Features

The Academy of Clinician Scientists & Innovators (ACSI) hosted its first Award Ceremony on 23 September 2024 to recognise their contributions, achievements and excellence in mentorship, translational research and innovation.

ACSI Co-President and Dean of LKCMedicine, Prof Joseph Sung opened the event by highlighting the Academy’s efforts in grooming Clinician Scientists (CSs) and Clinician Innovators (CIs). These efforts include fostering opportunities and creating platforms for our talents to collaborate, recruiting new talents into talent development programmes and engaging established CSs and CIs as mentors to guide our talents. The Guest of Honor, NHG Group Chief Executive Officer, Prof Joe Sim graced the event and shared that ACSI will continue to play a critical role to nurture more talents to support the cluster’s research and innovation endeavours under the Academic Health System.

Congratulations to our eight award recipients!

Back row (from left): Dr Michael Yam, Dr Clement Chia, A/Prof Rupesh Agrawal,

A/Prof Barnaby Young, Asst Prof Yew Yik Weng, A/Prof Wee Seng Kwee, A/Prof Angela Chow,

Asst Prof Chia Po Ying

Front row (from left): A/Prof Joanne Ngeow, Asst Prof Etienne Wang, Prof Benjamin Seet,

Prof Joe Sim, Prof Joseph Sung, Prof Lim Tock Han

In the afternoon of 12 September 2024, mentees and mentors alike gathered for our first session of the inaugural ACSI Research Bootcamp. The Bootcamp is part of ACSI’s efforts to support budding clinician scientists and innovators, by providing a valuable opportunity for aspiring junior CSs/CIs to receive targeted and individualised feedback for their research ideas and grant proposals.

This session was led by ACSI Co-Leads A/Prof Rupesh Agrawal and Asst Prof Marie Loh, and attended by ACSI Mentors such as Prof David Lye, A/Prof Lim Su Chi, A/Prof Sunny Wong, and Dr Shum Cheuk Fan.

As part of the Bootcamp, each of the four mentees presented in turn an overview of their research ideas for their upcoming grant applications. After each sharing, our ACSI Mentors gave their feedback, comments, and insights – on aspects such as methodology, research hypothesis and questions, and more.

We thank our mentors for their support in making this Bootcamp successful and for their invaluable contributions to the mentee’s grant application journey!

Looking to enhance your grant applications or research ideas? Keep a look out for subsequent runs of ACSI

Bootcamp & IGRP, both happening twice yearly, designed in preparation for the NMRC Jan/Jul Grant Calls!

On the evening of 20 August, the NHG/LKCMedicine research and innovation community gathered once again for the second run of our signature "ACSI Evening" casual networking session. We brought together over 42 clinicians, researchers, innovators, and staff, across NHG, LKCMedicine, and the wider NTU, eager to connect and collaborate.

It was a relaxing evening where attendees mingled freely and engaged in lively discussions over great food and drinks!

As the ACSI Evening is set to become a regular twice-yearly fixture in ACSI’s calendar, it serves as an informal setting to foster a sense of community and shared purpose, bringing our research and innovation community closer.

So, keep an eye out for our next ACSI Evening and we hope to see you there!

On 15 August 2024, ACSI hosted its second Research Symposium, this time with the theme of Stratified Medicine. The event aimed to foster scientific exchange, promote interdisciplinary collaborations, and build robust research networks. Prof Lim Tock Han and Prof John Chambers opened the symposium, with Prof Lim sharing insightful remarks on the ongoing shift in healthcare towards Population Health and prevention.

The symposium featured five distinguished speakers who shared their cutting-edge research in stratified medicine and its clinical applications. A/Prof Rinkoo Dalan (TTSH/LKCMedicine) discussed her ‘Personalised Cardiometabolic Risk Management Program.’ Asst Prof Lee Eng Sing (NHGP/LKCMedicine) presented on the ‘Primary Care Research Network.’ Asst Prof Shen Xiaotao (LKCMedicine) delved into molecular phenotypes and responses during pregnancy. Asst Prof Yeo See Cheng (TTSH) focused on stratified medicine in kidney health. Lastly, Asst Prof Yew Yik Weng (NSC/LKCMedicine) shared on examining the Asian phenotype of Atopic Dermatitis through a stratified medicine approach. The audience was highly engaged, making the symposium lively and interactive.

