Research

From the laboratory to the classroom

I trained as a scientist at Temasek Life Sciences Laboratory and the National University of Singapore. Today I use the same discipline to study my own teaching: asking a clear question, gathering evidence and changing practice based on what I find.

Educational research

Practitioner inquiry

Action research · PGCE · 2026

Building, then removing, writing scaffolds in Grade 9 Chemistry

Two plan–act–observe–reflect cycles with a Grade 9 IGCSE Chemistry class of mostly EAL learners. When scaffolds were withdrawn too quickly, the mean score on extended writing fell to 39.6%. Adding paired oral rehearsal and support matched to each student lifted the mean to 62.5%, with students working more independently. The study changed how I judge when support should be removed.

Case study · PGCE · 2026

Re-teaching and bilingual support for EAL learners in IGCSE Biology

A case study of teaching-assistant-led small-group re-teaching and bilingual support for a group of EAL learners in an IGCSE Biology classroom at a British international school in Shenzhen.

Applied professional inquiry · MEd capstone · 2021

Can a STEM club change achievement and motivation?

A year-long mixed-methods study with Grade 8 students, randomly grouped into an experimental group (STEM club plus regular lessons) and a control group. The experimental group’s assessment grades rose by about 20% on average over the year while the control group’s dipped slightly. Interviews explored students’ motivation towards a scientific future.

Scientific research

Publications

PhD thesis (NUS, 2017): Molecular and cellular study of Saffold virus-Penang.

First-author

The Saffold virus-Penang 2B and 3C proteins, but not the L protein, induce apoptosis in HEp-2 and Vero cells

Virologica Sinica, 34(3), 262–269 · 2019
Xu, Y., Victorio, C.B.L., Meng, T., Jia, Q., Tan, Y.J., & Chua, K.B.

Intracellular localization of Saffold virus Leader (L) protein differs in Vero and HEp-2 cells

Emerging Microbes & Infections, 5(10), e109 · 2016
Xu, Y., Victorio, C.B.L., Ng, Q., Prabakaran, M., Tan, Y.J., & Chua, K.B.

Saffold virus is able to productively infect primate and rodent cell lines and induces apoptosis in these cells

Emerging Microbes & Infections, 3(2), e15 · 2014
Xu, Y., Victorio, C.B.L., Ng, Q., Tan, Y.J., & Chua, K.B.

Co-authored

The pathogenesis of Saffold virus in AG129 mice and the effects of its truncated L protein in the central nervous system

Viruses · 2016
Tan, S.Z.K., Chua, K.B., Xu, Y., & Prabakaran, M.

Cooperative effect of the VP1 amino acids 98E, 145A and 169F in the productive infection of mouse cell lines by enterovirus 71 (BS strain)

Emerging Microbes & Infections · 2016
Victorio, C.B.L., Xu, Y., Ng, Q., Meng, T., Chow, V.T., & Chua, K.B.

A clinically authentic mouse model of enterovirus 71 (EV-A71)-induced neurogenic pulmonary oedema

Scientific Reports · 2016
Victorio, C.B.L., Xu, Y., Ng, Q., Chua, B.H., Alonso, S., Chow, V.T., & Chua, K.B.

Phenotypic and genotypic characteristics of novel mouse cell line (NIH/3T3)-adapted human enterovirus 71 strains (EV71:TLLm and EV71:TLLmv)

PLoS ONE · 2014
Victorio, C.B.L., Xu, Y., Ng, Q., Chow, V.T., & Chua, K.B.

Structure-function analysis of Rgs1 in Magnaporthe oryzae: role of DEP domains in subcellular targeting

PLoS ONE · 2012
Ramanujam, R., Yishi, X., Liu, H., & Naqvi, N.I.