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Head & Senior Consultant, Department of Cardiology, National University Heart Centre, Singapore
Adjunct Associate Professor, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore
Adj A/Prof Chai’s distinguished career in public healthcare spans over three decades. He has held leadership positions including Director of Clinical Services for Department of Cardiology, NUH (2009-2020) and Head of Department of Cardiology at NUHCS (2020-present). He has also served as past Director of NHG’s Heart Failure Programme and NUH Patient Experience Officer. In 2024, his strong commitment to patient care was recognised with the NUH Incredible Care Service Champion (Gold) Award and NUHS Master Clinician Award as well as the Singapore Health Quality Award 2025. He pioneered a chronic heart failure management programme in NHG and NUH in 2003 that has significantly improved patient care. Throughout his career, he has worked with various disciplines to implement innovative clinics such as the pharmacist-led Medication Therapy and Management Cardiac clinics, APN-led chest pain clinics, and nurse-led pre-operative cardiac risk assessment clinics. He also operationalised the Heart Clinic@Jurong Medical Centre to provide timely access to cardiology specialist review for primary care patient referrals. He has faculty appointments in NUSMed and is Chair of NUHCS’ Cardiology Senior Residency Programme Evaluation Committee. As a researcher, he has been active as co-principal investigator in several multicentre clinical trials and authored over 90 publications.
Group Chief, Otolaryngology - Head & Neck Surgery, National University Health System
Head & Senior Consultant, Department of Otolaryngology - Head & Neck Surgery (ENT), National University Hospital
Associate Professor, Department of Otolaryngology, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore
A/Prof Loh has demonstrated a strong caring attitude throughout his career, both towards patients and colleagues. As Group Chief of Otolaryngology, he implemented the integration of the otolaryngology clinic services in NUHS in 2019. This facilitated appropriate right-siting of care across the cluster and Otolaryngology outpatient wait times became consistently the lowest nationally. Regionally, he is recognised for his expertise in cochlear implantation, airway reconstruction and complex paediatric cases such as subglottic and tracheal stenosis. He is recognised among peers for his introduction of sialendoscopy which is a minimally invasive technique in the treatment of salivary gland conditions. As HoD of NUH ENT Surgery, he championed the expansion of the clinical services within the department making it one of the busiest ENT departments in the country. He contributes to community health projects such as NUH’s mobile audiology clinics bringing hearing health services to the heartlands. During the COVID-19 pandemic, he managed 3 Community Care Facilities – Tuas South, F1 pit and Chia Ping. A/Prof Loh is a renowned educator with multiple best teacher awards in NUS for undergraduate teaching. He chairs the Master of Medicine in Otolaryngology Committee and serves on the Residency Advisory Committee for Otolaryngology. He is also a faculty member at the European Salivary Gland Training Centre and is invited regularly to lecture at international conferences. His contributions to healthcare earned him the Singapore Quality Health Service Bronze (2024) and STAR (2025) Awards.
Senior Consultant, Department of Intensive Care Medicine, Ng Teng Fong General Hospital
Dr Tan is the visionary behind Singapore’s first Integrated Intensive Care Unit (ICU) at NTFGH. By bringing together multiple ICU disciplines into one cohesive facility, she has revolutionised the care of patients with complex, multi-organ conditions — setting a new benchmark for ICU services across the nation. Under her exemplary leadership, NTFGH’s ICU achieved a historic milestone as the first in Singapore to be accredited by the College of Intensive Care Medicine of Australia – a testament to its clinical excellence and multidisciplinary collaboration. Dr Tan spearheaded several transformative initiatives, including the Mobile ICU, the Code Blue response system. She established the ICU Palliative Care Team and pioneered Singapore’s first service of its kind, the “IAmGoingHome” programme, which honours the final wishes of patients on life support by enabling compassionate, rapid discharge, allowing them to spend their last hours at home in dignity and love. Amidst the pressures of the COVID-19 pandemic, Dr Tan’s calm and steady leadership brought reassurance and unity to her team. Despite her seniority, she remains deeply committed to patient care, continuing to take night calls and supporting colleagues on the frontline. A true role model, Dr Tan inspires those around her to lead with purpose, teach with empathy, and serve with humility. Dr Tan’s unwavering dedication has been recognised with the following awards: NTFGH Star Service Award (October 2024), NUHS Excellence in Clinical Care Award (August 2022), NUHS Chief Executive Award (July 2024).