We look forward to continuing this momentum at our next Research Symposium in November, which will focus on Research Enablers. Stay tuned!

ACSI hosted its 2^nd Research and Innovation Mentorship Huddle on 28 August 2024. Prof James Best, ACSI Chief Mentor opened the session with his insights into the mentor – mentee relationship. He shared that a mentor should make a mentee feel grounded and that a formal and / or informal mentor – mentee relationship would benefit the mentee.

The huddle also featured sharing by our fellow Clinician Scientists, discussing articles on mentorship. Asst Professor Chia Po Ying (NCID) shared insights from the article “Physician Mentorship: Why It’s Important, and How to Find and Sustain Relationships (2018)”, emphasising the significance of mentorship in guiding physician’s career beyond just research and innovation expertise. Dr Ng Tat Ming (TTSH Pharmacy) added on by sharing the article “What is a Mentor? (2024)”. He quoted that mentors often wear many hats - teacher, coach, advisor, role model and that a mentor should broadened the mentees’ possibilities. Assoc Prof Rupesh Agrawal (TTSH Ophthalmology) concluded the session by sharing his insights in developing a mentorship programme. The sharing sparked off meaningful discussions among our attendees, including ACSI Co-President, Prof Leo Yee Sin, and our ACSI mentors, Prof David Lye and Assoc Prof Tan Ern Yu.

Organised by the ACSI Recruitment & Development Domain and hosted by Assoc Prof Angela Chow, ACSI Lead Mentor, the huddle was held at LKCMedicine Clinical Sciences Building (CSB). 

Come join us in the next session of the ACSI Research and Innovation Mentorship SERIES!

On 26 July 2024, ACSI had the opportunity to invite Prof Wong Tien Yin, ACSI Advisor and Vice Provost, Tsinghua University for a casual sharing session with our clinician scientists and innovators!  Prof Wong has a prolific research portfolio on retinal diseases, ocular imaging, AI, and digital technology, with over 1,500 peer-reviewed papers and more than $100 million in grant funding.

The huddle was attended by ACSI Co-President, Prof Leo Yee-sin, ACSI Vice President, A/Prof Lim Su Chi, established clinician scientists and innovators and budding talents within the community!

At the session, Prof Wong shared his views on how to promote research and innovation culture, the importance of selecting the right mentors and the need to stay competitive in the ecosystem which has finite resources for research and innovation. The huddle was held at LKCMedicine Seminar Room and facilitated by A/Prof Rupesh Agrawal, ACSI Recruitment and Development Co-Lead and Senior Consultant, NHG Eye Institute.

On 13 July 2024, ACSI participated in the annual NHG Career Day to raise awareness on the resources and opportunities that support research and innovation within NHG! This was a valuable opportunity for ACSI to interact with young clinicians ranging from medical students to senior residents.

The ACSI booth highlighted key initiatives designed to support and inspire the next generation of researchers and innovators. Attendees learned about the ACSI mentorship framework that facilitates mentor-mentee matching, outreach and networking events that foster collaborations within the research and innovation community, and the ACSI recognition awards that celebrates our talents’ research and innovation excellence!

The Psychiatry residency programme talk was another highlight, where the ACSI team had the opportunity to share more about the Academy and its talent development training programmes with residents and medical students!

Write to us at ([email protected]) if you are interested to know more about ACSI. 

On 27 June 2024, the LKCMedicine Clinical Sciences Building Level 20 Library buzzed with vibrant discussions as approximately 50 members of the research & innovation community gathered for an enriching networking event. Clinician scientists & innovators, administrators, university faculty, and researchers were brought together in this dynamic setting to exchange ideas, foster collaborations, and explore innovations.

The event provided a unique platform for attendees to connect across disciplines, bridging gaps between clinical practice and academic research. Without designated speakers, the focus was on free-flowing exchange of ideas through organic conversations and spontaneous discussions.

This will be the first of many interdisciplinary casual networking opportunities by the ACSI to come, one of many memorable evenings for our research & innovation community to bond over food and drinks.

