Winners of the NUS Medicine Outstanding Research Fellow Award 2024

The Outstanding Research Fellow award recognises the efforts and achievements of our research fellows who have demonstrated excellence in all areas of research, service, mentoring, and leadership at the NUS Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine.

We are pleased to announce that the following candidates have been selected to receive the NUS Medicine – 2024 Outstanding Research Fellow Award.

Dr Lee Chang Jie, Mick

Dr Mick Lee is a Research Fellow from the Cardiovascular Research Institute, Department of Medicine, under the Cardiovascular Metabolic Disease Translational Research Programme. His long-term research interests involve using functional genomics to study cardiac development and disease gene signatures modulating cardiovascular cell states. As a stem cell biologist, he believes the use of induced pluripotent stem cells and the CRISPR gene editing toolbox can functionalize the human genome and invigorate new drug discovery pipeline to tackle heart failure. His work on using CRISPR screen to study cardiac cell fate was published in the journal Circulation and has clinched multiple awards from local and international Research Conferences. Dr Lee has also contributed to many of the laboratory’s seminal works on cardiac enhancers and gene regulation, as well as extending support to other research groups both locally and internationally. Dr Lee is inspired by new technologies and highly enthusiastic students around him who are passionate about science.

Dr Marek Kukumberg

Dr Marek Kukumberg is a Senior Research Fellow in the Healthy Longevity Translational Research Programme at the Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore. His research focuses on understanding and mitigating cardiovascular ageing through the innovative use of stem cell secretomes and exosomes derived from stem cell sources considered biowaste. He is motivated by collaborative work with inspiring scientists and is passionate about sharing his knowledge and experience with students and mentees. Dr Kukumberg also provides support and expertise in service within the Stem Cell Core Facility and is very passionate about collaborative work.

Dr Yang Jiaxi

Dr Yang Jiaxi is a Senior Research Fellow (Mentor: Professor Zhang Cuilin) at the Global Centre for Asian Women’s Health (GloW) and the Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology. She serves as the Working Group Lead on Nutrition and Lifestyle at GloW. Her research focuses on nutrition, lifestyle, and nutrition-related biomarkers in relation to cardiometabolic and reproductive health. Having received both her Master’s and Doctoral degrees from Harvard University, she is interested in integrating the healthy aspects of diets from other cultures into local diets, ultimately improving the nutritional profile and health span of Asian women. In addition to her research, she enjoys being an active team player and mentoring junior scholars. She aspires to develop and apply her research, mentoring, and teaching skills to promote the concept of “Nutrition and Lifestyle as Medicine” within and beyond the NUS Medicine community.

Winners of the NUS Medicine Outstanding Mentor Award for Research Fellows 2024

The Outstanding Mentor Award recognises outstanding research fellows who have demonstrated excellence in mentorship and actively contributed to the personal and professional development of students and research staff at the NUS Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine.

We are pleased to announce that the following candidates have been selected to receive the NUS Medicine – 2024 Outstanding Mentor Award for Research Fellows.

Dr Hataitip Tasena

Dr Hataitip Tasena is a Research Fellow in Professor Brian Kennedy’s lab at the Healthy Longevity Translational Research Programme. Beyond her research projects on the role of microRNAs in lung ageing, Hataitip has assisted the Programme Director in both internal and external outreach efforts. She has organised the weekly Healthy Longevity Webinar Series, launched the employee surveys, initiated the Science Festival and Young Investigator Grant call, organised conferences and run several courses that educated the public on Healthy Longevity Science. Hataitip is naturally curious to learn about people and how to maximize the potential of an individual and a team. She also values and enjoys empowering young researchers, building teams, connecting people, and bringing science closer to the public.

Dr Kristeen Teo Ye Wen

Dr Kristeen Teo Ye Wen is a research fellow under guidance of Associate Professor Toh Wei Seong at Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, NUS. Her research focuses on understanding the immunomodulatory effects of nanotherapeutics, including extracellular vesicles and cell membrane-coated nanoparticles, as potential treatment for musculoskeletal diseases such as osteoarthritis. Inspired by the collaborative spirit and dedication of her lab colleagues, Dr Kristeen values the opportunities to guide junior researchers and continually learns from her experienced peers to enrich her scientific journey.

Dr Sharifah Badriyah

Dr Sharifah Badriyah Alhadad is a Research Fellow at the Heat Resilience & Performance Centre at the National University of Singapore. Her current work focuses on deepening our understanding of how rising heat exposure can adversely impact human performance, health, and safety in the face of global warming. It also aims to identify strategies to enhance heat resilience and tolerance of heat-exposed individuals. Dr Sharifah believes in living a life in service of others, and this propels her passion for applied research and mentoring, where she hopes to leave a positive, enduring impact on those around her.