Round-up of Duke-NUS’ latest people news
The last quarter offered plenty of reasons to celebrate: Our researchers continued to receive top accolades for their work in advancing our understanding of disease mechanisms as Wang Yibin was honoured with the American Heart Association’s Basic Research Prize, Elaine Lum was invited as a Foundation Fellow of the Australia New Zealand College of Advanced Pharmacy and our clinician-scientists were recognised in global rankings while our Dean Professor Thomas Coffman was invited to deliver the prestigious Robert W Schrier Endowed Lectureship. They were also successful in securing additional funding to support their research: Ashley St John was awarded the prestigious National Research Foundation Investigatorship and Zhou Jin received Gilead’s Research Scholar Programme Liver Disease Award.
And on the education front, our students and staff continued to fly the Duke-NUS flag high as they pitched in for a learning journey workshop for primary school students, had their photography featured in The Lancet and became the proud recipients of the NUS Achievement Awards. And in a special first for the School, two of our alumni, Rena Dharmawan and Shravan Verma, were recognised with NUS Outstanding Young Alumni Awards.
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Dr Zhou Jin receives the Gilead Research Scholar Programme Liver Disease Award
For her research into the mechanisms underlying the development of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, Dr Zhou Jin from Duke-NUS’ Cardiovascular and Metabolic Disorders Programme received Gilead’s Research Scholar Programme Liver Disease Award at a virtual ceremony held on 20 November 2023.
Organised by Gilead Sciences, a research-based biopharmaceutical company, the programme supports innovative research from emerging investigators from around the world who focus on liver disease. Recipients are selected by a committee comprising leaders in the field.
“Receiving this highly competitive award is an important validation that my research direction is innovative and has high translational potential that can hopefully make a difference in the future. This award is an important milestone for junior investigators like me. With the funding, I will be able to study ideas outside of the box and establish the groundwork for a future career.”
Dr Zhou Jin
Duke-NUS clinician-scientists recognised in global rankings
Seven Duke-NUS clinician-scientists and researchers were named among Clarivate’s Highly Cited Researchers list for 2023, released on 15 November 2023.
In this latest Clarivate list, Professors Antonio Bertoletti from Duke-NUS’ Emerging Infectious Diseases Programme and Derek Hausenloy from Duke-NUS’ Cardiovascular and Metabolic Disorders Programme were recognised for the third consecutive time.
The annual Highly Cited Researchers list identifies individuals who have demonstrated significant and broad influence in their fields of research through a complex evaluation and selection strategy by Clarivate. Besides citation activity, the number of shortlisted scientists is further refined through qualitative analysis and expert judgement.
In addition, more than 85 researchers from the School and the SingHealth Duke-NUS Academic Medical Centre also featured in Stanford University’s World’s Top 2% Scientists List, released in October 2023.
Rena Dharmawan and Shravan Verma honoured with NUS Outstanding Young Alumni Awards
Two Duke-NUS alumni, Assistant Professor Rena Dharmawan (Class of 2011) and Speedoc Co-Founder and CEO Dr Shravan Verma (Class of 2014) became the first alumni from the School to be honoured at the biennial NUS Alumni Awards.
Launched in 2005, the awards recognise alumni who have distinguished themselves through their contributions to the university, society and the world, and presented in four categories, including the Distinguished Alumni Service Award and the Team (Alumni) Award. Verma and Dharmawan, who is also Assistant Dean for Clinical Innovation and Ecosystem Development, were among 21 outstanding alumni who received the Outstanding Young Alumni Award at the ceremony held on 2 November 2023.
Credit: National University of Singapore
“It is really an honour that the School appreciates my team’s work in the innovation space and has been fully supportive in all the initiatives we are doing”
Asst Prof Dharmawan
Wang Yibin awarded American Heart Association’s Basic Research Prize
Professor Wang Yibin was awarded the Basic Research Prize from the American Heart Association for his research into the fundamental molecular and genetic mechanisms of cardiovascular physiology and cardiometabolic diseases, including heart failure.
Wang, who is also director of Duke-NUS’ Cardiovascular and Metabolic Disorders Programme received the award during the presidential session of the Association’s scientific sessions on 12 November 2023.
Presented annually, the award recognises an individual’s outstanding contributions to the advancement of cardiovascular science, who also runs an exceptional basic science laboratory.
“I’m truly humbled by this award from the Association, an organisation that I am very fortunate to call home since the very beginning of my academic career.”
Prof Wang Yibin
Inspiring the next generation of clinician-scientists
A group photo of the organising committee comprising of the NCCS team and teachers from the school who are joined by the students: Fourth-year Duke-NUS MD student Ms Li Yi Xin (first from left), Ms Jolynn Ong (second from left), third-year Duke-NUS MD student Mr Edmund Leong (first from right), with Associate Professor Johnny Ong (third from left) // Credit: Johnny Ong, Duke-NUS
Four Duke-NUS medical students stepped forward to conduct a learning journey workshop for primary school students, during which they shared their scientific research and patient care journeys.
Organised by the Laboratory of Applied Human Genetics at the National Cancer Centre Singapore, the workshop, named “Discoveries Realised through Exploring the Amazing Scientific World (DREAMS)” was held on 9 November 2023 at the Centre and attended by 30 students from Mayflower Primary School.