Heartiest congratulations to Associate Professor Tey Hong Liang from National Skin Centre (Singapore) for winning the Exemplary Innovator Award at the Public Sector Transformation (PST) Awards 2024! The award recognises exemplary officers or teams who have injected innovation in their work, made a real difference to their stakeholders and advocated the spirit of innovation in their teams and agencies.

A/Prof Tey is a visionary leader and serial innovator. In always putting his patients first and constantly thinking about how to improve their care outcomes, he has helped develop 20 ground-breaking skin health products. Some of these products include a novel dissolvable microneedle patch that reduces post-surgical scarring and an anti-odour foot spray.

A/Prof Tey shared, "It's an honor to be recognised by this award, but what's more meaningful is seeing how our work actually translates into positive real-world outcomes for our patients and population, and helping them improve their quality of life."

As Clinical Director of NHG's Centre for Medical Technologies and Innovations, he also inspires his colleagues and fellow clinicians to think creatively and shares his insights and contributes to innovation activities in the cluster. And to fellow colleagues who are thinking about kickstarting their own innovation projects, A/Prof Tey advised, "Keep looking at the issue from other angles and think outside of conventional approaches. This includes learning from people in other industries and how they tackle their issues.” 

On 7 Jun 2024, ACSI held its first engagement event on research and innovation mentorship, featuring Prof Best, ACSI Chief Mentor and former Dean of LKCMedicine. With an extensive experience in research and education, Prof Best has authored over 200 publications and guided numerous clinicians across his various academic and clinical roles. The research and innovation huddle, attended by Prof Leo Yee-Sin, ACSI Co-President, gathered other key research leaders and national Clinician Scientists and Innovators, who are also established mentors in research and innovation.

Prof Best opened the session by quoting the definition of mentorship from The Science of Effective Mentorship in STEMM (2019): “Mentorship is a professional, working alliance in which individuals work together over time to support the personal and professional growth, development, and success of the relational partners through the provision of career and psychosocial support”, and his views on the difference between a mentor and a coach. The attendees then had an in-depth discussion on the elements of an effective mentor-mentee relationship, the distinct roles and responsibilities of mentors and mentees, and the challenges of the mentoring process.

Organised by the ACSI Recruitment & Development Domain and facilitated by Assoc Prof Angela Chow, ACSI Lead Mentor and Senior Consultant, TTSH, the event was held at LKCMedicine Clinical Sciences Building.

On the evening of 24 April, senior management, researchers, innovators, and staff from NHG and Lee Kong Chian School of Medicine (LKCMedicine) gathered for a warm and cosy fireside chat and networking session with NHG Group Chief Executive Officer (GCEO) Prof Joe Sim. Jointly organised by KTPH’s Clinical Research Unit (CRU) and the Academy of Clinician Scientists and Innovators (ACSI), this hybrid event saw more than 200 attendees joining us physically and virtually over Zoom.

Clinical research is crucial for advancing medical knowledge, improving patient care, and enhancing treatment outcomes. As such, having a strong research culture is one of NHG’s four key strategic priorities. Participants had the opportunity to hear from Prof Joe Sim on his direction and plans for Research & Innovation in NHG, including talent development and training in this area.

Prof Sim highlighted some of the steps we can take towards growing our research culture and improving NHG’s research standing:

• Fostering a research-friendly environment that is driven at the department level, across various clinical job families
• Having a shared vision and improving research literacy across all the teams, both clinical and administrative, who support research work
• Building a robust infrastructure to better support data accessibility and analytics
• Participating in more grant calls and increasing our competitiveness in securing grant funding
• Building a strong partnership with NTU and LKCMedicine through joint programmes and targets, and shared resources
  

Through these efforts, we can deepen our research culture and move together to push the boundaries towards achieving more impactful research and healthcare outcomes for NHG.

What is the secret recipe to publishing in the top journals?

On 25 October 2023, Prof Howard Bauchner, MD shared his insights to successful publications and experience as the 16th Editor in Chief of JAMA and the JAMA Network (2011 – 2021) at the ACSI Fireside Chat on 25 Oct 2023. Prof Bauchner is currently a Professor of Pediatrics and Public Health at Boston University Chobanian and Avedisian School of Medicine (BMC/BUSM).

With more than 18 years of experience in scientific journal publishing, we were fortunate to hear his take on how to reduce mistakes in manuscript submissions, what it means to be a first author, and what journals look out for when reviewing a manuscript.

