Conferment of Provost’s Chairs in NUS Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine
Published: 27 Oct 2014
The NUS Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine is proud to announce the conferment of Professor Nicholas Gascoigne and Professor Bay Boon Huat as Provost’s Chairs.
Provost’s Chairs are established to recognise Professors who excel in their research quality and impact. Appointees to Provost’s Chairs are expected to participate in research, teaching, and service consistent with the norm of the department and to share in the collegial responsibilities of the Department and School. They are also expected to contribute to the University’s continued and expanding efforts to strengthen the international standing of the University; and serve as a leading example of scholarly achievements comparable to scholars holding similar chairs in the relevant field and at similar stage of career in peer institutions.
Professor Nicholas Gascoigne
Professor Nicholas Gascoigne held a tenured position as Professor at The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, USA before joining NUS in March 2013. Throughout his entire career span at Scripps, he has regularly achieved cutting edge research and the most recent work from his group was published in Nature in December 2013. Professor Gascoigne’s research is focused on understanding immunological responses to bacterial and viral infections and in cancer through studying the mechanisms of T cell activation and the role of the T cell receptor.
To date, Professor Gascoigne has certainly contributed much to the field of immunology through his extensive and insightful research on T cells. Leveraging from his vast experience and outstanding research track record, Professor Gascoigne stands out as a well-regarded researcher and is actively scaling greater heights in his research. In his capacity as the current Head of Microbiology Department, Professor Gascoigne is leading translational research in NUHS. Under his leadership, it is expected that the Department will rise to greater eminence in research and education.
Professor Bay Boon Huat
Professor Bay Boon Huat has excelled in teaching and research and has to date received several teaching and research excellence awards. His research had focused on metallothionein and he has gained wide recognition for his research on the identification of metallothionein as a specific biomarker in breast cancer. Unraveling the roles of different isoforms of metallothionein in cancer development and progression may pave the way for applications in tumour diagnostics, and open up new possibilities for treating cancers. In 2008, Prof Bay was appointed as Head of the Department of Anatomy, NUS. In the years that he had helmed the Department, he has demonstrated remarkable skill in administration and leadership. He is visionary and forward looking with a clear aim to bring the Department to a higher level both locally and globally.
For his visionary and progressive leadership as Head of Anatomy Department and outstanding service to the University, combined with stellar academic contributions and publications record, Prof Bay has been awarded the Public Administration Medal 2013. Prof Bay has demonstrated exceptional qualities of a notable academician at NUS. His excellent service extends beyond the Department of Anatomy to the School and University level, and serves as a good role model to other faculty members.
