Our Core Focus

Discover how we advance translational research, support junior faculty, and foster collaboration.

Support

Supporting researchers and clinicians for impactful research.

Dr Keri McCrickerd appointed Executive Director of the Centre for Holistic Initiatives for Learning and Development

The Centre for Holistic Initiatives for Learning and Development (CHILD) at NUS Medicine has appointed Dr Keri McCrickerd as its Executive Director with effect from 1 April 2026.

Dr McCrickerd is a research psychologist specialising in appetite, eating regulation, and the design and implementation of interventions that support children’s health and development in real-world systems and settings. She holds a concurrent appointment as Principal Scientist at the Institute for Human Development and Potential (A*STAR IHDP).

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Tsinghua-NUS Joint Research Symposium

In 2024, Tsinghua University and the National University of Singapore (NUS) established the Tsinghua-NUS Joint Research Initiative Fund to foster collaborative research between researchers from both institutions in areas of shared strategic interest.

The inaugural call for proposals in 2024 focused on four key themes:

(a) Materials Innovation for Carbon Neutrality

(b) Biomedical Research for Healthcare

(c) Artificial Intelligence

(d) Advanced Manufacturing

 

This symposium will feature presentations by the research teams supported under the 2024 call, and showcase the outcomes and key findings of their projects. The symposium will also allow a platform for researchers from both universities to exchange ideas and identify opportunities for future collaboration.

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Establishment of the Neuroscience Translational Research Programme (TRP) in NUS Medicine

We are pleased to announce the establishment of the Neuroscience Translational Research Programme (TRP) at the Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore (NUS Medicine).


This marks a significant step forward in advancing neuroscience research and clinical innovation.

Leading the programme is Prof Rickie Patani, who has been appointed as its inaugural Programme Chair.

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An International Multidisciplinary Conference on Healthcare Innovations and Translational Medicine

🧬 Theme: Integrating Basic Science into the Future of Health 

Organised by the Singapore National Academy of Science (SNAS) in conjunction with its 50th Anniversary, SNASforum 2026 will provide a premier platform for the exchange of ideas, presentation of cutting-edge research, and fostering collaborations across academia, healthcare, and industry.

Conference Symposia

  1. Advanced Materials for Healthcare Applications and Technologies (AMHAT)

  2. X3 Human and Planetary Health (X3HPH)

  3. Stem Cells and Regenerative Therapy in Translational Medicine (SCRTTM)

📅 Important Dates

🔹 Abstract Submission Deadline: 31 July 2026

🔹 Early Bird Registration Deadline: 15 Aug 2026

🔹 Conference Dates:
7–10 December 2026

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Core Facility Sharing

From extremely qualified competent subject matter experts to state-of-the-art equipment, the Core Facilities in NUS Medicine provide excellent facilities for research, fostering collaborations for high impact translational research. These sessions seek to raise awareness within the NUS Medicine Community, about what the Core Facilities do and the kind of expertise they offer. Tune in and navigate, to find out more about what our Core Facilities are all about!

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Meet the Editor Seminars

The NUSMedSci Alliance had invited Dr Safia, a Senior Editor with Nature Genetics, to share about some tips for NUS Medicine Researchers who are keen to publish in Nature Journals, what happens to their manuscripts after submission and what is the recourse for those whose submissions were rejected. The seminar was very well received by the community. It not only helped the Researchers in attendance gain a better understanding of the roles of editors in the process, but also what to include and look out for, in their publication submissions to Journals such as Nature Genetics.
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Community Togetherness

On the 15th day of the Lunar New Year (Chap Goh Mei), together with one of our partners, the NUSMedSci Alliance organised a mass lohei for the community at the MD6 Foyer. It was a fun and enjoyable session for the community. Turnout was great, and attendees were able to bond over tossing lohei to welcome the Year of the Snake, along with a lion dance performance. Such events aim to promote togetherness as ONE NUSMedSci Alliance!
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Nurture

Empowering all faculty to thrive in their research development.

Graduate Connections

An Engagement cum Dialogue with Division of Graduate Studies (DGS) and Research Office (RO).

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Rising Star Research Series

Highlighting promising early-career researchers making remarkable contributions in their fields. An opportunity to learn, network, and celebrate emerging talent in the research community.

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Trailblazer Research Series

Showcasing pioneering research from distinguished scientists shaping the future of medicine. A platform to exchange ideas, explore new perspectives, and inspire breakthrough discoveries.

