Research Themes
Research Theme 1: Discovery of new targetable mechanisms for Asian phenotypes of neurodegenerative diseases using human model systems and/or human validation, prioritising our local community in Singapore.
Research Theme 2: Biomarker discovery to promote early diagnosis of ‘at-risk’ groups, thereby informing preventative strategies. This will also inform patient stratification for trials, again prioritising those relevant for our local population. There is also potential utility for diagnostic and prognostic purposes clinically.
Research Theme 3: Harnessing TRP potential across programmes and beyond. We will leverage local strengths in other TRPs and NUS to advance those areas with the greatest translational potential and/or need. Where possible, the funding model would be that of cost and/or resource sharing between mutually interested TRPs.
Publications
2026
Clinical Outcomes of Individualized Electrostimulation Using a Wearable Electro Suit and Qualitative Feedback From a Mixed Cohort of Survivors of Stroke and Spinal Cord Injury With Spasticity: Case Series
Jia Min Yen, Nur Shafawati Kamsani, Hwa Sen Lai, Ning Tang, Effie Chew
JMIR Rehabilitation and Assistive Technologies, 26 June 2026; 13:e81522.
DOI: 10.2196/81522
Is Ergothioneine an Important Source of Plasma Trimethylamine N-Oxide in Humans?
Irwin K Cheah, Lik Hang Wu, Richard M Y Tang, Ulrike Rieprecht, Leroy Sivappiragasam Pakkiri, Arthur Mark Richards, Chester Lee Drum, Barry Halliwell
Antioxidants, 2026 Jun 29;15(7):819. doi: 10.3390/antiox15070819.
DOI: 10.3390/antiox15070819.
Galectin-3 Regulates Smooth Muscle Contraction and Blood Pressure by Modulating CaV1.2 Channel Function
Kelvin Wei Zhern Loh, Yanruo Zhou, Cong Liu, Jing Zhai, Chaitanya K. Jaladanki, Cheryl Jia Yi Neo, Dejie Yu, Mui Cheng Liang, Mengxia Shen, Hao Fan, Ping Liao,Zhenyu Hu, and Tuck Wah Soong
Circulation, Volume 154, Number 9.
DOI: CIRCULATIONAHA.126.080022
Neurocognitive Impulsivity in Addiction: Mechanisms, Manifestations, and Clinical Implications
Serenella Tolomeo & Ajay S Mathuru
Current Addiction Reports, Volume 13, article number 57 (2026)
DOI: 10.1007/s40429-026-00760-0
Functional connectome signature of general psychopathology in middle-aged and older adults: Evidence from multi-cohort, multi-ethnic analyses
Thuan Tinh Nguyen, Kwun Kei Ng, Voon Hao Lew, Janice Jue Xin Koi, Wen Liang Loh, Woon-Puay Koh, Juan Helen Zhou*
Imaging Neuroscience, 2026 Jul 20;4:IMAG.a.1308.
DOI: 10.1162/IMAG.a.1308
Understanding the spectrum between orbital infarction syndrome and secondary orbital inflammation following endovascular thrombectomy: a case series
Maryanne Chew Romero, Mingxue Jing, Pervinder Bhogal, Hnin Su Wai Khin, Anil Gopinathan, Jenn Haw Fong, Cunli Yang, Hock-Luen Teoh, Xinyi Su, Yimin Chen, Benjamin Y Q Tan, Ching-Hui Sia, Ian Mathews, Linus Z H Yuen, Kevin S H Teo, Yihui Goh, Joshua Y P Yeo, Gangadhara Sundar, Leonard L L Yeo
Journal of NeuroInterventional Surgery, Online First: 24 July 2026.
DOI: 10.1136/jnis-2026-025652
Distinct correlates of post-traumatic stress disorder and subthreshold post-traumatic stress disorder considering a broad range of adverse experiences
Celeste Minn Tan, Vanessa Ai Ling Seet, Rachel Hsiao Shen Tan, Sherilyn Shi Hui Chang, Yoke Boon Tan, Phern-Chern Tor, Charmaine Yu Zheng Tang, Yu Wei Lee, Nisha Chandwani, Swapna Verma, Mythily Subramaniam, Jianlin Liu
European Journal of Psychotraumatology, 2026 Jul 21;17(1):2694161.
DOI: 10.1080/20008066.2026.2694161
The cross-site reproducibility of MRI morphometric phenotypes in psychiatric disorders
Trang Cao, James C. Pang, Mehul Gajwani, Ashlea Segal, Alexander Holmes, Joshua F. Wiley, Sidhant Chopra, Juan Helen Zhou, Christopher L. H. Chen, Fang Ji, Ben J. Harrison, Christopher G. Davey, Toby Constable, Jeggan Tiego, Bree Hartshorn, Jessica Kwee, Mark A. Bellgrove & Alex Fornito
Nature Neuroscience, 29, pages2273–2282 (2026)
DOI: 10.1038/s41593-026-02359-0
Intron retention in health and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis
Chloe Y Wang , Stephanie Taylor , Virenkumar A Pandya , Benjamin E Clarke , Koustav Pal , Tatyana A Shelkovnikova , Yiran Wang , Raphaëlle Luisier , Rickie Patani
Brain, Volume 149, Issue 8, August 2026, Pages 2604–2618.
