Assoc Prof Elizabeth Tham Huiwen

Appointment(s)

• Vice Chairman (Research), Medical Board, NUH
• Assistant Dean (Research), Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, NUS
• Associate Professor, Department of Paediatrics, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, NUS
• Head, Research Integrity & Compliance, Research & Innovation Office, NUHS
• Head & Senior Consultant, Division of Allergy, Immunology & Rheumatology, Khoo Teck Puat – National University Children’s Medical Institute, NUH
• Deputy Head, Department of Paediatrics, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, NUS
• Principal Investigator, Human Potential Translational Research Programme, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, NUS

Degree(s)

• Doctor of Philosophy (PhD), Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, 2025
• Master of Clinical Investigation (MCI), National University of Singapore, 2018
• Fellow of the Academy of Medicine, Academy of Medicine, Singapore (FAMS), 2016
• Member of the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health, Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health, RCPCH (UK), 2011
• Master of Medicine (Paediatric Medicine), National University of Singapore, 2011 
• Bachelor of Medicine & Bachelor of Surgery, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, 2007

Biography

Associate Professor Elizabeth Tham is a clinician-scientist and internationally recognised expert in paediatric allergy and immunology, with a research focus on the epidemiology, prevention and pathogenesis of atopic dermatitis and food allergy in Asian populations. Her work has fundamentally advanced understanding of how allergic diseases differ across ethnic and geographical populations, challenging the universal applicability of Western-derived prevention strategies and establishing the need for precision, population-specific approaches to allergy prevention and management.

As an independent Principal Investigator within the Human Potential Translational Research Programme at the Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Professor Tham leads the Child Health Domain in the Growing Up in Singapore Towards Healthy Outcomes (GUSTO) cohort and the Singapore Preconception Study of Long-Term Maternal and Child Outcomes (S-PRESTO), and serves as Deputy Site Principal Investigator and Trial Management Group member of the international NiPPeR study. Through these landmark cohorts, she has pioneered research uncovering unique Asian phenotypes of atopic dermatitis and food allergy and identifying early-life factors that shape allergic disease trajectories.

Associate Professor Tham’s research has generated several seminal discoveries, including the identification of early-onset atopic dermatitis and disease severity as key determinants of food allergy risk across populations, and the demonstration that allergy prevention strategies, such as early allergenic food introduction and prophylactic emollient therapy, should be tailored according to population risk profiles. Her work has directly informed regional and international guidelines and has been incorporated into consensus recommendations across the Asia-Pacific region.

A major pillar of her research programme focuses on the skin microbiome and its role in allergic disease pathogenesis. Her pioneering studies demonstrating the transmissibility of the skin microbiome between patients with atopic dermatitis and their household contacts have opened new avenues for understanding disease persistence and developing novel therapeutic approaches. Her current translational research integrates microbiomics, metabolomics, transcriptomics and bioengineering to develop precision medicine strategies and innovative biotherapeutics for allergic diseases.

Associate Professor Tham has published extensively in leading international journals, including the Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology, Allergy, and Pediatric Allergy and Immunology. She has secured more than S$20 million in competitive research funding as Principal Investigator and Co-Investigator and is widely recognised as a key opinion leader in paediatric allergy and immunology. Her contributions to research, education and advocacy have earned her numerous national and international awards, leadership positions in global scientific organisations, and invitations to speak at major international congresses. Through her work, she continues to shape the global agenda in allergy prevention and improve the lives of children and families affected by allergic diseases.

As Assistant Dean (Research) in Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Associate Professor Tham supports the development of the School’s research strategies and priorities, fostering a culture of research excellence. As VCMB (Research), NUH, she also provides strategic leadership and governance oversight, drives institutional research strategy, strengthens infrastructure and talent pipelines, and enhances NUH’s competitiveness and impact in academic medicine. These roles ensures that NUHS’ research enterprise is high-quality, ethically conducted, compliant with all regulatory requirements, and aligned with institutional and national priorities.

As a Senior Consultant in the Division of Allergy, Immunology & Rheumatology, KTP-NUCMI, she is particularly passionate about improving the care and quality of life for children suffering from eczema and food allergy.

Research Areas/Research Interest

Associate Professor Elizabeth Tham’s research interests lie at the intersection of paediatric allergy, translational immunology, epidemiology, and precision medicine. Her work focuses on understanding the early-life origins, pathogenesis, and prevention of allergic diseases, particularly atopic dermatitis and food allergy, with an emphasis on Asian populations.

