2020 Outstanding Research Fellow Award
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 – 2020 Outstanding Research Fellow Award.
| Awardee | Department |
|---|---|
| Dr. Tan Kai Sen – Winner | Otolaryngology |
| Dr. Lim Tingsen Benson – First Runner Up | Paediatrics |
| Dr. Teoh Phaik Ju – Second Runner Up | Medicine |
Dr. Tan Kai Sen
Dr. Tan’s research work involves respiratory virus-host interaction in acute infections and chronic airway inflammatory disease exacerbations. He was awarded the NMRC Young Individual Research Grant in 2019 and he went on to actively establish collaborations with clinicians and scientists both locally and internationally. He also completed an overseas fellowship training at Imperial College London in 2019 under the European Academy of Allergy and Clinical Immunology (EAACI) research fellowship. There, his work focused on linking viral infections with long term repercussions of chronic airway inflammatory diseases.
Here are some excerpts of what Dr. Tan’s mentees have shared about him:
“Dr. Tan was the main reason as to why I have decided to pursue research as a post-graduate student. He was a role model for me, displaying and passing down qualities that are expected of a Scientist. He was always curious, constantly asking critical questions to drive research projects forward.”
“As a mentor, he has thought me to always be independent, and never let any obstacle stop my progress. He has provided me with the right amount of mentorship that allowed me to be independent and not over-reliant on him. As a mentor now myself to undergraduate students, I greatly appreciated his help and advises over the years”
“Dr Tan takes charge and oversees most of the projects in the lab. He performs well at distributing the project workloads to the lab members. He has also given good advice on how to deliver presentations at lab meetings and conferences.”
Dr. Lim Tingsen Benson
Dr. Lim joined the Cardiovascular Research Institute as a Research Fellow to investigate the fascinating world of circular RNAs. He published one of the first landscapes of circular RNAs in the human and mouse hearts and his work clinched a Young Investigator Research Grant from NMRC. His work on circular RNAs has resulted in multiple first-author articles in the journal Cardiovascular Research, all highlighted as Editor’s Choice, and had won him multiple accolades at both national and international stages. His research has now expanded to cardiovascular epigenetics and congenital heart disease with Asst. Prof. Chen Ching Kit at the Department of Paediatrics. Recently, they were awarded a NUHS seed grant to pursue the potential of an ultrasensitive diagnostic kit capable of detecting cardiac cell death using liquid biopsy.
Here are some excerpts of what Dr. Lim’s mentees have shared about him:
“Dr. Lim was very patient, supportive, and keen to provide guidance and feedback to me throughout my PhD study, which I am immensely grateful for.”
“I have seen him patiently explaining the concepts behind common lab techniques like qPCR to the students in the lab, and patiently answering any doubts raised by the students. Dr. Lim clearly demonstrated his capability in transmitting his passion, scientific knowledge, and talent for research to young scientists.”
“What really struck me about Dr Lim was how unassuming he is; not only did he provide me with advice, but he also got down to doing the experiments alongside me. He exemplified servant leadership and truly led by example. Whenever I faced setbacks, he would be there to encourage and push me forward.”
Dr. Teoh Phaik Ju
Dr. Teoh is a Research Fellow at the Cancer Science Institute of Singapore. Her research focuses on dissecting the biological abnormalities of hematological malignancies, particularly high-risk multiple myeloma, using high-throughput and basic molecular biology methods. Her work has been published in some of the top-tier blood cancer journals such as Haematologica, Leukemia, and Blood. She was awarded the Open-Fund-Young Investigator Research Grant (OF-YIRG), conferred by the National Medical Research Council of Singapore, for aspirational young scientists. Dr. Teoh is also a recipient of the Young Investigator Award of International Myeloma Workshop (Boston 2019).
Here are some excerpts of what Dr. Teoh’s mentees have shared about her:
“During my interactions with her, I also found her to be supportive and understanding, which I really appreciate. She would encourage and advise me when I was disappointed when experiments didn’t go as expected and we would troubleshoot the matters together and had a plan on how to improve the next time.”
