Hello Everyone,
Welcome to the February issue of our School newsletter. Another interesting and challenging year lies before us and we look forward to sharing milestones and highlights of the year with you in our subsequent issues.
What a memorable year 2015 has been for Singapore and for all of us here at NUS Medicine! We had much to cheer about, as we celebrated the 110th year of both NUS and the School and joined the nation in celebrating the country’s Jubilee year. There was additional good news – NUS had climbed the Times Higher Education World University 2015-2016 rankings ladder to become Asia’s top university, and 26th in the world.
Our School did well in the same ranking: NUS Medicine was listed as Asia’s Number 1 medical school, and is positioned 32nd globally overall. Additionally, the 2015/2016 QS World University Rankings for Medicine by subject has NUS Medicine at Number 2 in Asia and 21st globally.
Last year, we also chalked more milestones in our key areas of teaching and research, with many colleagues winning awards at University, national and international levels. Hats off to Professor CN Lee, Assoc Prof Tai E Shyong and Assoc Prof James Yip for their wins at the National Medical Excellence Awards. Congratulations also to Assoc Prof Lee Pyng on being honoured by the American College of Chest Physicians, and Prof David Townsend, the 2015 awardee at the Society of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging. Congratulations also to the many other colleagues, who were recognised with Young Scientist, University and Faculty Teaching Awards. We are also proud of Prof Lim Pin, who received the Ministry of Social and Family Development’s Outstanding Volunteer Award for his service to the community. Once again, our colleagues’ winning ways reminded everyone why NUS Medicine is such a unique institution in Singapore.
Our 110th anniversary year was also a signal one for research work done by our scientists in cancer, heart disease, infectious diseases, to name a few. For example, Assoc Prof Allen Yeoh’s ground-breaking work on childhood leukaemia led to his developing a gentler chemotherapy protocol for patients. It also meant shorter hospital stays and reduced costs for patients and a high cure rate of more than 80% that is comparable with the best in the world.
And GUSTO researchers found that more than half of gestational diabetes cases in Singapore are undiagnosed, increasing risks of pre-eclampsia and pre-term birth as well as the mothers’ risk of developing Type 2 diabetes later. The team has recommended that the Ministry of Health screen all expectant women for GDM and monitor women with GDM for Type 2 diabetes after delivery.
I have often said that our students are our best ambassadors, because of their enthusiasm and admirable sense of civic-mindedness. We saw this demonstrated once again through the two signature student-led community service events – the Neighbourhood Health Service 2015 held at Bukit Merah and Marine Terrace in September, and the Public Health Service 2015, now into its 10th year.
NUS Medicine students are also talented athletes: earlier last year, a few students represented Singapore at the 28th SEA Games, while the School sports team also captured the NUS Inter-Faculty Games trophy. And because we have been consecutive winners for 3 years, we get to keep the trophy for good!
Off the field, our students also took the Gold at last year’s NUS Rag Day. They also won The Most Creative Performance and The Best Faculty Performance, all of which was part of national Golden Jubilee Weekend and National Day Parade celebrations held on 7 August at the Float@Marina Bay.
What will this year bring? Given the quality and calibre of our staff and students and the only constant being change itself, I believe we can look forward to another exciting year here at NUS Medicine!
Dr Yeoh Khay Guan
Dean
Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine