In the Quacquarelli Symonds (QS) World University Rankings 2025, NUS Nursing leapfrogged to 8th in the world—rising 12 places compared to a year ago. A key component to the rankings is research—including citations and academic reputation. Deputy Head (Research), Associate Professor Wilson Tam shares his plans and what nurturing the next generation of researchers means to him.
Dr Tam first took on the mantle of Director of Research at Alice Lee Centre for Nursing Studies (NUS Nursing), National University of Singapore Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine in 2021. He recalled, “I was tasked to push up our research capabilities, and look into attracting more talented international researchers to our department.”
Maximising Research Efforts
Back then, he noticed that while NUS Nursing researchers were publishing papers at a respectable rate, many did so without taking into account the journals’ reputation. As a result, many meaningful findings went unnoticed. Dr Tam said, “We began by encouraging colleagues to publish in Q1 and Q2 journals.” In this strategy, he followed one of his personal tenets: just try.
Starting a few years back, Dr Tam and his team would send out monthly emails summarising available open calls for papers, as well as grant applications. “It’s out of our control whether paper submissions or grant applications will be successful. But with the knowledge of open calls and application windows—at least we won’t miss out on the opportunity.”
Over time, he noticed a positive change. He said, “Initially, some of us were hesitant to submit papers to top Nursing journals. But our confidence has grown as a department. Many of us now publish regularly with top Nursing and even medical journals.” In 2024, nine NUS Nursing researchers—including Dr Tam himself—ranked among the top 2% most-cited researchers in the world.
Searching for the Right Talent
NUS Nursing is also casting the net wide for more international and interdisciplinary research talent. NUS Nursing has since extended its Research Fellowship programme to international applicants, while recruiting actively for Assistant Professors to broaden the department’s pool of expertise.
Dr Tam explained, “One thing we are looking closely at is the range and sustainability of our research team. It used to be that most of our faculty came from Nursing backgrounds; now we are considering potential faculty from different fields such as psychology and informatics. This is in keeping with how Nursing research has grown increasingly interdisciplinary.”
Trained in applied mathematics and statistics and applying his skills to healthcare topics such as public health, epidemiology and cardiovascular diseases, he is convinced of the importance of multidisciplinary approaches in Nursing research and education. “No matter the discipline, the fundamentals of research methodology remain the same. For topics that are more clinical, close collaboration with clinicians is helpful in ensuring that the research stays relevant and can potentially be translated into clinical practice,” he explained.
He learnt this early in his career when he used his skills in applied mathematics and statistics to epidemiological research. Inspired by his PhD supervisor, Professor Jin-Ling Tang—a trained epidemiologist—he analysed a large database of hypertension patients in Hong Kong to explore factors such as medication adherence and air pollution. This led to his enduring interest in cardiovascular disease research.
Building a Collaborative and Inclusive Culture
With NUS Nursing’s growing maturity both in research and as a department, Dr Tam is keen to shape a strong collaborative culture. He recalled, “Previously, we tended to work independently on our individual projects. There may be pockets of collaborations here and there, but it was more of an ad hoc affair.”
Now, Dr Tam and NUS Nursing leadership are actively encouraging senior faculty to team up with junior faculty to work on projects together. To facilitate this, Research Fellows and Assistant Professors are paired with members of the senior faculty. “Besides helping them adapt to NUS Nursing, the expectation is that the senior faculty can guide the juniors along their research and academic journey.”
“In a Nursing school, we need everyone to play their role well—whether in education, research or administrative support. I believe that we progress best if we do it together and no one is left behind,” Dr Tam said. “That’s why this saying resonates so much with me: ‘If you want to go fast, go alone; but if you want to go far, go together.’”
When Your Research Supervisor Is Also Coach, Mentor and Friend
Dr Tam and Dr Woo on a trip to Oulu, Finland to meet collaborators for professional development of Advanced Practice Nurses (APNs).
Meeting Dr Tam, it’s easy to come away with the impression of a serious academic of few words. But to NUS Nursing Research Fellow Dr Brigitte Woo, who is also the 2024–25 Singaporean Harkness Fellow in Health Care Policy and Practice, he is a cherished mentor, life coach and friend.
Dr Woo recalled her initial apprehension—“I first met Prof Wilson when he became my PhD advisor, and it was intimidating. He was a highly experienced researcher while I was just starting out in research. What if my questions and research ideas come out sounding incoherent?”
Dr Tam recalled, “My first impression of Brigitte was that she was remarkably tall—but after our first conversation, I found Brigitte to be smart with great critical thinking skills.”
Straight Talk and Open Doors
Gradually, they built strong rapport, which both chalked up to their open-minded personalities. “Even from the beginning, we could discuss anything openly,” Dr Tam said. Dr Woo appreciated Dr Tam’s way of not mincing his words—“There’s never any need to second-guess Dr Wilson. If he thinks something’s a bad idea, he will tell me straightaway.”
Continuing, Dr Woo said, “Dr Wilson also has an open-door policy—literally—to let his students know that he’s available for consultation. Encouraged by that, I started walking in regularly to discuss my PhD project.” In fact, this is a policy that Dr Woo has instituted herself when advising her Honours students—albeit with her own twist. “Unlike Dr Wilson, my ‘open door’ is only for specific days and timeslots,” she quipped.
The Courage to Just Try
Dr Woo completed her PhD in 2020—but that did not mean the end of their relationship. When Dr Woo was hesitating to apply for the prestigious Harkness Fellowship in Health Care Policy and Practice, Dr Tam was supportive—in his trademark style. “Dr Wilson is always telling me, ‘Just try. What’s the worst that can happen? Get rejected,’” she deadpanned.
Dr Tam was also one of the first people Dr Woo contacted after her Fellowship interview. He said, “She told me she felt that she hadn’t done well for the interview, but we all knew it was a long shot—because the Fellowship is usually offered to more experienced, mid-career individuals. When we eventually heard that Brigitte was invited to join the Harkness programme—I was very proud.”
Despite being based at the University of Pennsylvania School of Nursing for a year as part of the Fellowship, Dr Woo appreciated the steadfast encouragement from her mentor. “Even though I’m in the US, he sends me new research ideas and information about grant calls. He would also urge, ‘Submission is just two pages, do you want to come up with a concept?’”
It turned out that one of Dr Tam’s invitations to collaborate on a paper on large language models (LLMs)—sowed the seeds for Dr Woo’s newfound interest in the technology. “The Editor-in-Chief of the European Journal for Cardiovascular Nursing approached Dr Wilson to pen a paper. But he decided to give me the opportunity instead by asking me to be the lead author. Working on the paper triggered my interest in artificial intelligence (AI) and LLMs—which forms the basis of my project here in the US.”
Dr Tam with Dr Woo at her PhD conferment.
From Work to Life Matters
Over the years, their relationship has evolved. “These days, we don’t just talk about work and research—I enjoy bouncing ideas off him, even about my life choices. He’s become more like a life coach,” she reflected.
As her research career matures, she no longer turns to him immediately at the first sign of a roadblock. “Dr Wilson has taught me so much to be able to hold my own—asking the right questions, looking at the same problem from different angles, getting stakeholder buy-in. I am ready to figure things out myself,” she paused. “But I know that if I ever need anything, he’s just a text message away.”