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Enable

Increasing networks & creating new opportunities for collaborations.

NUSMedSci Brew

Our ongoing programs are designed to foster collaboration and drive impactful research. Join us in advancing the frontiers of medical science.

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NRF CRP Grantsmanship Workshop

A workshop to create awareness of the NRF CRP grant call and to improve the submission of quality research proposals.

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Cross-Faculty collaborations

Encouraging meaningful connections across faculties to spark shared learning, innovative ideas, and collaborative growth.

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Be part of our community

Register for the NUSMedSci Alliance WhatsApp chatgroup using the link above. Admission is subject to approval.

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Dr Liu Boxiang

Assistant Professor,
NUS Presidential Young Professorship

Department of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences

Precision Medicine

Research Interests:

 

  • Genomics and single-cell sequencing analysis

  • AI/ML for drug discovery and RNA therapeutics

  • Functional genomics and disease target identification

  • Genetic regulation

Potential Clinical Partnership:

 

  • Cell-type-specific identification of disease risk genes using single-cell and spatial omics in diverse Asian populations, with focus on type-2 diabetes, autoimmune diseases, and cardiovascular conditions.

  • Development of computational methods for functional genomics and precision medicine applications.
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Dr Yu Haojie

Assistant Professor

Dept of Biochemistry

Precision Medicine

Research Interests:

 

My lab at NUS aims to establish an integrative and systematic approach to uncover novel regulators of cardiometabolic diseases by leveraging human GWAS data, cell type-specific eQTL, single-nucleus RNA sequencing & chromatin accessibility profiling, and CRISPR/Cas9-based functional screening.
In addition, we have a strong focus on GPCRs and their roles in disease regulation. To advance therapeutic development, we utilize high-throughput compound screening and AI-driven ‘hit-to-lead’ optimisation to identify and refine novel GPCR-targeting therapies.

Potential Clinical Partnership:

 

We seek to collaborate with clinician to acquire patient-derived
samples (plaques and liver) for single-nucleus RNA sequencing
and chromatin accessibility profiling.

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Dr Yeo Shang Long

Assistant Professor

Centre for Biomedical Ethics

Programmes:

Research Interests:

  • Ethics of nudging, ethics of behaviour change
  • Clinical ethics
  • Ethics of public policy
  • Ethics of AI

Potential Clinical Partnership:

  • Opportunities to analyse clinical cases that are unique to Singaporean/Asian context (e.g. about role of family, role of religious values etc.)
  • Opportunities to test and ethically evaluate various interventions in clinical context (e.g. AI summarization, nudges to take up screening/treatment)
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Dr Vincenzo Sorrentino

Assistant Professor

Dept of Biochemistry

Healthy Longevity

Research Interests:

My laboratory focuses on: -Biology of aging; -Proteostasis; – Mitochondria and NAD+ metabolism; – Preclinical models of neuromuscular disease (e.g. C. elegans, cell lines, rodents).

Potential Clinical Partnership:

 

  • Access to clinical samples for analyses of NAD+ metabolites in different cohorts (e.g. elderlies, chronic diseases)
  • Observatory studies linking energy metabolites to clinical phenotypes
  • Pilot/Intervention studies in humans with novel NAD+ precursors studied in my lab
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Dr Tsai Shih-Yin

Assistant Professor

Dept of Physiology

Healthy Longevity TRP

Research Interests:

  • mTORC1 signaling and muscle aging: Understanding how mTORC1 pathway disrupts proteostasis and contributes to sarcopenia.
  • Sex differences in muscle aging: Investigating how biological sex influences proteostasis mechanisms and responses to anti-aging interventions.

Potential Clinical Partnership:

One area where collaboration would be particularly impactful is the
development of a non-invasive biomarker for mTORC1-associated
sarcopenia. This project would aim to:

  • Identify circulating factors (e.g., plasma proteins, miRNAs, metabolites) that reflect mTORC1 activity and proteostasis status in skeletal muscle.
  • Correlate these biomarkers with muscle strength, composition, and functional assessments in older adults.
  • Lay the groundwork for early detection tools and monitoring response to targeted therapies, such as mTORC1 inhibitors or proteostasis enhancers.
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Dr Tan Chee Wah

Research Assistant Professor

Dept of Microbiology and Immunology

Infectious Diseases TRP

Research Interests:


My lab focuses primarily on pandemic sciences, with a particular interest in ‘bat viruses’ and ‘antibodies.’ Our team leverages surrogate systems to accurately quantify neutralizing antibodies, which are key immune biomarkers responsible for protection against viral diseases. Through surveillance, we aim to identify infectious disease threats in the region and better prepare for future pandemics, including the development of universal vaccines and therapeutic antibodies.

