Ai-Hsi (Alex) Hsu , Associate Director

Doctor Code：19002

Special Expertise

• Lung cancer
• Respiratory diseases (asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease)
• Pulmonary infection
• Pulmonary Fibrosis

Current position

• Associate director, Immune-Oncology Center of Stem cell & Precision Medicine,Tzu-Chi Medical center, Taiwan

Education

• PhD program, Immunology/Infectious diseases/Virology/Respiratory Medicine
  PhD thesis : The study of host related factors in infection of M. tuberculosis ( eg, Indolemin 2,3 -dioxygense)
  One of the projects assigned was in Influenza field, and visited the influenza laboratory at St. Jude Children Hospital, Memphis (June-Sep 2006) to learn scientific methods to construct detoxified influenza virus via plasmid engineering in order to generate an universal influenza vaccine. I did acquire scientific knowledge in vaccine field during that time.
  
  Another research is to explore Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb) outbreaks amongst hosts. Take advantage of the molecular tools combined spoligotying and mycobacterial interspersed repetitive unit-variable tandem-repeat (MIRU-VNTR), two PCR-based techniques, we identify Mtb genotype and explore the multi drug-resistant tuberculosis (MDRTB) transmission in Taiwan. Next we investigate if DM is correlated with the infection of drug-resistant tuberculosis strains.  
  Finally, animal model was utilized to investigate defense mechanism of host against tuberculosis infection via a molecular perspective. IDO1 interacts with regulatory T cell by a direct contact fashion and is crucial in specifying to the development of a Foxp3 positive regulatory lineage during the CD4+ T cell lineage differentiation. The impact that IDO1 & IDO2 on T cell apoptosis, PD1 related pathway, Th1/Th17/Treg specification and B-cell differentiation had been examined.

Experience

• Clinical Physician Tzu-Chi Medical center, Taiwan (Internal Medicine)
• Lead of Medical Affairs Baxter Taiwan/Hong Kong
• Medical Director ONO Pharmaceutical, Taiwan branch
• Medical Advisor – Pharmaceuticals, GlaxoSmithKline Taiwan branch
• PhD degree, Institute of Medical Science, Graduate school, Tzu-Chi University
• Attending physician, Pulmonary division, Internal Medicine, Tzu-Chi Medical center, Taiwan
• Visiting Scientist, Immunology/Infectious disease laboratory, Albert Einstein College, Yershiva University, NY, U.S
• Visiting Scientist, Influenza Laboratory, St. Jude Children Hospital, Memphis, U.S.
• Visiting Fellowship, Pulmonary Department of Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, New York, U.S.
• Residency/ Fellowship, Pulmonary, Internal Medicine, Tzu-Chi Medical center, Taiwan

Publications

1. Diabetes is associated with drug-resistant tuberculosis in Eastern Taiwan. Hsu AH, Lee JJ, Chiang CY, Li YH, Chen LK, Lin CB. Int J Tuberc Lung Dis. 2013 Mar;17(3):354-6
2. Pilot study of twice-weekly therapy for pulmonary tuberculosis in Taiwan. Lin CB, Tang M, Hsu AH, Miu WC, Lee YS, Lee JJ. J Formos Med Assoc. 2011 Jul;110(7):438-45.
3. Molecular epidemiology of multidrug-resistant Mycobacterium tuberculosis in Eastern Taiwan. Hsu AH, Lin CB, Lee YS, Chiang CY, Chen LK, Tsai YS, Lee JJ. Int J Tuberc Lung Dis. 2010 Jul;14(7):924-6.
4. Comparisons of intraocular pressure measurements: Goldmann applanation tonometry, noncontact tonometry, Tono-Pen tonometry, and dynamic contour tonometry.  Hsu SY, Sheu MM, Hsu AH, Wu KY, Yeh JI, Tien JN, Tsai RK. Eye (Lond). 2009 Jul;23(7):1582-8.
5. High resolution chest CT in patients with pulmonary tuberculosis: characteristic findings before and after antituberculous therapy. Lee JJ, Chong PY, Lin CB, Hsu AH, Lee CC. Eur J Radiol. 2008 Jul;67(1):100-4. Epub 2007 Sep 17.