Academic Medicine Research Institute - AMRI

Academic Medicine Research Institute - AMRI ​The Academic Medicine Research Institute (AMRI) is a one-stop research enabler that provides admi

Turning Ideas Into Impact! Did you catch SingHealth Group Research at the 8th SingHealth Duke-NUS Scientific Congress? 🌟...
26/09/2025

Turning Ideas Into Impact! Did you catch SingHealth Group Research at the 8th SingHealth Duke-NUS Scientific Congress? 🌟

At the Medical Technology Accelerators Symposium, Dr Whye Kei Lye, Director of SingHealth Intellectual Property (SHIP) and Dr Danny Belkin, Director of SingHealth Technology Incubator (SCOUT) led dynamic discussion on advancing IP strategy and accelerating the journey from concept to commercialisation in medical technology.

The session featured Mr Fredrik Nyberg, MD of Medtech Innovator; Dr Steve Courtney, Head of 65Lab Singapore; and Lijoy George, Head of DxD hub’s Digital Health Accelerator at Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR).

The three speakers each introduced their respective platform and how it supports projects and startups within the ecosystem, and these were followed by an interesting and educational panel discussion that focused on the Singapore biomedical technology ecosystem, how the three platforms engage projects and startups and support them, and the nuances of developing and commercialising technologies in the medical device, diagnostic and therapeutic domains.

Across our exhibition booths, visitors explored the capabilities of:

🔬 Advanced Bioimaging (ABI)
🧫 Advanced Molecular Pathology Laboratory (AMPL)
🥼 SingHealth Tissue Repository (STR)

With expertise in bioimaging, molecular pathology and tissue preservation, we are enabling researchers to translate discoveries into real-world impact.

Missed us at the Congress? Find out how we can support your research: singhealthdukenus.com.sg/research

In our next World Cancer Research Day feature, we spotlight Prof Gopal Iyer, Head, Division of Medical Sciences and Head...
24/09/2025

In our next World Cancer Research Day feature, we spotlight Prof Gopal Iyer, Head, Division of Medical Sciences and Head and Senior Consultant, Department of Head and Neck Surgery, Division of Surgery and Surgical Oncology, Singapore General Hospital (SGH) and the National Cancer Centre Singapore (NCCS). Recently, he was awarded the Singapore Translational Research (STaR) Investigator Award, the nation’s highest accolade for clinician-scientists. Here, he reflects on a defining moment in his journey.

“To the Moment I Wanted to Do This”

If I had to choose two words to describe my descent into clinician-scientist-hood, it would be serendipity and sacrifice. None of this was a planned, but naïveté and some degree of madness led me down a path less trodden. I first met some folks calling themselves physician-scientists during a holiday visit to Baltimore, USA, and at that point, I declared that I wanted to do this too.

Fortunately, the only person who heard me say this was my lifelong mentor and ex-boss, Prof Soo Kee Chee, who helped with the funding of my PhD in Cambridge.

Failure is not something a Singaporean medical student is familiar with, and that was the basis of science—90% failure and 10% success. Yet, for some crazy reason, I stuck to it (probably because I didn’t know any better). I completed my PhD and returned to a different Singapore; one that embraced a biomedical revolution and celebrated clinician-scientists.

Nonetheless, no one tells you the sacrifices that have to be made along the way—giving up evenings and weekends to write grants and papers during training, sacrificing 80% of your trained surgical skills to sub-specialise, staying up at night worrying about how to pay your post-doc next year, and brooding all weekend just because a small grey blob on a blue film was not the size you had hoped.

But the hardest part of it all was continuing to stay relevant despite technological advances and paradigm shifts. For this, my greatest teachers were every patient who arrived in my clinic searching for a cure. I carried this poem by Robert Frost in my notebook during my early struggle down this career path, and it remains relevant today:

“…I shall be telling this with a sigh
Somewhere ages and ages hence:
Two roads diverged in a wood, and I—
I took the one less traveled by,
And that has made all the difference.”

SingHealth
Duke-NUS Medical School



Visit Academic Medicine Research Institute - AMRI at https://www.singhealthdukenus.com.sg/research

On World Cancer Research Day, we feature Prof Pierce Chow, Senior Consultant Surgeon, Division of Surgery and Surgical O...
24/09/2025

On World Cancer Research Day, we feature Prof Pierce Chow, Senior Consultant Surgeon, Division of Surgery and Surgical Oncology, Singapore General Hospital (SGH) and the National Cancer Centre Singapore (NCCS). Prof Chow was recently awarded the Singapore Translational Research (STaR) Investigator Award, the nation’s highest accolade for clinician-scientists, for his groundbreaking work in liver cancer research. Here, he shares a pivotal moment in his journey.

