Ethics of Deep Brain Stimulation Workshop

Date: Saturday, 10 May 2025
Time: 8.00am to 3.10pm
Venue: Shaw Foundation Alumni House, Lavender Room, Level 2

About the workshop

This workshop will explore the latest advancements in Deep Brain Stimulation (DBS) for psychiatric conditions and disorders of consciousness, with a strong focus on both innovation and ethical considerations. Through in-depth case studies, we will examine the use of DBS in treating depression, OCD, and anorexia nervosa. Participants will hear from leading experts and pioneers in the field—both from Singapore and abroad—alongside a powerful firsthand account from a patient who has undergone DBS. Our goal is to develop clinically practical and ethically sound guidelines, with the potential to align with the ongoing work of the Academy of Medicine’s College of Psychiatrists in this space.

Who should attend

Neurosurgeons, neurologists, psychiatrists, ethicists, legal scholars, policymakers, and other relevant stakeholders
(This workshop is not open to the public)

Programme

Time	Speaker	Activity
8.00am – 8.30am	Registration
8.30am – 8.45am	Dr Tor Phern Chern Dr Sumytra Menon	Welcome and introduction
8.45am – 9.10am	A/P Yeo Tseng Tsai	Talk 1: Deep Brain Stimulation for psychiatric conditions in Singapore & international overview
9.10am – 9.20am	Jeremy (DBS Patient)	Patient Sharing: I had DBS for treatment-resistant depression!
9.20am – 9.45am	Dr Nathan Shlobin	Talk 2: Ethical issues in DBS
9.45am – 10.05am	Tea Break
10.05am – 10.35am	A/P Yeo Tseng Tsai Dr Tor Phern Chern Dr Bhanu Gupta Dr Ng Kah Wee Dr Nathan Shlobin	Fireside Chat: Ethical guidelines for DBS in psychiatry
10.35am – 11.45am	Dr Tor Phern Chern A/P Yeo Tseng Tsai	Case 1: DBS for treatment resistant depression in adult patients Current standard of care Technical details of treatment Breakout and all group case discussions
11.45am – 12.55pm	Dr Bhanu Gupta A/P Yeo Tseng Tsai	Case 2: DBS for treatment of OCD in an adult patient Current standard of care Technical details of treatment Breakout and all group case discussions
12.55pm – 1.45pm	Lunch
1.45pm – 2.55pm	Dr Ng Kah Wee A/P Yeo Tseng Tsai	Case 3: DBS for treatment of anorexia nervosa in a child Current standard of care Technical details of treatment Breakout and all group case discussions
2.55pm – 3.10pm	Closing and Feedback

Local Speakers

Specialist Neurosurgery Consultants

Clinical Assoc Prof Yeo is a Senior Consultant of the Division of Neurosurgery, National University Hospital, Singapore and the Medical Director of the Singapore Gamma Knife Centre. He underwent his undergraduate medical training in the National University of Singapore and obtained his MBBS in 1985. A/Prof Yeo has been the recipient of numerous research grants over the years and has published widely in the neurosurgical literature in the domains of stereotactic and functional neurosurgery, neuro-oncology, head injury and virtual reality neurosurgery.

Specialist Psychiatry Consultants

Dr Tor Phern-Chern completed his medical degree at the National University of Singapore under the Singapore Armed Forces Local Study Award. In his psychiatric career, Phern-Chern distinguished himself by obtaining the Eli-Lily gold medal and the Singapore Psychiatric Association Book Prize. He established the first Neurostimulation services at the Institute of Mental Health (Singapore) and was endowed inaugural Service Head. He is now the inaugural Director of the Centre for Interventional Psychiatry at the National University Hospital of Singapore.

Dr Bhanu Gupta is a Senior Consultant with the Department of Emergency and Crisis Services at the Institute of Mental Health. He is programme director for the graduate diploma in mental health (GDMH) programme run by IMH and NUS. He graduated with a Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery (MBBS) in India in 2000. He was awarded Member of the Royal College of Psychiatrists (MRC Psych) in the United Kingdom in 2006. He has clinical interests in emergency and crisis care as well as in mood and anxiety. Notably, Dr. Gupta established and led the Treatment-Resistant Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD) service at IMH, playing a key role in advancing specialized care for individuals with severe and complex OCD in Singapore.

Dr Ng Kah Wee is a Senior Consultant with the Singapore General Hospital (SGH), Department of Psychiatry, and currently the director of the Eating Disorders programme with SGH. She graduated from the National University of Singapore, with a Bachelor of Medicine and Surgery in 2004. She subsequently went on and completed the Master of Medicine (Psychiatry) and acquired her Specialist Accreditation. Her area of interest lies in eating disorders and she is involved in caring for patients with general psychiatric conditions as well.

Overseas Speaker

Dr Nathan Shlobin is a neurosurgery resident at the Columbia University Irving Medical Center. He graduated with his MD and MBA degrees from the Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine and Kellogg School of Management. He is interested in the intersection of neurosurgery, ethics, and global health. Currently, his research focuses on the ethics of deep brain stimulation for psychiatric disorders and disorders of consciousness and the ethics of innovation.

Continuing Professional Education

Non-core CME point is pending for approval for doctors.
CPE point is pending for approval for nurses and pharmacists.

Venue

Shaw Foundation Alumni House (SFAH) Level 2, Lavender Room, 11 Kent Ridge Drive, Singapore 119244
The closest parking is available at NUS Carpark 15, located just across the road from SFAH.

Contact

For more information, you can email Dr Alexa Nord-Bronzyk (alexa.nb@nus.edu.sg)

Registration

There is no fee for registration. This workshop is not open to members of the public.