Senior Consultant, Division of Haematology, Department of Haematology-Oncology, NCIS
Group Director, Research Office, NUHS
Vice President (Biomedical Sciences Research), Office of the Deputy President (Research and Technology), NUS
Yong Loo Lin Professor in Medical Oncology, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, NUS
Professor, Department of Medicine, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, NUS
Prof Chng has made significant contributions to the management of multiple myeloma. He is globally recognised as a master clinician in myeloma (ranked first in Asia and top 50 globally by Expertscape). He actively promotes patient empowerment and helped to establish the National Myeloma Patient Forum. Before NUHS@Home, he developed home treatment for cancer patients and community-based cancer care. He believes strongly in developing others and has been mentor to many clinician-scientists, graduate students and doctors and nurses, and conducts masterclasses to educate physicians in the region on the management of myeloma. He has produced highly translational research, including using global genomic techniques to understand drug resistance and improve disease prognosis in haematological malignancies that has led to personalised treatment and improved patient outcomes. His impactful research has won him numerous national and global accolades, including the International Myeloma Foundation’s Brian G.M. Durie Outstanding Achievement Award 2020, becoming the first in Asia to achieve this honour and the National Medical Research Council’s National Outstanding Clinician Scientist Award 2016. Recognised as a key opinion leader, he serves on several global advisory boards and steering committees including International Myeloma Working Group, Asian Myeloma Network, IMWG consensus paper.
Senior Consultant, Department of Haematology-Oncology, NCISProfessor, Department of Medicine, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, NUS
Prof Lee has played an active role in improving the standard of medical oncology training in Singapore and has been instrumental in instilling the research culture in NCIS to interest doctors to be engaged in academic medicine. She has mentored many junior doctors in various clinical and academic pursuits; and spearheaded a structured teaching curriculum for doctors and study co-ordinators to ensure high quality execution of clinical research and therapeutic trials. She founded the NCIS Cancer Genetics Program in 2000 that has trained multiple cancer specialists in Asia through an annual workshop. In 2017, Prof Lee started the NCIS-on-the-Go Program, an innovative model of care to administer low-risk cancer treatments in community clinics. An accomplished clinician scientist with around 250 international peer-reviewed publications, she has won numerous competitive research grants and directs a breast cancer developmental therapeutics program at NCIS with multiple trials on novel therapeutics. She is a member of the European Society of Medical Oncology (ESMO) Asia Expert Panel that formulates breast cancer management guidelines for the Asia-Pacific region. She has been chair/speaker/faculty at multiple regional and international conferences, including the American Society of Oncology, ESMO and Global Breast Cancer Conference Annual Meetings.
Head & Senior Consultant, Division of General Surgery (Upper Gastrointestinal Surgery), Department of Surgery, NUH
Head & Senior Consultant, Division of Surgical Oncology, NCIS
Associate Director, NCIS
Professor, Department of Surgery, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, NUS
Prof So is a pioneer of peroral endoscopic myotomy, minimally invasive surgery for gastric cancer, intraperitoneal chemotherapy and pressurised intraperitoneal aerosol chemotherapy in Singapore. He has published more than 300 peer-reviewed scientific papers and received over S$15 million research grants for his research. He published his research in medical journals such as Lancet, Nature, Cell, Nature Genetics, Gastroenterology, Gut, Cancer Discovery, Cancer Cell, Journal of Clinical Oncology, Annals of Surgery, BJS and JAMA Surgery. He received the Peritoneal Prize by International Society for the Study of Peritoneum and Pleura in 2020 which recognised the top researcher in the world in the field of peritoneal carcinomatosis. He delivered the Yaya Cohen Memorial Lecture by College of Surgeons, Singapore in 2018. He has delivered over 150 invited lectures internationally. He has also presented his research at American Gastroenterological Association, American Society of Clinical Oncology, American Society of Gastrointestinal Endoscopy, Society of American Gastrointestinal Endoscopic Surgeons, International Society for Diseases of Esophagus and World Congress of Endoscopic Surgery. He is the founding president of the Asia-Pacific Gastro-esophageal Cancer Congress in 2006. Prof So is the editor for Gastric Cancer, an official journal of International Gastric Cancer Association and is also member of editorial board of some other medical journals.
