SingHealth Duke-NUS AMC launches new centre to accelerate healthcare innovations

A new innovation centre, which aims to bring clinician-innovators and researchers under one roof to accelerate healthcare innovations, was launched during the opening ceremony of the biennial SingHealth Duke-NUS Scientific Congress on 22 September.

Named the Alice Lee Innovation Centre of Excellence @ SGH Campus (A.L.I.C.E@SGH Campus), the Centre is the first of several innovation centres slated to open across the SingHealth Duke-NUS Academic Medical Centre (AMC) campuses.

Emphasising the nation’s focus on strengthening health promotion and disease prevention, Guest-of-Honour, Dr Tan See Leng, Minister for Manpower and Second Minister for Trade and Industry, called for a “more data-driven, patient-centric and technology-based healthcare approach”, as he delivered the opening address to the seventh SingHealth Duke-NUS Scientific Congress at The Ngee Ann Kongsi Auditorium at the Academia.

With the Scientific Congress opened, it was time to launch A.L.I.C.E@SGH Campus. Joining Dr Tan on stage for the Centre’s launch was SingHealth Group CEO Professor Ivy Ng, Duke-NUS Associate Dean for Research Professor Roger Vaughan, as well as the Centre’s Clinical Director Professor Henry Ho.

Manpower Minister Dr Tan See Leng delivers his opening address // Credit: SingHealth

A.L.I.C.E@SGH Campus was officially launched by (L-R): SingHealth Group CEO Prof Ivy Ng, Dr Tan See Leng, Duke-NUS Associate Dean for Research Prof Roger Vaughan and A.L.I.C.E@SGH Campus Clinical Director Prof Henry Ho // Credit: SingHealth

Following its launch, the Centre welcomed its first batch of visitors including Dr Tan, Prof Ng, Prof Vaughan, as well as distinguished guests and members of the SingHealth Duke-NUS AMC community. Led by Prof Ho, the visitors embarked on a tour of the Centre, where they learnt about the latest innovations at the AMC, including the aiTriage^TM.

Housed in the SingHealth Tower, the Centre is a purpose-built living laboratory for brainstorming, prototyping and test-bedding innovations. It is also home to SingHealth’s first supercomputer, CHROMA developed in partnership with the National Supercomputing Centre Singapore to facilitate large-scale and complex healthcare research at the AMC.

Prof Ivy Ng said: “The opening of A.L.I.C.E@SGH Campus, the first innovation centre situated in our biggest campus, is a significant milestone in our efforts to improve care through innovation.”

She added: “The Centre’s co-location with our institutions on the SGH Campus is strategic, so that healthcare professionals can bring unmet clinical needs to the innovation table, and work with partners to ideate and test potential solutions in a real-world setting.”

Elaborating on the expanded possibilities for innovation brought about by the Centre, Duke-NUS Dean Professor Thomas Coffman, said: “The new A.L.I.C.E Centre is the first node of a new network that will spur bench-to-bedside innovation at the SingHealth Duke-NUS AMC, adding to the vibrancy of our academic campuses by bringing new technologies and resources like the supercomputer, to the repertoire of tools and technologies available to our clinician-scientists and innovators.”

Dr Tan See Leng on his tour of the A.L.I.C.E@SGH Campus // Credit: SingHealth

The aiTriage team explains their innovation at A.L.I.C.E@SGH Campus

“I am confident and I am excited that we will hear about more healthcare innovation initiatives such as A.L.I.C.E@SGH Campus that will make a difference to patient care, operations, and clinical outcomes,” added Dr Tan.

The newly launched Centre is supported by a generous gift of $50 million from the Lee Foundation to advance innovation and research at the AMC and named after Mrs Alice Lee, wife of the Lee Foundation’s founder, the late Lee Kong Chian.

After viewing a short video about the new Centre, the audience’s attention shifted back to the podium as keynote speaker Duke Professor in Population Health Sciences Lesley Curtis took to the stage to share her insights on the science of population health.

Themed “Advancing Frontiers in Population Health through Academic Medicine”, this year’s Scientific Congress featured several new population health initiatives and innovation projects, with more than 38 symposia and plenary talks centred on diverse topics ranging from medicine to nursing, as well as allied health. Running until Saturday, 23 September, participants at the Congress can expect to hear from more than 120 international and local speakers at the event, said Associate Professor Ong Sin Tiong, Co-organising Chairperson of the Scientific Congress.

Prof Lesley Curtis delivers her keynote speech // Credit: SingHealth

Leaders from Duke-NUS and across the SingHealth Duke-NUS Academic Medical Centre pose for a group photo with Dr Tan See Leng at the SingHealth Duke-NUS Scientific Congress 2023 // Credit: SingHealth

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SingHealth Duke-NUS AMC launches new centre to accelerate healthcare innovations

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