Organised by the ACSI Recruitment & Development Domain, this session was facilitated by Assoc Prof Rupesh Agrawal, Domain Co-lead and Senior Consultant, NHG Eye Institute and held at CHI. 

On 12 October 2023, the NHG-LKCMedicine Academy of Clinician Scientists and Innovators brought together inspiring Clinician Scientists (CSs) and Innovators (CIs) to share about their ‘Journey from Clinicians to Scientists and Innovators’ at the Singapore Health & Biomedical Congress (SHBC) 2023. This track was led by A/Prof Sunny Wong and Asst Prof Yew Yik Weng and touched on topics such as tangible & intangible rewards in navigating through the research/innovation journey, how Innovation could help to translate research findings into healthcare improvements and translating research in population health.

The welcome address was given by Prof Leo Yee-Sin (ACSI Co-President) where she introduced ACSI and the overall landscape of research and innovation in Singapore and within NHG and LKCMedicine. Prof Roger Foo from NUHS Clinician Scientist (CS) Academy then went on to share what it takes to be a Clinician Scientist and NUHS CS Academy’s best practices in providing support in talent development.

Dr Bryan Tan, a CS from ACSI emphasized the impact of health services research. A/Prof Tey Hong Liang, Head of Research Division and Senior Consultant, National Skin Centre talked about sustainable healthcare through research-innovation-enterprise. Asst Prof Marie Loh from LKCMedicine, discussed on translating research in population health. The event concluded with a panel discussion featuring all the speakers.

The track had also provided a wonderful opportunity for us to celebrate outstanding CSs & CIs with an award ceremony for NHG Research & Innovation Awards (NRIA) 2023.

On 4 October 2023, the ACSI Research Symposium (formally known as NHG-LKCMedicine Research Symposium) was held at CSB Seminar Room 7-1, with the theme of Infectious Diseases. It is to promote scientific exchange amongst the cluster to cross fertilize ideas, promote interdisciplinary collaborations, and build research networks and teams. The opening remarks was given by Prof John Chambers and the symposium was moderated by Prof David Lye. 4 speakers were invited to share on their Infectious Diseases research. A/Prof Ng Oon Tek presented on applying whole-genome sequencing and methods development for antimicrobial resistance control while Asst Prof Keisuke Ejima shared on comprehending the Within-Host Response to Infection for Clinical and Public Health Practices. Dr Matthew Tay discussed the high-throughput phenotyping for therapeutics and vaccine antigen discovery while Prof Peter J. Schulz shared on the participatory surveillance for communities in the post-Covid landscape. The event concluded with a panel discussion featuring all the speakers and a networking session paired with light refreshments.

On 6 September, LKCMedicine and National Healthcare Group (NHG) launched the Academy of Clinician Scientists and Innovators (ACSI) to develop research and innovation capabilities of medical students, doctors, nurses and allied health professionals. Held at the Centre of Healthcare Innovation (CHI), senior leadership, clinicians and staff from both organisations came together to mark the formalisation of this initiative, co-led by LKCMedicine Dean and NTU Singapore’s Senior Vice-President for Health & Life Sciences Distinguished University Professor Joseph Sung and NHG Senior Advisor Professor Leo Yee Sin.

Find out more via the link here.

Dr Bryan Tan, Orthopaedic Surgery Consultant from Woodlands Health (WH) has been recognised with the individual-level Exemplary Innovator Award as part of the Public Sector Transformation (PST) Awards. This accolade underscores Dr Tan’s role in promoting excellence and innovation in healthcare through his Collaborative model of care between Orthopaedics and allied healthcare professionals trial (CONNACT) in knee osteoarthritis.

Dr Bryan Tan Receives the Exemplary Innovator Award at the Award Ceremony at the Public Service Week: Spark event.

In addition to this achievement, Dr Tan has been recently obtained a $5 million grant by the Campus for Research Excellence and Technological Enterprise (CREATE) Network. This grant supports his Built Environment in Falls and ArthrITis (BE-FIT) Study, a project that investigates the urban environmental influences on health in Singapore’s dense urban population. 

We would like to extend our heartiest congratulations to Dr Tan for these significant achievements.