Welcome to the inaugural issue of Medicus, Duke-NUS Medical School's (Duke-NUS) flagship magazine.

This new quarterly publication celebrates the people of Duke-NUS - from our accomplished and dedicated students who are working hard to become outstanding clinicians bringing something “extra” to medical practice, to our passionate innovators translating research into novel therapies, and our dedicated faculty members shaping the healthcare and biomedical research ecosystems.

Each issue will update you on what’s happening at our School. This includes exciting new research discoveries, education highlights and news from the SingHealth Duke-NUS Academic Medical Centre. We will also shine the spotlight on inspiring students, faculty and alumni whose achievements positively impact the community in Singapore and beyond.

In this issue, we celebrate the scientists who have been at the forefront of the fight against COVID-19. We highlight an alumna who embodies how our School’s goal of training diverse, multifaceted students who become compassionate clinicians. And we find out how research on organ fibrosis in one of our laboratories formed the basis for one of the biggest biotechnology deals in Southeast Asia. You will learn more about Project Dove, a flagship student community service initiative, from the faculty and student leaders who led the last mission in 2019. The impact of giving is explored through the eyes of a beneficiary and a donor.

Finally, we bid a fond farewell to Mr Kai Nargolwala, who led Duke-NUS as an exceptional Chairman of our Governing Board for more than seven years. Read about the transition ceremony, where we honoured his achievements, and welcomed our new Chairman, Mr Goh Yew Lin.

I hope these stories will both inform and inspire you, providing a snapshot of what is happening at Duke-NUS now.

Professor Thomas Coffman
Dean
Duke-NUS Medical School