Dr DONG Yanhong, Catherine

Dr DONG Yanhong, Catherine

Assistant Professor

Alice Lee Centre for Nursing Studies (NUS Nursing),
Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore.

Teaching Areas

  • Healthy Ageing and Well-being
  • Nursing Science and Management – Community Nursing in Singapore

Dr. Dong is the first Nurse Clinician Scientist fully funded by Singapore National Medical Research Council (NMRC) for cutting edge clinical research program “Heart-Brain Connection”. She has cross disciplinary educational and clinical background in Nursing and Clinical Neuropsychology. Her research expertise includes neurocognition, behavioural change, and heart-brain connection. Her translational research and its impact has been well recognized by the American Academy of Nursing, talent awards (e.g., NMRC Singapore and Endeavour Award Australia), large quantum funding (SGD > 2 million grant as PI), high impact journals (e.g., European Journal of Heart Failure). She is an invited reviewer for Tier 1 journals and international grants. The translational impact of Dr. Dong’s research includes novel neurocognitive services, contribution to textbook, clinical guideline and treatment manuals. Dr. Dong is committed to contextualize cognitive health in Nursing, mentor Nurse Clinician Scientists to drive translational research in Science of Care.

Education

  • Doctor of Philosophy (Medicine), UNSW Medicine, the University of New South Wales, Australia
  • Master of Clinical Neuropsychology, Macquarie University, Australia
  • Master of Applied Science by Research (Behavior Science), University of Sydney, Australia
  • Master of Health Science by Coursework (Behavior Science), University of Sydney, Australia
  • Graduate Diploma in Psychology, Macquarie University, Australia
  • Bachelor of Nursing, University of Sydney, Australia
  • Diploma in Nursing, Nanyang Polytechnic, Singapore
  • Specialist Certificate in Clinical Research (Neuroscience), University of Melbourne, Australia

Research Interests

  • Neurocognition and Vascular Cognitive Impairment
  • Science of Care for Cognitive Impairment
  • Heart – Brain Connection
  • Brain Training and Cognitive Intervention
  • Data Science in Nursing
  • Research Team: Jenny Ng

Publications DOI Impact Factor
Granland, K. A., Thompson, C. L., & Dong, Y. (2022). "Train Your Brain" Cognitive Intervention Group Program for Singaporean Older Adult Patients With Mild Cognitive Impairment: A Pilot Feasibility Study. Journal of geriatric psychiatry and neurology, 35(3), 442–449. https://doi.org/10.1177/08919887211002661 2.718
Dong, Y., Teo, S. Y., Kang, K., Tan, M., Ling, L. H., Yeo, P., Sim, D., Jaufeerally, F., Leong, K., Ong, H. Y., Soon, D., Lee, S., Loh, S. Y., Tan, R. S., Chan, S. P., Richards, A. M., & Lam, C. (2019). Cognitive impairment in Asian patients with heart failure: prevalence, biomarkers, clinical correlates, and outcomes. European journal of heart failure, 21(5), 688–690. https://doi.org/10.1002/ejhf.1442 17.349
Dong, Y., Venketasubramanian, N., Chan, B. P., Sharma, V. K., Slavin, M. J., Collinson, S. L., Sachdev, P., Chan, Y. H., & Chen, C. L. (2012). Brief screening tests during acute admission in patients with mild stroke are predictive of vascular cognitive impairment 3-6 months after stroke. Journal of neurology, neurosurgery, and psychiatry, 83(6), 580–585. https://doi.org/10.1136/jnnp-2011-302070 13.654
Shaik, M. A., Chan, Q. L., Xu, J., Xu, X., Hui, R. J., Chong, S. S., Chen, C. L., & Dong, Y. (2016). Risk Factors of Cognitive Impairment and Brief Cognitive Tests to Predict Cognitive Performance Determined by a Formal Neuropsychological Evaluation of Primary Health Care Patients. Journal of the American Medical Directors Association, 17(4), 343–347. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jamda.2015.12.007 7.802
Dong, Y., Kua, Z. J., Khoo, E. Y., Koo, E. H., & Merchant, R. A. (2016). The Utility of Brief Cognitive Tests for Patients With Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus: A Systematic Review. Journal of the American Medical Directors Association, 17(10), 889–895. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jamda.2016.06.010 7.802
Awards and Honours Year
Fellow of the American Academy of Nursing 2022
World Heart Federation Salim Yusuf Emerging Leader 2022
Singapore National Medical Research Council Transition Award 2017
Endeavour Research Fellowship Award, Australia 2013
Singapore National Medical Research Council Fellowship Award-overseas PhD Training 2011
Year Project Title Funding Organization
2023 - 2025 Heart-Brain Connection Translational Research Programme NUS (PI)
2022 – 2023 Developing a Digital Solution for Salutogenic Brain Health (DiSaB-BISI): A BISI pilot study NUS (PI)
2017 – 2023 Heart-Brain Connection: Cognitive Impairment in Heart Failure NMRC Transition Award, Singapore (PI)
2017 – 2022 Independent Living and Future Care for Stroke Patients and Their Caregivers: An Innovative and Holistic Community Brain Health Program Tote Board-Enabling Lives Initiative Grant, Singapore (PI)
2015 – 2017 Prevalence and clinical correlates of cognitive impairment in Asian patients with heart failure NMRC, Singapore (PI)
2014 - 2017 Predictors, patterns and mechanisms of progression of cognitive decline in stroke/TIA patients: A longitudinal study of stroke survivors NUHS Clinician Scientist Program Award, Singapore (PI)
2014 Stroke-Cog: Cognitive Outcome After stroke in Australians and Singaporeans Ministry of Education, Australia (PI)