DOI: 10.1093/brain/awag142
Fibro-inflammatory liver injury, not steatosis, predicts incident composite neuropsychiatric events and mortality in the UK Biobank
Tsubasa Tsutsumi, Wen Hui Lim, Darren Jun Hao Tan, Jing Kai Tioh, Damien Chua, Hun Jee Choe, Ryan Yanzhe Lim, Mirudhula Gnanavelou, Jordan Jun Yi Low, Benjamin Y.Q. Tan, Hirokazu Takahashi, Weiting Huang, Mamas A. Mamas, Anurug Mehta,
Mei Chin Lim, Cheng Han Ng, Mark Dinesh Muthiah
Metabolism, Volume 181, August 2026, 156635.
DOI: 10.1016/j.metabol.2026.156635
Dilating the aging clock with light
Jessica Jing Yi Chang, Ivan Yee Man Ho, Clarissa Bernice Quah, Yu Yin Bai, Jiahe Ren, Aaron Song Chuan Foo, Daniel Boon Loong Teh
The Innovation,Volume 7, Issue 8, 3 August 2026, 101368.
DOI: 10.1016/j.xinn.2026.101368
Association of neurofilament light chain, CXCL9, IL-6, and TNFRSF11B with intrinsic capacity in community-dwelling older adults
Reshma Aziz Merchant, Yang Liu, Benjamin Y. Q. Tan, Ching-Hui Sia, Andrea Wong, Li Feng Tan, Gustavo Duque, Hidenori Arai, Bruno Vellas & Jean Woo
GeroScience, 2026 Aug 4. Online ahead of print.
DOI: 10.1007/s11357-026-02461-y
Cefiderocol as Salvage Therapy in Difficult-to-Treat Resistant (DTR) Pseudomonas aeruginosa Complicated Central Nervous System Infection
Olivia M. Y. Leow, Rie Aoyama, Nwoshin Jahan, Vincent Nga, Hian Tat Ong, Kelvin K. K. Goh, Andrea L. H. Kwa, Tze Peng Lim, Gabriel Z. R. Yan, Si Min Chan
Journal of Paediatrics and Child Health , 2026 Aug 12. Online ahead of print.
DOI: doi.org/10.1111/jpc.70520
Plasma proteomics of cerebrovascular disease, cognitive decline, and clinical outcomes
Ming Ann Sim, Saima Hilal, Jasper Tromp, Eugene S J Tan, James Doecke, Oi Wah Liew, Vera Yuan Cai, Siew Pang Chan, Eddie Jun Yi Chong, Anqi Toh, Tan Boon Yeow, Narayanaswamy Venketasubramanian, Natasha Barascuk-Michaelsen, David Sim, Gerard Kui Toh Leong, Daniel Poh Shuan Yeo, Hean Yee Ong, Lieng Hsi Ling, Carolyn Lam, Mitchell K P Lai, Hyungwon Choi, Arthur Mark Richards, Christopher L H Chen
Alzheimers & Dementia, 2026 Aug;22(8):e71728.
DOI: 10.1002/alz.71728
Plasma Proteomic Signatures of Left Atrial Dysfunction and Cerebral Small Vessel Disease: Elucidating Heart-Brain Connections
Eugene S J Tan, Ming Ann Sim, Hyungwon Choi, Siew Pang Chan, Vera Yuan Cai, Lingli Gong, Narayanaswamy Venketasubramanian, Boon-Yeow Tan, Saima Hilal, Mitchell K P Lai, Lieng-Hsi Ling, A Mark Richards, Christopher Chen
JACC: Basic to Translational Science, 2026 Aug;11(8):101622.
DOI: 10.1016/j.jacbts.2026.101622
Perceived Maternal Overprotection and Amygdala Functional Connectivity in Children: Implications for Childhood Depressive Symptoms
Lizhu Luo, Ai Peng Tan, Yap Seng Chong, Peter Gluckman, Johan Gunnar Eriksson, Shi Yu Chan, Pei Huang, Juan Helen Zhou, Marielle V Fortier, Michael J Meaney
Depression and Anxiety, 2026 Aug 26;2026:4516539.
DOI: 10.1155/da/4516539
Circadian and behavioral timing in MASLD: a systematic review of human observational studies
Arunkumar Subramanian, Raja Affendi Raja Ali, Gavin Stewart Dawe, Vetriselvan Subramaniyan
eClinicalMedicine, 2026 Aug 29:99:104187.