Potential Clinical Partnership:

 

To understand the correlates of protection, we aim to analyze
clinical samples from patients infected with respiratory diseases,
such as RSV and influenza viruses.

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Dr Shi Jiahai

Assistant Professor

Dept of Biochemistry

Synthetic Biology TRP

Research Interests:

  • Red Blood Cell maturation and ageing, aiming for thalassemia treatment
  • Red Blood Cell & Synthetic RBC therapy against anemia, autoimmune diseases, and cancers
  • Non-viral gene therapy delivered by Red Blood Cell extracellular vesicle
  • Al-Assisted Antibody Discovery

Potential Clinical Partnership:

  • RBC Therapy against Type 1 Diabetes (T1D)
  • Type Specific Blood Inventory Management
  • Thalassemia Therapy Development
  • Extended Blood Typing Technology
  • Gene Therapy against Metabolic Disorders
  • Al-Assisted Antibody Discovery for diagnostics and targeted therapies
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Dr Jiao Chunlei

Assistant Professor

Dept of Biological Sciences

Synthetic Biology TRP

Research Interests:

Discovery, engineering, and design of CRISPR and novel bacterial defense systems with the aim of developing innovative platforms for disease diagnosis and treatment.

  1. Mine and characterize new CRISPR or other novel defense systems
  2. Develop a sensitive and high-throughput RNA detection platform
  3. Develop a precise and highly efficient knock-in platform in eukaryotic cells
  4. Develop a precise and non-cytotoxic RNA knock-down platform
  5. Develop a long-range genome knock-out platform
  6. Develop a spatial, sequential RNA recording platform

Potential Clinical Partnership:


Our laboratory develops technologies for practical clinical applications, such as the DNA microarray-based multiplex disease detection platform, which relies on collaboration with clinicians to obtain patient samples—including those from sepsis cases. Additionally, our large-scale gene insertion research in eukaryotic cells, relevant to CAR-T cell therapy, underscores the importance of clinician partnerships.

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A/Prof Chris Sham Lok

Associate Professor

Dept of Microbiology and Immunology

IDTRP

Research Interests:

Our research program explores the molecular mechanisms that underpin capsule synthesis and bacterial virulence. We sought to:

Investigate how cell-surface glycans shape pathogenicity and immune responses.

Elucidate the interplay of capsule assembly, cell envelope synthesis, and cell division.

Uncover the mechanism behind enzyme specificity that ensures the fidelity of glycan synthesis.

Innovate high-throughput systems biology methods, such as Dual Tn-seq, to map genetic interactions and define gene functions.

Potential Clinical Partnership:

 

We seek clinical scientists specializing in vaccinology, infection biology,

and epidemiology to partner with us to explore captivating biological

questions and address unmet medical needs.

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Dr Alan Prem Kumar

Research Assistant Professor

Pharmacology

NUS Cancer for Cancer Research (N2CR)

Research Interests:

 

At the NUS Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, my research is dedicated to advancing precision oncology in breast and gynecological cancers by targeting nuclear receptor signaling and RNA helicases. By identifying predictive biomarkers and developing targeted therapeutics, my work aims to enhance drug efficacy, personalize treatment strategies, and ultimately improve patient survival and quality of life.

Potential Clinical Partnership:

 

  1. Enhancing Immunogenicity in Triple-Negative Breast Cancer (TNBC): Our in-house drug development program focuses on modulating the tumor microenvironment to boost immunogenicity in TNBC.
  2. Biomarker-Driven Optimization of Platinum Therapy in Ovarian Cancer: We are translating the clinical relevance of a key biomarker to refine patient selection for platinum-based therapies in ovarian cancer.
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A/Prof Teo Kee Keong, Adrian

Associate Professor

Dept of Biochemistry

Dept of Medicine

Research Interests:

  • Stem cells
  • Diabetes
  • Pancreatic beta cells
  • Organoids
  • Precision medicine
  • Cell therapy

Potential Clinical Partnership: 

  • Insulin insufficiency 
  • Transplantation therapy 
  • Diabetes complications 
  • Cell therapy 
  • Clinical trials 
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