Jocey Ooi is a scientist with a multidisciplinary background in drug discovery, chemistry, biology, biochemistry, bioinformatics and analytical chemistry, with a strong background in both academic research and industrial applications. Currently, she works as a Post-Doctoral Research Associate at Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine (LSTM), where her focus is on developing innovative approaches to control tropical diseases through vector control and insecticide resistance research.

Jocey’s current projects involve developing enzyme assays and screening novel insecticides against cytochrome P450 enzymes to support malaria control strategies. She has also recently begun exploring bioinformatics – specifically molecular docking – to investigate how various insecticides interact with mosquito P450 enzymes at molecular level.

She earned her PhD in Pharmacy from the University of Otago, where her research addressed antibiotic resistance and involved creating a nanoparticle-based biosensor system for point-of-care detection of drug-sensitive bacteria. Jocey’s research contributions include collaborations with industry leaders like Novartis to explore drug delivery and uptake in bacteria with a publication in international journal, bridging the gap between scientific innovation and practical applications.

Beyond academia, Jocey has industry experience in analytical method development, drug analysis, and mass spectrometry where she contributed to drug validation, forensic analysis, and regulatory testing. Jocey’s ability to navigate both research and industry settings allows her to apply cutting-edge science to real-world pharmaceutical and healthcare challenges.

Jocey has a number of research interests. She investigates enzyme interactions and metabolic pathways in mosquitoes to support the development of new compounds for controlling tropical disease transmission. Her work includes screening insecticides against cytochrome P450 enzymes and identifying chemical candidates that inhibit mosquito feeding behaviour and fertility.

She is skilled in developing and troubleshooting advanced analytical techniques (high-performance liquid chromatography, and liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry/mass spectrometry) to analyse drugs in biological and environmental samples.

Jocey is expanding her expertise through bioinformatics, specifically by applying molecular docking techniques to study the interactions between various insecticides and mosquito P450 enzymes. This computational approach provides valuable insights into enzyme-ligand interactions, complementing her laboratory-based assays and supporting the rational design of more effective insecticides.

She is keen in exploring drug synthesis and bioorthogonal chemistry to track drug uptake and delivery in bacteria. Her past work includes optimizing nanoparticles to achieve efficient encapsulation and targeted delivery of therapeutic compounds.

Her research interest also covers the development of novel diagnostic tools to tackle AMR.