DOI: 10.1016/j.eclinm.2026.104187
Peripheral biomarkers of neuroinflammation in Alzheimer’s disease and vascular dementia
Xiaoxue Ouyang, Rachel S.L. Chia, Yuek Ling Chai, Joyce R. Chong, Ming Ann Sim, Dong-Gyu Jo, Thiruma V. Arumugam, Gautam Sethi, Gavin S. Dawe, Christopher P. Chen, Mitchell K.P. Lai
Biochemical Pharmacology, 2026 Aug;250(Pt 2):118077.
DOI: 10.1016/j.bcp.2026.118077
Plasma brain-derived p-Tau217 outperforms other p-Tau species in detecting abnormal brain amyloid in an Asian cohort of older people with cerebrovascular disease burden
Joyce R Chong, Saima Hilal, Narayanaswamy Venketasubramanian, Michael Schöll, Nicholas J Ashton, Henrik Zetterberg, Christopher P Chen, Mitchell K P Lai
The Journal of Prevention of Alzheimer's Disease, 2026 Aug;13(7):100615.
DOI: 2026 Aug;13(7):100615.
Targeting CH25H restores p62-mediated α-synuclein clearance
Gavin S. Dawe
Trends in Pharmacological Sciences, 2026 Sep 28:S0165-6147(26)00231-2.
DOI: 10.1016/j.tips.2026.09.002
Novel insight into the effects of the metabolites from gut microbiota in both unmedicated depressive adolescents and mice: key roles of indole derivatives-aryl hydrocarbon receptor signaling in neurogenesis and microglial homeostasis.
Xi Wang, Miaoyang Hu, Weilan Wu, Jing Liu, Zhiru Tang, A. Yiguzaili Manglike, Jin Wei, S. Thameem Dheen, Yuan Lin, Gang Liu, Jie Cheng, Wenjuan Wang, Rong Gao, Xufeng Chen & Jun Wang
Molecular Psychiatry, 2026 Sep 9. Online ahead of print.
DOI: 10.1038/s41380-026-03895-8
Exploring the Associations Between Resilience, Perceived Stress, Academic Expectation Stress, and Depressive Problems Among Adolescents: A Network Analysis
Kee Juan Yeo, Phern Chern Tor, Dennis Mun Yen Kom, Victoria Hui Fen Fee, Brenda Liaw Wen Lio, Daniel Shuen Sheng Fung, Frank Verhulst, Jia Ying Teng, Jie Yu Teoh, Leoniek Kroneman, Liang Shen, Li Xiang Tessa Low, Michelle Jing Si Wan, Muhammad Nabil Syukri Bin Sachiman, Natalie Cheok Ling Lei, Natalie Hui Jing Yap, Nicholas En-Ping Sii, Qai Ven Yap, Ruochen Du, Say How Ong, Tze Pin Ng, Shefaly Shorey, John Chee Meng Wong
Journal of Adolescence, 2026 Sep 9. Online ahead of print.
DOI: 10.1002/jad.70266
Efficacy of a soft robotic exoskeleton for upper-limb rehabilitation in subacute stroke inpatient rehabilitation: a randomised controlled trial
Kai Wen Elvina Tay, Pui Kit Tam, Qi Xie, Hwa Sen Lai, Wai Kin Yuen, Xiao Min Lilian Lim, Shu Ling Ng, Max Lim, Lee Mei Ong, Weiying Amelia Tan, Syamil Rosli & Jeong Hoon Lim
Journal of NeuroEngineering and Rehabilitation, 10 September 2026; Volume 23, article number 275 (2026).
DOI: 10.1186/s12984-026-02133-0
Teaching the true cost of medicines: white paper for a green and sustainable pharmacology curriculum
Ramamoorthy Rajkumar, Gavin S. Dawe
Frontiers in Pharmacology, 30 September 2026, Volume 17 - 2026.
DOI: 10.3389/fphar.2026.1912700
Neuroprotection via optimizing cerebral blood flow after cardiac arrest (neuro-intact) study – A phase II proof-of-concept study protocol
Shir Lynn Lim, Kai Lee Woo, Mihir Gandhi, Erta Beqiri, Peter Smielewski, Marcus E.H. Ong, Vijay Kumar Sharma
Resuscitation Plus, Date: September 2026, Article: 101430, Volume: Volume 31.
DOI: 10.1016/j.resplu.2026.101430
MobileGait: A low-cost camera-based mobile application for gait assessment in elderly adults
Yutong Du, Arthur Tay, Jiun Shiah Low, Hwa Sen Lai, Jia Min Yen, Ning Tang, Effie Chew, Shih-Cheng Yen
Gait & Posture, October 2026, Article: 110276, Volume: Volume 130.
DOI: 10.1016/j.gaitpost.2026.110276
Metabolism of the antioxidant micronutrient ergothioneine as a plasma biomarker of cognitive resilience in older people with Alzheimer's disease amyloid pathology
Joyce R Chong, Irwin K Cheah, Richard M Tang, Barry Halliwell, Christopher P Chen, Mitchell K P Lai
Free Radical Biology and Medicine, 2026 Oct:254:370-377.
DOI: 10.1016/j.freeradbiomed.2026.06.043.
2027
2028