Appointments of Associate Professor Sophia Archuleta, Adjunct Associate Professor Lian Wen Quan Derrick and Professor Cheng Ching-Yu as Vice-Deans, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine
Published: 18 Feb 2025
We are pleased to announce the appointments of Associate Professor Sophia Archuleta as Assistant Dean (Equal Opportunities and Career Development), Adjunct Associate Professor Lian Wen Quan Derrick as Assistant Dean (Students) and Professor Cheng Ching-Yu as Assistant Dean (Research), at the Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore (NUS Medicine). Congratulations to them on their new roles at NUS Medicine!
Associate Professor Sophia Archuleta (Assistant Dean of Equal Opportunities and Career Development, effective 1 January 2025)
A/Prof Sophia Archuleta, from the Department of Medicine at NUS Medicine, is also Head and Senior Consultant of the Division of Infectious Diseases at the National University Hospital (NUH), Singapore.
A/Prof Archuleta received her Bachelor of Science from Yale University in 1994 and her M.D. from Albert Einstein College of Medicine in 1998. She completed her internal medicine and infectious diseases training at Mount Sinai Medical Center in New York and is board certified in internal medicine and infectious diseases. In 2003, she joined the faculty of the Division of International Medicine and Infectious Diseases at Weill Medical College of Cornell University where she focused on HIV medicine and postgraduate education. A/Prof Archuleta joined the Division of Infectious Diseases of NUH in 2008 where she established and led the NUH HIV Programme until 2017. She was also the inaugural Director of the National HIV Programme, National Centre for Infectious Diseases, from 2017 to 2024. As a dedicated clinician educator, she serves as Core Faculty of the National University Health System’s (NUH) ID Senior Residency Programme, as well as in various educational leadership roles and national committees on graduate medical education.
A/Prof Sophia Archuleta spearheaded the formation of the NUHS Women in Science and Healthcare (WISH) in 2017 and served as its President until 2022. She is currently a member of the WISH Executive Council. The mission of WISH is to empower and support women as leaders in education, research, clinical practice, and administration. For the past few years, A/Prof Archuleta and her team have actively sought to bring awareness, educate and lead by example on issues that impact women across NUHS. She engaged in widespread stakeholder consultations within NUS Medicine, NUS, and NUHS to gather feedback and analyse gaps in order to better inform WISH advocacy and meaningful change. A/Prof Archuleta has upheld WISH’s mission by leading various initiatives including the Lunch & Learn series and International Women’s Day conference, as well as championing leadership programmes, cognitive bias workshops, and mentorship training that have benefited many women in NUHS.
A/Prof Archuleta’s efforts led to the initiative to draft a White Paper for the Dean of NUS Medicine, which resulted in the formation of the EOCD office. She is known for her courageous efforts in engaging NUHS senior leadership to promote diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives, and was recognised for these efforts in 2022 with the inaugural NUS Medicine Gender Equity Award.
Adjunct Associate Professor Lian Wen Quan Derrick (Assistant Dean of Students, effective 2 February 2025)
Adj A/Prof Lian is a pathologist with a special interest in paediatric and perinatal pathology. In addition to his clinical role, Adj A/Prof Lian is deeply involved in both undergraduate and post-graduate education. In this regard, he is no stranger to our medical students, being a mentor to many. He cares deeply about their professional growth and wellbeing and works to help them transition smoothly in their journey to becoming junior doctors.
Adj A/Prof Lian has taken his passion in medical education one-step further and obtained a Master’s degree in Health Professions Education, which has enhanced his role as an administrator in medical education. Currently, he serves as the National University Hospital (NUH) Undergraduate Education Director for Pathology, Deputy Chair of the School’s Faculty Assessment Committee, and was previously part of the Ministry of Health (MOH) Medical School Evaluation team. He was part of the Core Faulty (Office for Students, OfS) overseeing House matters and the mentoring programme for medical students in the School. We look forward to having Adj A/Prof Lian lead the Student Life and Development team, to oversee and enhance OfS’ initiatives in these areas.
Professor Cheng Ching-Yu (Assistant Dean of Research, effective 1 March 2025)
Prof Cheng Ching-Yu is a distinguished clinician-scientist with dual expertise in ophthalmology and data science. His extensive research in ophthalmology focuses on the epidemiology, data science, and clinical aspects of age-related blinding ocular diseases, particularly glaucoma.
As the Director of the Singapore Epidemiology of Eye Diseases (SEED) programme since 2014, Prof Cheng has developed a world-class translational research initiative in population eye health. Under his leadership, SEED has established one of the largest epidemiological databases and biobanks for eye diseases globally, with over 10,000 participants. This monumental achievement has led to numerous high-impact publications in prestigious journals and a wealth of new knowledge in blindness prevention. The data collected from SEED is extensively utilised by leading international agencies, including the World Health Organization (WHO), further cementing his status as a global authority in population eye health. Additionally, using cutting-edge genotyping and sequencing technologies, Prof Cheng has made significant strides in identifying susceptibility genes for various ocular traits.
Since 2022, as the Director of the Centre for Innovation and Precision Eye Health (InVision) at NUS Medicine, Prof Cheng has advanced into Artificial Intelligence (AI)-based big data analytics for disease prediction and risk stratification. By harnessing the power of AI, he and his team are addressing unmet clinical needs to improve eye health care. This innovative work includes developing sophisticated algorithms and predictive models to accurately identify individuals at high risk of developing diseases. These AI-driven solutions not only enhance early detection and personalised management plans but also align with the Ministry of Health’s priorities in healthy ageing and precision medicine, as well as Singapore’s Smart Nation initiative. His pioneering efforts in integrating AI with ophthalmology are setting new standards in the field and paving the way for more efficient, data-driven eye care solutions globally. As an esteemed ophthalmologist, Prof Cheng is leading transformative advancements in the field.
Prof Cheng has an impressive publication record, co-authoring over 600 clinical and scientific papers, including those in top-tier journals such as The New England Journal of Medicine (NEJM), JAMA, Cell, Nature Medicine, Nature Genetics, Lancet Global Health, and Lancet Digital Health. He serves on the editorial board of several international journals, including the British Journal of Ophthalmology, Clinical and Experimental Ophthalmology, Translational Vision Science and Technology, and Ophthalmic Epidemiology. His numerous accolades include the Clinician Scientist Award (CSA) from the National Medical Research Council (NMRC) of Singapore in 2012, and the CSA-Senior Investigator awards in 2017 and 2023. He has also received the Asia-Pacific Academy of Ophthalmology (APAO) Achievement Award and Senior Achievement Award, the Outstanding Service in Prevention of Blindness Award, and the American Academy of Ophthalmology (AAO) Achievement Award.