“To the Moment I Almost Stopped”

At that time, the clinician-scientist journey was filled with uncertainty. While the vision of becoming an Academic Medical Centre was bold, the environment remained focused on clinical service. For those committed to research, the path required resilience, sacrifice and faith. Yet it was in these testing moments that purpose became clearer — to persevere, knowing that every step forward could help shape the future of clinical outcomes for cancer patients.

I tentatively sent out feelers to colleagues in private practice. What do you think if I…

The response was immediate and overwhelming. Join us, they proclaimed. And it was not just talk, they were very practical. Two senior colleagues in complementary specialties said, “There happens to be an available room in the clinic space we share. We will speak to the landlady. You can join us next month. There is no need to look for nurses – you can use ours. We will just bill you!”

True to their word, they introduced me to the landlady, who seemed pleased to see me. She later told my friends that the monthly rental for me would be less than the fee for a private laparoscopic cholecystectomy. My friends were jubilant.

But I hesitated. To this day, I do not know exactly why the inner voice told me to slow down, to reconsider. Was it because I feared life would become too boring and predictable? My friends reminded me that there were many other things to be excited about in life.

That was an important moment when I paused to consider what I was truly meant to be. If I had taken that step and left, there would never have been the subsequent Translational-Clinical Research Programme in Liver Cancer, the PLANet Programme. Without PLANet, there would never have been the parallel ELEGANCE cohort study, nor the STRATUM randomised controlled trial.

So much hinged on that moment and on the small voice that spoke to me.

SingHealth
Duke-NUS Medical School



Visit Academic Medicine Research Institute - AMRI at https://www.singhealthdukenus.com.sg/research

Parkinson disease (PD) is characterised by the presence of bradykinesia with either rest tremor, muscle rigidity, or p...
22/09/2025

Parkinson disease (PD) is characterised by the presence of bradykinesia with either rest tremor, muscle rigidity, or postural instability.

Researchers from Singapore General Hospital, National Neuroscience Institute and Duke-NUS Medical School examined the differences (and similarities) in early-onset Parkinson disease (EOPD) between Eastern and Western countries*, in terms of epidemiology, clinical features, genetics, and treatment patterns.

Their study revealed important differences in EOPD between Asian and Middle East, and Western countries, such as China showing a much steeper rise in EOPD prevalence and incidence with age, or Japan and Korea showing a female predominance in EOPD for certain age groups. It is necessary to understand and qualify them so as to better counsel patients, institute local guidelines, and instate more appropriate public health measures.

Read more in Parkinsonism & Related Disorders, Journal: https://bit.ly/42z8SDd

AMC researchers involved: Aaron Shengting Mai, Xiao Deng, Eng-King Tan

*Western countries refer to the countries in the Americas, Europe, and Australasia; Eastern countries refer to countries in Asia and Middle East.



Visit Academic Medicine Research Institute - AMRI at https://www.singhealthdukenus.com.sg/research

Want to find out more about Medtech Commercialisation?The SingHealth Technology Incubator (SCOUT), together with the Med...
19/09/2025

Want to find out more about Medtech Commercialisation?

The SingHealth Technology Incubator (SCOUT), together with the Medical Technology Office (MTO) are excited to invite you to their upcoming Fireside Chat with Mr Sim Kok Hwee (Managing Director at ZIG Ventures), where he will share more on “Shaping Medtech Ventures for Real-World Success”.

🗓 Date: 8 October 2025, Wednesday
🕒 Time: 5:30pm – 6:30pm (SGT)
📍 Venue: Academia, L2-S2

📲 Register now by scanning the QR code or click here: https://for.sg/firesidechatwithmrsim

About our Speaker:
Mr Sim represents ZIG ventures, a venture builder of medical device companies and co-investment partner of Seeds Capital, on the board of its portfolio companies and is proactively involved with the management teams to scale up their businesses. He leads and support existing Singapore medtech companies like Biobot Surgical and Histoindex in their growth stages.

We look forward to seeing you there!

SingHealth

19/09/2025

It’s the LAST RGR of 2025 – 12 Nov 2025!

Wonder how evaluation and implementation shape the role of AI in healthcare, and what lessons we can apply beyond endoscopy?

More details will be shared, so keep a lookout!

Clin Assoc Prof Frederick Koh
Clin Assoc Prof James Li
Dr Martin Putera

Sengkang General Hospital
Duke-NUS Medical School
SingHealth



Visit Academic Medicine Research Institute - AMRI at https://www.singhealthdukenus.com.sg/research

The expansion of GGC repeats (typically exceeding 60 repeats) in the 5' untranslated region (UTR) of the NOTCH2NLC gen...
17/09/2025

The expansion of GGC repeats (typically exceeding 60 repeats) in the 5' untranslated region (UTR) of the NOTCH2NLC gene (N2C) is linked to N2C-related repeat expansion disorders (NREDs), such as neuronal intranuclear inclusion disease (NIID), frontotemporal dementia (FTD), essential tremor (ET), and Parkinson's disease (PD).

