SURG Regular Faculty

Education Qualifications: MMed, MRCS (Edinburgh)

Dr Lim graduated from the Faculty of Medicine, National University of Singapore in 1998. He underwent residency in Otolaryngology in Singapore and was awarded the Gold medal for the MRCS (Edinburgh) General Surgery examination in 2003 and subsequently the Gold medal award by the College of Surgeons for the best performing resident in the exit examination organized by the Specialist Training Committee in Otolaryngology in 2009.

After completing his specialist training, he joined the Department of Otolaryngology – Head and Neck Surgery as a Consultant. He started his practice and pursued further training in head and neck oncologic surgery at the National University Health System, Singapore. In 2010, he was awarded the Ministry of Health Overseas Training award and pursued a 2 year Head and Neck Oncologic Fellowship at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center in the United States of America. This fellowship is accredited by the Advanced Training Council of the American Head and Neck Society.

During these 2 years, Dr Lim did translational benchwork research in immunotherapy in head and neck cancer, focusing of immunological mechanisms in monoclonal antibody based therapy in cancer and identifying novel immune modifiers in cancer therapy. In his clinical training, he was trained in transoral robotic surgery (TORS), minimally invasive video assisted thyroidectomy (MIVAT) and minimally invasive approaches in head and neck surgery, in addition to the major head and neck resections. Upon his return to Singapore in 2012, he was appointed Consultant at the Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery and Assistant Professor at the Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine.

His awards included the National Healthcare Group Clinical Research Scientist Leadership Award, best oral presentation for the Pitch for fund award and NHG Clinician scientist bronze award. He is the principal investigator in several grants looking at human papillomavirus in head and neck cancer and immune adjuvant in monoclonal antibody based therapy in head and neck cancer. In 2011, he was awarded the New Investigator Grant by the National Medical Research Singapore. In the area of research in robotic surgery, Dr Lim is actively collaborating with the academic staff from the Faculty of Engineering National University of Singapore and was the co-PI evaluating the key technologies for minimally invasive robotics surgery and navigation. Dr Lim has published in book chapters and numerous peered reviewed journals.

Professional Appointments and Committee Memberships:

• Board Member, Robotic Surgery Society of Singapore
• Member, International Guild of Robotic and Endoscopic Head and Neck Surgery
• Member, Asian Society of Head & Neck Oncology
• Executive Board Member, Asia Pacific Society of Thyroid Surgery
• Member, Singapore Society of Otolaryngology – Head & Neck Surgery
• Corresponding International Member, American Head and Neck Society
• Member, American Association of Cancer Research
  

Awards:

• Clinician Scientist Award (INV Category), NMRC (2019)
• Best Paper in Biomimetics, IEEE Robotics & Automation Society (2019)
• Top Team Science Award , Interstellar Initiative Mentor Workshop – Cancer Group (2017) New York Science Academy (NYSA)
• Best Prevention and Early Detection Paper Award, American Head & Neck Society (2016)
• Talent Development Transitional Award, NMRC (2015)
• Singapore Clinician Investigator Gold Award, National Healthcare Group (2013)
  

Leadership positions / roles in Education: 

• Research director, Singhealth Duke-NUS Disease Center (Head and Neck)
• Advisory Board member , Singapore Cancer Society (New Voice Club Support group)
• Executive Board member, Scientific Committee, Asia Pacific Thyroid Surgery 
• Faculty member of Asia Pacific Otolaryngology Surgical Training (APOST)
• NCI Head and Neck NPC Clinical Trial planning committee (USA) 2017-2018