News

The Department of Pharmacology warmly congratulates Professor Philip Moore, our former Head of Department, on his appointment as Emeritus Professor.

Professor Moore has made significant contributions to the Department through his leadership, research and dedication to academic excellence. As Head of the Department, he played an important role in guiding and advancing the Department, leaving a lasting impact on our community.

We are delighted to celebrate this well-deserved recognition and grateful for Professor Moore’s longstanding contributions to the Department, the University and the field of pharmacology.

NUS Department of Pharmacology warmly welcomes Professor TAO Wei to the department and congratulates him on his prestigious appointment as Philip Yeo Chair Professor in Medicine.

Professor TAO joins the department with an outstanding record of research and academic contributions in the biomedical sciences. His appointment as Philip Yeo Chair Professor in Medicine is a distinguished recognition of his achievements and expertise.

We are delighted to have Professor TAO join our department and look forward to his contributions to research, education and the continued advancement of pharmacology and biomedical science.

The Department is pleased to share that A/P Gavin DAWE, Head of Department, has been conferred The Long Service Medal at the Singapore National Day Awards 2026.

The National Day Awards serve as a national recognition of individuals who have demonstrated exemplary service and commitment to Singapore across public service, education, and community development. The Long Service Medal specifically commends individuals of irreproachable character who have rendered at least 25 years of continuous service.

This prestigious honor underscores A/P Dawe’s steadfast leadership, professional integrity, and dedicated service. His ongoing efforts have significantly shaped the department’s growth and furthered our commitment to excellence in NUS education and research.

On behalf of the department, we offer our heartiest congratulations to A/P Gavin DAWE on this well-deserved recognition.

The Department Safety & Health Committee and Culture Ambassador Team are pleased to share the success of Majulah Walk 2026, which brought together 55 participants for a refreshing morning of nature, camaraderie and wellbeing.

This year’s walk marked our highest turnout for a nature walk to date, reflecting the strong enthusiasm and support from our department community.

Participants enjoyed a scenic walk through Labrador Nature Park and the Bukit Chermin Boardwalk, taking in the lush greenery, coastal views and waterfront scenery along the way. Beyond enjoying the outdoors, the walk also provided a wonderful opportunity for colleagues to connect, unwind and spend time together away from the workplace.

A big thank you to everyone who joined us and contributed to making Majulah Walk 2026 such a memorable event!

Department of Pharmacology is pleased to highlight the role of Associate Professor Kwon Seok Soga in a new collaboration between the Korea Regulatory Science Center (K-RSC) and the NUS Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, aimed at advancing regulatory science cooperation and strengthening collaboration across Asia.

Led by A/Prof Soga from the Department of Pharmacology, the partnership brings together expertise and resources to foster greater collaboration in regulatory science, with the potential to support innovation and strengthen regulatory frameworks across the region.

We congratulate A/Prof Soga on his leadership in this important initiative and celebrate his contributions to advancing regulatory science and international collaboration.

Full Story: https://medicine.nus.edu.sg/news/korea-regulatory-science-centerand-nus-medicine-sign-mou-to-advance-regulatory-science-cooperation-across-asia/

The Department of Pharmacology is pleased to celebrate two recent book publications involving Associate Professor Gautam Sethi, highlighting his contributions to education, knowledge sharing and research in the biomedical sciences.

Textbook of Developmental Biology: Laboratory Techniques and Experimental Approaches

Edited by Alok Chandra Bharti, Anna Senrung, Ashok Kumar and Gautam Sethi, this book was published by Springer Singapore in April 2026. It provides an in-depth exploration of developmental biology, with a focus on laboratory techniques and experimental approaches. The book covers developmental processes and experimental studies involving a range of model organisms, including frogs, chick embryos, Drosophila, zebrafish and Caenorhabditis elegans. It serves as a valuable resource for undergraduate and postgraduate students, educators and researchers in the Life Sciences.