Researchers from Neuroscience Institute, General Hospital and -NUS Medical School explored the functional implications of these intermediate repeats with serine insertion.

They discovered that their in vitro and in vivo investigations provide the first evidence that the N2C-GGC intermediate repeat with serine promotes intranuclear aggregation of N2C, leading to mitochondrial dysfunction-associated hypermyelination and neuronal hyperexcitability.

Read more in Neurodegeneration, : https://bit.ly/3G0h4Us

AMC researchers involved: Haitao Tu, Zhi-Wei Zhang, Li Chi, Sook-Yoong Chia, Zhihong Li, Wei Zhou, Zhidong Zhou, Jayne Yi Tan, Brijesh Kumar Singh, Dongrui Ma, Adeline S L Ng, Eng-King Tan, Li Zeng

Collaborators: Xin Yi Yeo, Aik Yong Sim, Isabelle Bonne, Shuo-Chien Ling (NUS); Sangyong Jung (CHA University)



Visit Medicine Research Institute - AMRI at https://www.singhealthdukenus.com.sg/research

16/09/2025

Catch SingHealth Group Research in action at the 8th SingHealth Duke-NUS Scientific Congress!

🗓️ 19 -20 September 2025
📍Academia, SGH Campus

Don’t miss the discussion on advancing IP and accelerating the journey from concept to commercialisation in medical technology, and discover more at our exhibition booths!

Save the date now!

SingHealth Academy
SingHealth Intellectual Property (SHIP)
SingHealth Technology Incubator (SCOUT)
SingHealth Advanced Bioimaging (ABI)
SingHealth Tissue Repository (STR) / Advanced Molecular Pathology Lab (AMPL)

Wonder how climate change is impacting health systems, and the ethical issues in research and practice? 🌎🌀 At our 10 Sep...
16/09/2025

Wonder how climate change is impacting health systems, and the ethical issues in research and practice? 🌎🌀

At our 10 September Research Grand Rounds, Assoc Prof Renzo Guinto and Dr Voo Teck Chuan unpacked the concept of climate-smart healthcare and shared insights on how health systems can deliver patient-centred care while embracing sustainable practices.

The session was moderated by Ms Muskaan Khepla from the SingHealth Duke-NUS Global Health Institute.

Thank you to all who joined us! Catch up on the highlights here: https://for.sg/rgr-10-sep-2025

Duke-NUS Medical School
SingHealth
SingHealth Duke-NUS Global Health Institute



Visit Academic Medicine Research Institute - AMRI at https://www.singhealthdukenus.com.sg/research

Last week, we hosted an insightful Spotlight session on “Publishing in NEJM – A Hepatology Year in Review” with speaker ...
15/09/2025

Last week, we hosted an insightful Spotlight session on “Publishing in NEJM – A Hepatology Year in Review” with speaker Prof Guadalupe Garcia-Tsao, Associate Editor of the New England Journal of Medicine (NEJM) and moderator Assoc Prof Valerie Chew from Translational Immunology Institute (TII), SingHealth Duke-NUS. ✨

Participants gained valuable perspectives on the NEJM publishing process and explored recent hepatology highlights, including advances in metabolic-associated steatohepatitis. 📖

👀 Missed it? Stay tuned for the next event, Research Grand Rounds on 12 November!

SingHealth
Duke-NUS Medical School
Yale University
The New England Journal of Medicine



Visit Academic Medicine Research Institute - AMRI at https://www.singhealthdukenus.com.sg/research

Colore**al cancer (CRC) incidence and mortality in those aged 50 years and above have decreased over the past 2 decade...
12/09/2025

Colore**al cancer (CRC) incidence and mortality in those aged 50 years and above have decreased over the past 2 decades. However, there is a rising incidence of CRC among individuals under 50 years of age, termed early-onset colore**al cancer (EOCRC).

Researchers from Singapore General Hospital, Duke-NUS Medical School, National Cancer Centre Singapore and Saw Swee Hock School of Public Health conducted a study on the epidemiological trends in CRC in Singapore.

They discovered that there is a rise in the incidence of re**al cancer among young adults in Singapore. This finding highlights the need for further research to diagnose CRC earlier and reduce cancer-related morbidity and mortality.

Read more in JMIR Public Health and Surveillance: https://bit.ly/3Sn6l9d

AMC researchers involved: Hui Lionel Raphael Chen, Qingqing Dawn Chong, Brenda Tay, Siqin Zhou, Evelyn Yi Ting Wong, Isaac Seow-En, Kwong-Wei Emile Tan, Bee Huat Iain Tan, Sze Huey Tan

Collaborators: Ker Kan Tan (NUH), Yi Wang, Adeline Seow (NUS)

**al

Visit Academic Medicine Research Institute - AMRI at https://www.singhealthdukenus.com.sg/research

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