Leadership changes in the National University of Singapore (NUS) Centre for Cancer Research (N2CR), Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, NUS
Published: 17 Oct 2025
Prof Goh Boon Cher (left), Dr Anand Jeyasekharan (right)
The National University of Singapore (NUS) Centre for Cancer Research (N2CR) at the Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine (NUS Medicine) announces new leadership appointments as part of its continued mission to advance translational cancer research and improve outcomes for patients across Asia.
Professor Goh Boon Cher will assume the role of Programme Chair of N2CR from 1 November 2025, succeeding Professor Ashok Venkitaraman, the founding Programme Chair. Dr Anand Jeyasekharan has been appointed Deputy Programme Chair with effect from 1 May 2025.
Professor Goh Boon Cher
Currently serving as Co-Programme Chair, Prof Goh Boon Cher is a distinguished senior clinician scientist known for his deep expertise in clinical pharmacology, drug development and precision oncology. His research has made significant strides in understanding resistance mechanisms and pharmacogenetics in Asian-centric cancers, particularly in lung and head and neck malignancies.
Beyond his leadership roles within the National University Health System (NUHS) and the National University Cancer Institute, Singapore (NCIS), Prof Goh continues to lead impactful translational research and mentor the next generation of clinician scientists.
As Programme Chair, Prof Goh will focus on accelerating cross-disciplinary collaborations and advancing translational programmes that address the unique cancer challenges in Asia. He will also champion N2CR’s mission to translate discoveries into real-world clinical solutions, strengthen clinician scientist training, and drive outreach initiatives that raise cancer awareness and promote early intervention.
Dr Anand Jeyasekharan
Dr Anand Jeyasekharan, a clinician scientist specialising in lymphoma and rare cancers, brings both clinical insight and research innovation to his new leadership role. An NMRC Clinician Scientist (Senior Investigator) Awardee, Dr Jeyasekharan’s research focuses on personalised medicine for advanced cancers.
At the Cancer Science Institute of Singapore (CSI), his laboratory has pioneered research in cancer cartography to map tumour-immune architecture with the use of novel spatial biology techniques to predict treatment response and resistance. In his concurrent roles as Research Director at the Department of Haematology-Oncology, National University Hospital (NUH) and Platform Lead at the Singapore Translational Cancer Consortium (STCC), he continues to advance national efforts in translational cancer research and molecular diagnostics.
At N2CR, Dr Jeyasekharan will lead initiatives to strengthen collaboration between basic and clinical researchers, enhance the sharing of research infrastructure, and integrate key platforms such as pathology and spatial biology across NUS and NUHS. His leadership will be instrumental in shaping N2CR into a dynamic hub for translational cancer discovery.
Professor Ashok Venkitaraman
Prof Ashok Venkitaraman, the founding Programme Chair of N2CR and Distinguished Professor of Medicine at NUS Medicine, is internationally renowned for his pioneering work on genome instability and cancer susceptibility. His landmark research on the BRCA gene has transformed the understanding of inherited cancer risk and informed the development of targeted therapies and early intervention strategies.
Since founding N2CR in 2020, Prof Venkitaraman has been instrumental in establishing its vision, mission, and strategic direction, fostering strong partnerships with NCIS and CSI, and building bridges between fundamental and clinical researchers across NUS Medicine and NUHS. Under his leadership, N2CR has evolved into a comprehensive research programme with a distinctive focus on Asian cancers, advancing innovations in cancer prevention, early diagnosis, and treatment.
NUS Medicine extends its deepest appreciation to Prof Venkitaraman for his visionary leadership and outstanding contributions and warmly congratulates Prof Goh Boon Cher and Dr Anand Jeyasekharan on their new appointments.