Phytochemicals and Hallmarks of Cancer: From Molecules to Medicine

Edited by Gautam Sethi and Lekshmi R. Nath, this book explores the potential of phytochemicals and plant-derived products in cancer prevention and therapy. It examines the molecular mechanisms through which these natural compounds may influence key processes involved in cancer development and progression, while also highlighting the challenges of translating research findings into clinical applications.

We congratulate A/Prof Gautam Sethi on these publications and celebrate his continued contributions to education, research and knowledge advancement in the biomedical sciences.

The Department of Pharmacology congratulates Professor Fred Wong, Director of the Drug Discovery and Optimisation Platform, on securing S$2.13 million (US$1.66 million) in funding through 65LAB.

Serving as Co-Principal Investigator, Prof. Wong will lead efforts to accelerate the optimization and pre-clinical development of a potential first-in-class, airway-delivered biologic therapy. The treatment is designed to combat Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) and other immune cell-driven lung diseases. Preclinical studies have already shown highly encouraging results, demonstrating the biologic’s ability to reduce lung inflammation, improve lung function, and slow disease progression.

This funding will not only advance critical pre-clinical milestones but also pave the way for the creation of a new biotechnology company, bringing this innovative, real-world healthcare solution one step closer to patients.

Full Story: https://sbr.com.sg/healthcare/news/65lab-backs-nus-biotech-venture-213m-funding

NUS Department of Pharmacology was pleased to welcome Professor Bian and colleagues from Southern University of Science and Technology (SUSTech) for a visit and research exchange session.

During the meeting, both teams shared their research strengths and academic initiatives, engaging in fruitful discussions on areas of mutual interest. The exchange highlighted potential opportunities for future collaboration in fields such as drug delivery, lipidomics, and biomarker research, while also providing insights into SUSTech’s strong expertise in cardiovascular research.

The department look forward to strengthening ties and exploring collaborative opportunities that advance biomedical research and innovation.

The visit was also featured on SUSTech’s website. Read their coverage here: https://mp.weixin.qq.com/s/r533ZXuMuA_l5tOU9nCT5g

We are pleased to announce that Dr TRAN Thi Tuyet Trinh has been awarded the Lilly Medal and Prize in Pharmacology 2026 in recognition of her outstanding PhD research.

This annual award was established through a donation from the Lilly-NUS Centre for Clinical Pharmacology Pte Ltd, a subsidiary of Eli Lilly and Company, to honour students who have excelled in pharmacology studies and training. The prize includes a gold medal and a cash award of S$250 for the PhD student with the best PhD research thesis in Pharmacology.

Dr Tran’s thesis, “RNA Therapeutics Targeting Driver Mutations in Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer Delivered by Extracellular Vesicles,” was supervised by Associate Professor LE Thi Nguyet Minh from the Department of Pharmacology and the Digital Medicine (WisDM) Translational Research Programme.

We extend our heartfelt congratulations to Dr TRAN Thi Tuyet Trinh on this well-deserved achievement, and our sincere appreciation to the principal investigators for their strong support of this prize.

Congratulations to faculty members from the Department of Pharmacology who have been featured in the latest Research.com global rankings of Best Scientists by Discipline. These prestigious rankings recognise leading experts worldwide based on their research performance, impact, and scholarly contributions.

We are especially proud to share that Professor Guillermo C. Bazan was ranked 2nd in Singapore and 98th globally in Chemistry, underscoring his outstanding influence in the field.

Notably, most of the recognised faculty demonstrated improvements in their global rankings, while their national rankings remained unchanged, reflecting continued strong standing within Singapore alongside growing international research impact. Distinguished faculty members recognised across disciplines such as Medicine, Neuroscience, and Biology & Biochemistry include Associate Professor Gautam Sethi, Dr Alan Prem Kumar, Dr Mitchell Lai Kim Peng, Associate Professor Gavin S. Dawe, Professor Manjunatha Kini, Dr Muthu Shanmugam, Associate Professor Edward Manser, Associate Professor Shabbir Moochhala, Professor Phillip K. Moore, and Professor Christopher Chen Li-Hsian.

These achievements highlight the Department of Pharmacology’s sustained excellence in biomedical research and its rising global visibility, while maintaining leadership at the national level.