch, G.M., Mymin, D., Dembinski, T., Kroeger, E. and CHOY, P.C. (2001) Modulation of cytosolic phospholipase A2 by PPAR activators in human preadipocytes. J. Lipid Res. 42, 716-724