Her key research interests include:

• Epidemiology and natural history of allergic diseases: Defining the prevalence, phenotypes, trajectories, and risk factors for atopic dermatitis, food allergy, and the atopic march across diverse populations.
• Early-life determinants of allergy development: Investigating how preconception, maternal, environmental, nutritional, and early-life exposures influence allergic disease risk and immune development using longitudinal birth cohorts.
• Allergy prevention and precision public health: Developing evidence-based, population-specific strategies for the prevention of atopic dermatitis and food allergy, including early interventions and implementation of precision prevention approaches.
• Skin barrier and skin microbiome biology: Elucidating the role of skin barrier dysfunction, microbial dysbiosis, and host-microbe interactions in the pathogenesis and persistence of allergic diseases.
• Multi-omics and biomarker discovery: Applying metagenomic, metabolomic, transcriptomic, and bioinformatic approaches to identify predictive biomarkers and mechanistic pathways underlying allergic diseases and their complications.
• Translational therapeutics and bioengineering: Developing innovative biotherapeutic approaches, including microbiome-based therapies and engineered probiotics, to advance precision treatment strategies for atopic dermatitis and food allergy.

Through these interconnected research programmes, A/Prof Tham aims to transform the prevention and management of allergic diseases by bridging fundamental discovery science with clinical and population health applications, ultimately improving long-term outcomes for children and families affected by allergic diseases worldwide.

Selected Publications

Treatment Strategies for Prevention of Atopic Dermatitis

Chan-Ng PPL, Leung ASY, Goleva E, Tham EH. 2025 Nov;45(4):515-534.

The skin microbiome in pediatric atopic dermatitis and food allergy

Tham EH, Chia M, Riggioni C, Nagarajan N, Common JEA, Kong HH. Allergy. 2024 Jun;79(6):1470-1484.

Correlates of protection against symptomatic SARS-CoV-2 in vaccinated children

Zhong Y, Kang AYH, Tay CJX, Li HE, Elyana N, Tan CW, Yap WC, Lim JME, Le Bert N, Chan KR, Ong EZ, Low JG, Shek LP, Tham EH, Ooi EE. Nat Med. 2024 May;30(5):1373-1383. Epub 2024 Apr 30. Erratum in: Nat Med. 2024 Jul;30(7):2093.

Growing Up in Singapore with allergies - Lessons learnt from the GUSTO & S-PRESTO cohorts

Suaini NHA, Van Bever H, Tham EH. Allergol Int. 2024 Jan;73(1):13-19.

EAACI guidelines on the diagnosis of IgE-mediated food allergy

Santos AF, Riggioni C, Agache I, Akdis CA, Akdis M, Alvarez-Perea A, Alvaro-Lozano M, Ballmer-Weber B, Barni S, Beyer K, Bindslev-Jensen C, Brough HA, Buyuktiryaki B, Chu D, Del Giacco S, Dunn-Galvin A, Eberlein B, Ebisawa M, Eigenmann P, Eiwegger T, Feeney M, Fernandez-Rivas M, Fisher HR, Fleischer DM, Giovannini M, Gray C, Hoffmann-Sommergruber K, Halken S, Hourihane JO, Jones CJ, Jutel M, Knol E, Konstantinou GN, Lack G, Lau S, Marques Mejias A, Marchisotto MJ, Meyer R, Mortz CG, Moya B, Muraro A, Nilsson C, Lopes de Oliveira LC, O'Mahony L, Papadopoulos NG, Perrett K, Peters RL, Podesta M, Poulsen LK, Roberts G, Sampson HA, Schwarze J, Smith P, Tham EH, Untersmayr E, Van Ree R, Venter C, Vickery BP, Vlieg-Boerstra B, Werfel T, Worm M, Du Toit G, Skypala I.Allergy. 2023 Dec;78(12):3057-3076.

Shared signatures and divergence in skin microbiomes of children with atopic dermatitis and their caregivers

Chia M, Naim ANM, Tay ASL, Lim K, Chew KL, Yow SJ, Chen J, Common JEA, Nagarajan N, Tham EH. J Allergy Clin Immunol. 2022 Oct;150(4):894-908.

Emollients in infancy to prevent atopic dermatitis: A systematic review and meta-analysis

Zhong Y, Samuel M, van Bever H, Tham EH. Allergy. 2022 Jun;77(6):1685-1699.

Children of Asian ethnicity in Australia have higher risk of food allergy and early onset eczema than those in Singapore

Suaini NHA, Loo EX, Peters RL, Yap GC, Allen KJ, Van Bever H, Martino DJ, Goh AEN, Dharmage SC,Colega MT, Chong MFF, Ponsonby AL, Tan KH, Tang MLK, Godfrey KM, Lee BW, Shek LP, Koplin JJ, Tham EH. Allergy. 2021 Mar 22

Low Food Allergy Prevalence Despite Delayed Introduction of Allergenic Foods-Data from the GUSTO Cohort

Tham EH et al. J Allergy Clin Immunol Pract. 2018 Mar-Apr;6(2):466-475.e1.

Early introduction of allergenic foods for the prevention of food allergy from an Asian perspective – an Asia Pacific Association of Pediatric Allergy, Respirology & Immunology (APAPARI) Consensus Statement

Tham EH, Shek LP, Van Bever HP, Vichyanond P, Ebisawa M, Wong GWK, Lee BW. Pediatr Allergy Immunol.2018 Feb;29(1):18-27.