“Dr Teoh is conscientious, meticulous, and responsible. She will always ensure that I have a good grasp of the science behind the experiments that I am doing and will guide me if there are things that I am unsure of”
“Dr. Teoh also took care of my academic, personal, and professional goals. Knowing that I will have to give presentations, she offered to spend extra time to guide me and provides critical feedback to hone my presentation and communication skills.”
2020 Outstanding Mentor Award for Research Fellows
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 – 2020 Outstanding Mentor Award for Research Fellows.
| Awardee | Department |
|---|---|
| Dr. Chong Shu Yun Phyllis | Medicine |
| Dr. Wong Lik Wei | Physiology |
| Dr. Teoh Phaik Ju | Medicine |
Dr. Chong Shu Yun Phyllis
Dr. Chong has been involved in translational research work on hematological malignancies, in particular, Acute Myeloid Leukemia (AML) and Multiple Myeloma (MM). She has published multiple first-author publications in peer-reviewed journals like Cancer Research and Oncogene. She is also the principal investigator of an NMRC-YIRG grant to study PRL-3 phosphatase.
Here are some excerpts of what Dr. Chong’s mentees have shared about her:
“Dr Chong shared the challenges she faced as a graduate student without reservations. She warned me of the pitfalls of burning out and the importance of pacing myself.”
“I saw first-hand as her staff how she patiently mentored a novice junior college student to reach new heights in his scientific understanding and technical capabilities.”
“Dr Chong’s mentorship has been enriching holistically and it is evident in many ways. We would discuss tangible goals at each milestone, and then we’d discuss how to achieve these goals together.”
Dr. Wong Lik Wei
Dr. Wong’s work involves investigating the neural basis and molecular mechanisms of long-term memory by using electrophysiological, behavioral, and molecular approaches. His research work focuses on how the alterations in synaptic plasticity is associated with sleep deprivation, aging, and neurodegenerative diseases modify the neural circuits.
Here are some excerpts of what Dr. Wong’s mentees have shared about him:
“Dr Wong always shares his ideas and also encourages me to provide my own ideas on the future goals for my project. He encourages me to follow high ethical standards while conducting research”
“He genuinely cared for me in every aspect – personally, academically, and professionally. He is always the first in and last out of the lab, never failed to assure the safety of FYP students, including me, in the laboratory.”
“When I look back at my time under his supervision, I have nothing but good memories. I worked under him for my first ever research attachment, and I can confidently say that my positive experiences with him have contributed to my research endeavours, hence my PhD applications.”
Dr. Teoh Phaik Ju
Dr. Teoh is a Research Fellow at the Cancer Science Institute of Singapore. Her research focuses on dissecting the biological abnormalities of hematological malignancies, particularly high-risk multiple myeloma, using high-throughput and basic molecular biology methods. Her work has been published in some of the top-tier blood cancer journals such as Haematologica, Leukemia, and Blood. She was awarded the Open-Fund-Young Investigator Research Grant (OF-YIRG), conferred by the National Medical Research Council of Singapore, for aspirational young scientists. Dr. Teoh is also a recipient of the Young Investigator Award of International Myeloma Workshop (Boston 2019).
Here are some excerpts of what Dr. Teoh’s mentees have shared about her:
“Dr. Teoh also took care of my academic, personal, and professional goals. Knowing that I will have to give presentations, she offered to spend extra time to guide me and provides critical feedback to hone my presentation and communication skills.”
“During my interactions with her, I also found her to be supportive and understanding, which I really appreciate. She would encourage and advise me when I was disappointed when experiments didn’t go as expected and we would troubleshoot the matters together and had a plan on how to improve the next time.”
“I came to know Dr. Teoh during my lab rotation in 2019 and have always found her to be efficient, responsible, and passionate about scientific research.”