A/Prof Merchant has been one of the longest-serving heads of division within Department of Medicine and the visionary who started the first geriatric multidisciplinary clinical service within NUH. Before serving as the head of Geriatric Medicine, she was the head of Advanced Internal Medicine where she was instrumental not just in rebranding the division from General Medicine to Advanced Internal Medicine, but also tripling its growth both in manpower and clinical services. Her expertise in healthy aging, frailty, and sarcopenia has significantly added to the field of geriatrics in Singapore and across the world. Notably, A/Prof Merchant has been instrumental in the development of evidence-based protocols such as the hospital’s eldercare bundle, decentralisation of geriatric resource nurses (first in Singapore), acute medical unit, and quality improvement initiatives such as nurse-led swallowing assessment. In 2008, she co-led the transformation of NUS’ aging curriculum making the college the first in Asia Pacific to have a robust aging module. She is a member of WHO Global Network on Long-term Care and Clinical Consortium on Healthy Ageing. A/Prof Merchant’s research commitment is reflected in her role as an associate editor, prolific publications, and co-authorship of international consensus papers. She holds multiple leadership positions in national and international task force committees.
Senior Consultant, Department of Haematology-Oncology, NCIS
As a senior clinician, Prof Goh has held critical leadership roles at institutional and national levels, including the founding Director of the Investigational Medicine Unit at NUHS; Deputy Director of the National University Cancer Institute, Singapore (NCIS); Clinical trials co-lead at the Singapore Translational Cancer Consortium; Deputy Director of the Cancer Science Institute of Singapore, NUS; Clinical Research Institute, NUS; Head of the Department of Haematology-Oncology, NCIS; and Deputy Director of the NUS Cancer Translational research program. At NCIS, he established a world-renowned clinical trial programme, now with over 150 clinical trials, which is a testament to his pioneering vision. Internationally, as a key opinion leader, he has served on advisory boards of several pharmaceutical companies advising on drug development of very novel drugs and has served on editorial boards of important journals like the Journal of Clinical Oncology and Annals of Oncology.
Senior Consultant, Department of Haematology-Oncology, NCIS
As the Clinical Director of NCIS’s Adult Haematopoietic Cell Transplant (HCT) programme, A/Prof Koh has driven its remarkable growth and development. With a focus on innovative approaches, he has overseen international trials for haematological malignancies and infections, notably introducing the Haplo-2017 protocol in the haploidentical blood stem cell transplant programme. This ground-breaking technique has expanded treatment possibilities, yielding promising survival rates and reducing graft-versus-host disease, giving hope to patients with haematological malignancies.
His dedication to education has won him numerous teaching awards over the years. He has published more than 70 peer reviewed papers and has also presented more than 30 abstracts in international haematology/HCT meetings. He also serves as a reviewer of several international transplantation or haematology journals.
Head and Senior Consultant, Division of Paediatric Neurology,
KTP-NUCMI, NUH
A/Prof Ong’s tenure as Director of Clinical Services in the Department of Paediatrics at KTP-NUCMI from 2003 to 2021 is marked by distinction and dedicated service. His efforts in streamlining workflows and creation of subspecialty programmes have remarkably improved patient outcomes and reduced costs. Collaborating with various department heads, he prioritised patient safety, doctor-patient communications, and cost-effective healthcare. Amid the COVID-19 pandemic, his steadfast leadership facilitated efficient pandemic responses and clinical workflows for Paediatrics. Under his leadership, Paediatric Neurology Services has grown from strength to strength, with the introduction of EEG monitoring, intramuscular botulinum toxin treatment and a pioneering Paediatric Rehabilitation model. His initiatives, such as robotic rehabilitation and powered exoskeleton use, reflect his commitment to improve patient outcomes through innovation.
Group Chief, Emergency Medicine, NUHS
Senior Consultant, Emergency Medicine Department, NUH
Associate Professor, Department of Surgery, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, NUS
Group Chief, Diagnostic Imaging, NUHS
Senior Consultant, Department of Diagnostic Imaging, NUH
Associate Professor, Department of Diagnostic Radiology, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, NUS
Head and Senior Consultant, Department of Neonatology, Khoo Teck Puat-National University Children's Medical Institute, NUH
Associate Professor, Department of Paediatrics, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, NUS
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Prof Kesavan Esuvaranathan | A/Prof Jeffrey Low | Prof Paul Tambyah | A/Prof Yeo Tiong Cheng
Prof Kesavan is an outstanding clinician leader who introduced the practice of holistic medicine and health and wellness coaching to improve patient care in NUH. He has also pioneered a personal coaching program for undergraduates in the NUS Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine. His research in bladder cancer assisted in important discoveries in tumour immunology, cytokine-gene therapy and metabolomic analysis and diagnostics in this field. He has contributed to the medical profession through the development of the surgery syllabus and methods of examination in both undergraduate and graduate levels and has held key positions in national and international surgical and urological associations and served in a number of advisory committees of national regulatory bodies.