Commenting on the event, Associate Professor Johnny Ong, Head, Laboratory of Applied Human Genetics, National Cancer Centre Singapore, said: “The enthusiasm from the students was highly contagious and everyone had a fun learning experience. The feedback we received has been highly encouraging, and we hope that this workshop will inspire the next generation of clinician-scientists and Clinicians Plus.”
Ms Josephine Hendrikson, fourth-year Duke-NUS MD student shares the path she took to becoming a researcher and how it inspired her to pursue medicine // Credit: Josephine Hendrikson, Duke-NUS
Ms Jolynn Ong, second-year Duke-NUS MD student reflects on her journey as a budding clinician-scientist // Credit: Jolynn Ong, Duke-NUS
Ashley St John awarded prestigious National Research Foundation Investigatorship
St John is one of eleven recipients, who were awarded the five-year NRF Investigatorship that gives scientists and researchers the opportunity to pursue ground-breaking, high-risk research. The Investigatorship which is in its ninth cycle, supports a small number of excellent principal investigators whose track record marks them as leaders in their fields.
“I am very honoured to be given this award and opportunity because this specific grant is designed to fund highly innovative research. I appreciate the vote of confidence from the selection committee that the work coming from my research group is pushing boundaries and will generate new knowledge”
Assoc Prof Ashley St John
Professor Thomas Coffman delivers the Robert W Schrier Endowed Lectureship
Duke-NUS Dean Professor Thomas Coffman was invited to deliver the Robert W Schrier Endowed Lectureship at the American Society of Nephrology’s Kidney Week on 2 November 2023.
Coffman, who also leads the global collaborative Diabetes Study in Nephropathy and other Microvascular Complications, or DYNAMO, a project that aims to reduce the prevalence of diabetic kidney disease, spoke about novel therapies in the field and gave a comprehensive overview of their mechanisms of actions In his lecture titled “Novel Therapies: On the mechanisms of action”.
Credit: Xia Yun, Lee Kong Chian School of Medicine
“I was moved and honoured to be invited to deliver the Robert W Schrier Endowed Lectureship. I knew Bob well, and liked and respected him very much. He was an icon in our field and helped invent modern nephrology as we know it. Indeed, he was a true embodiment of the Duke-NUS vision of Clinician Plus—a world-class researcher, educator, clinician and leader.”
Prof Thomas Coffman
Duke-NUS students and staff honoured with NUS Achievement Awards
At the NUS Achievement Awards (NAA) held on 28 October 2023, Ms Katherine Nay Yaung, a student from the MD-PhD programme, received the NAA Leadership Award (Merit) for her contributions as a student leader in enhancing student life.
Joining her was Mr Muhammad Yusuf bin Abdul Rahman, a student support manager from the department of student affairs at Duke-NUS, who received the NAA Staff Advisor Recognition Award for his commitment to support the growth and development of Duke-NUS students.
Credit: Student Affairs, Duke-NUS
At the same event, Camp SIMBA, a student-led community service project organised by students from Duke-NUS, NUS Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine and the Lee Kong Chian School of Medicine for children with family members who have battled cancer, received the NAA Community Impact Award (Commendation) for its impact on the local community.
Credit: Student Affairs, Duke-NUS
Elaine Lum recognised as Foundation Fellow of the Australia New Zealand College of Advanced Pharmacy
In October 2023, Assistant Professor Elaine Lum, an implementation scientist who is also a clinical pharmacist, was recognised as a Foundation Fellow of the Australia New Zealand College of Advanced Pharmacy for her many contributions over almost two decades in implementation research, leadership, and change management in Australia. Her work included developing interventions to reduce medication error rates in hospitals as well as establishing a minimum standard of safe medication management across rural/remote and metropolitan hospitals in the state of Queensland. She was also instrumental in expanding the scope of practice for pharmacists and pharmacy technicians to address increasing clinical demand. This included the non-medical prescriber programme which allowed appropriately trained pharmacists, physiotherapists, and nurses to prescribe medications. Pharmacists who have been previously credentialled as an Advanced Practice Pharmacist and who have demonstrated leadership, expertise, professional contributions, and level of patient care equivalent to consultant-level standards are recognised as Foundation Fellows.
“This recognition affirms my continuing work in implementing better healthcare with clinicians and patients while in Singapore within the SingHealth Duke-NUS AMC, and my efforts in building local capability in implementation research. My work here includes collaborative research with over 20 Clinician-PIs in the development and last-mile implementation of digital health and AI-augmented healthcare innovations, new care pathways, as well as novel methods to quantify prevalence of inappropriate behaviours around antibiotic use in order to select behavioural interventions.”
Asst Prof Elaine Lum
Duke-NUS staff honoured for her global health-themed photography
A passionate photographer, Ms Pearl Gan, a senior executive with Duke-NUS’ Centre of Regulatory Excellence, has collaborated with many institutions in Asia Pacific to bring attention to health topics, including malaria, dengue and tuberculosis.
Photographs from her recent collaboration with the Institut Pasteur du Cambodge, Catholic Relief Services and the Oxford University Clinical Research Unit in Nepal were among 15 images selected by The Lancet for its “Highlights 2023” perspective feature, published in December 2023.
Compiled and edited by Chua Li Min and Nicole Lim