MI2025 – Jia Qi Yip

Title:
Genetic Variants Associated with Severe COVID-19: Insights from a Targeted Gene Analysis

Abstract:
Accurately identifying individuals at high risk for severe COVID-19 remains a critical challenge. Current risk stratification methods, which rely on clinical symptoms and broad factors such as age and comorbidities, often lack the precision needed for early intervention. Although genomic research has progressed significantly worldwide, efforts to identify population-specific genetic biomarkers, particularly in Malaysia, remain limited. This study analyzed genetic data from 409 recovered COVID-19 patients from Klang Valley, Malaysia, comprising 381 with history of non- severe and 28 with severe COVID-19. Ion AmpliSeq technology was employed to design a custom panel of 100 genes of interest, covering a 492.92 kb genomic region. Our analysis detected 326,199 variants in non-severe cases and 23,855 in severe cases, with subsequent filtering (SIFT score ≤ 0.05) identifying 525 and 179 unique variants, respectively. Statistical evaluation revealed five significant pathogenic variants associated with key biological processes, including immune regulation and host-pathogen interactions. In silico functional analyses further predicted their impact on protein structure and function. These findings underscore the role of genetic predisposition in severe COVID-19 and offer valuable insights for early diagnosis, personalized treatment, and the development of targeted therapies. This study provides a foundation for leveraging genetic insights to advance precision medicine in COVID-19 management, particularly for Malaysian and other underrepresented populations.

Biography:
Jia Qi, Yip is a Master of Philosophy (MPhil) candidate in Life Sciences at the Tropical Infectious Diseases Research & Education Centre (TIDREC), University of Malaya. His current research focuses on the genetic determinants of COVID-19 severity, with an emphasis on host inflammatory gene polymorphisms and memory immune profiling. He has hands-on experience in next-generation sequencing, immunophenotyping using flow cytometry, and molecular cloning techniques.

He was awarded the IDTRP-UM Fellowship under the Infectious Diseases Translational Research Programme at the National University of Singapore, where he completed a research internship involving therapeutic applications of viral proteins. His contributions to scientific literature include several peer-reviewed publications in virology, immunology, and biotechnology. He has participated in the Tsinghua Shenzhen International Graduate School (THU SIGS) Global Summer School 2024 and presented his work at the 3rd International Biopharmaceutical and Health Engineering Cup Graduate Academic Forum.

With a strong interest in virology and host-pathogen interactions, he aspires to pursue further research in infectious disease and translational immunology, particularly in the context of emerging and high-risk pathogens.