A/Prof Low is widely recognised by the local and international fraternity as a key opinion leader in gynaecologic oncology and gynaecologic surgery. He is a strong advocate for holistic patient care that has led to excellent outcomes in gynaecological cancer treatment. A passionate educator, he holds many undergraduate and graduate teaching appointments, and has mentored many nurses and specialist both locally and regionally. His contributions through research have led to advances in gynaecological cancer prevention, treatment and improvement in the quality of life for patients.
Prof Tambyah is a renowned clinician-researcher in the field of infectious diseases. He has inspired generations of trainees in infectious diseases through his enthusiasm and role modelling of compassion and competence for all, including people living with HIV and other chronic infections. Recognised for his vast experience across the spectrum of infection, including outbreaks, tropical medicine and clinical applied research, he has been invited to serve on multiple international and national societies/committees, most recently as the President-elect of the International Society for Infectious Disease (ISID).
A/Prof Yeo Tiong Cheng is widely recognised as an expert echocardiographer and a key opinion leader in Cardiology. When he was Head, Department of Cardiology, A/Prof Yeo led strategic developments that transformed cardiac care, achieving AMI outcomes that are comparable to the best in the world, and built a pervasive research culture in the National University Heart Centre, Singapore (NUHCS). Through his involvement in a number of advisory committees in MOH, he ensured that needy patients have access to cutting-edge and cost effective medications. A passionate teacher, he trained and nurtured a new generation of cardiologists at NUHCS.
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A/Prof Tan Soo Yong | A/Prof Sunil Sethi
A/Prof Tan is one of the pioneer faculty members in Duke-NUS where he received the Best Teacher Award for several years, as well as the Pioneer Award for being a founding co-Director of the Body & Disease Course. His research on miRNA profiling of tumours is supported by grants from NUS and MOE, as well as the NMRC Large Collaborative Grant. In 2019, he became the PrincipaI Investigator (PI) of the IMCB-Indivumed Joint Lab, established with $12M of industrial funding and $5M from an IAF-ICP grant; and is also the recipient of A*STAR’s Exploit Technologies (ETPL) Gap Funding ($1.5M) to develop new diagnostic solutions in prostate cancer.
He has more than 90 publications to-date with 2,363 citations, and sits on the editorial board of 3 pathology journals. He has a field-weighted citation impact (FWCI) of 1.48 and 44.4% of his publications are in the top 10% of highly cited journals; and a researcher H-index ranking of 28.
Given his training in medical jurisprudence and experience in biobanking, A/Prof Tan is the MOH spokesperson on the Human Biomedical Research Act. He is Chairman of the Biobanking Committee, ANRRC, and in this capacity conducted biobanking workshops in Malaysia and Thailand. He is an author of the WHO Classifications of haematolymphoid neoplasms, and digestive tract tumours. He is one of only 25 haematopathologists in the International Lymphoma Study Group.
Under his watch as Chief Examiner and Chairman of the RAC for Pathology, Singapore Residents achieved 100% pass rate at the ABMSI examination. As the International Advisor (West Pacific) of the Royal College of Pathologists, A/Prof Tan initiated a Pathology Educational Program in Yangon, and has taught in China, Malaysia and Indonesia as Visiting Professor.
As the administrative head, A/Prof Sethi was instrumental in establishing the NUH Department of Laboratory Medicine, and helped set up NUH’s regional referral laboratory. He led in the consolidation of laboratory services across NUH and the entire NHG. A/Prof Sethi has had numerous under-graduate and post-graduate teaching appointments at NUH, NUS and sat on the Biotechnology Advisory Panel of Ngee Ann Polytechnic.
A/Prof Sethi pioneered the development of the profession and involvement of clinical pathologists in direct patient care. He conducts regular General Medicine/Lipid Outpatient Clinics and provides clinical consultation for laboratory results in Laboratory Medicine, Clinical Biochemistry and new biomarkers for clinical service.
During his 5-year term as VCMB (Outreach), he was involved in numerous programmes supporting outreach in many of the less developed regional countries. On a personal level, he has contributed immensely through medical missions to treat the poor in Indonesia, Nepal and Thailand, and established a chronic disease management programme in some of these areas.
For his leadership in the projects to consolidate the NUH-NHG Laboratory Automation System (LAS) and the NUH-NHG Laboratory Information System (LIS), he received the NHG Outstanding Citizen Award in 2015. He is currently on the Executive Board of the International Federation of Clinical Chemistry (IFCC) as the elected President of the Asian and Pacific Federation of Clinical Biochemistry & Laboratory Medicine (APFCB). Prior to this, he had served as President in various councils including the Singapore Association of Clinical Biochemists (SACB) and Asian and Pacific Federation of Clinical Biochemistry & Laboratory Medicine (APFCB).
