NUS Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine and Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health Launch Women’s Health Initiative
Published: 25 Mar 2025
On 13 March 2025, in Boston, the NUS Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine (NUS Medicine) and the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health officially launched the ‘NUS Medicine-Harvard Chan Women’s Health Initiative’ marking the beginning of a partnership grounded in a shared commitment to advancing women’s health research, training, and advocacy.
Led by Zhang Cuilin, Chair Professor on Women’s Health and Director of the Global Centre for Asian Women’s Health (GloW) at NUS Medicine, and Frank B. Hu, Fredrick J. Stare Professor of Nutrition and Epidemiology, Chair of Department of Nutrition at Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, this initiative seeks to harness the strengths of both institutions to improve Asian women’s health globally by addressing the unique health challenges faced by Asian women, who represent over 60% of the global female population yet remain underrepresented in health research.
From left to right: Professor Zhang Cuilin, Director of the Global Centre for Asian Women’s Health (GloW) at NUS Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine (NUS Medicine), Professor Chong Yap Seng, Dean, NUS Medicine, Professor Andrea Baccarelli, Dean, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Professor Frank B. Hu, Chair of Department of Nutrition, Harvard TH Chan School of Public Health
A Strategic Partnership for Global Impact
The initiative aims to advance the understanding of women’s health and improve global health outcomes for Asian women through joint research efforts, the training of the next generation of women’s health professionals, and knowledge exchange between Singapore and the United States.
Members of NUS Medicine visited the Harvard T.H Chan School of Public health
Leveraging Large-Scale Research Cohorts
While the initiative will focus primarily on Asian women, the team will also examine the issues impacting women from diverse backgrounds, from diet and lifestyle to reproductive health, maternal health, chronic diseases, and longevity. Research will draw on extensive longitudinal data, including over 300,000 women tracked over up to 50 years, alongside 25,000 mother-child pairs from various key such as the Nurses’ Health Study (NHS), NHS II, NHS III, GUTS, GUSTO and SPRESTO.
Cultivating Future Leaders in Women’s Health
A key part of this partnership is the establishment of the NUS Medicine-Harvard Chan Women’s Health Champion Scholarship, which will support at least three clinician scientists or investigators annually, providing them with research training at Harvard for a period of three to six months. The programme will not only enhance the capabilities of researchers in women’s health research but also foster collaboration between institutions across Asia and the U.S, paving the way for future global collaborations in this critical field of research.
Professor Zhang Cuilin, lead of the initiative, underscored the significance of this partnership, stating, “By bringing together the expertise and resources of two leading institutions, we aim to deepen our understanding of women’s health across diverse populations and translate our research findings into actionable strategies. Through this collaboration, we also hope to build a global network of health professionals and researchers dedicated to improving the health of women worldwide.”
Professor Chong Yap Seng, Dean of NUS Medicine, added, “This partnership represents a crucial step forward in the global advancement of women’s health, and I am confident that findings from this initiative will establish a strong foundation for transformative change, improving the health of women, particularly in Asia. Together, we can create an enduring impact that will benefit women for generations to come.”
