Lien Ying Chow Professor in Medicine
Dean, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, NUS
Deputy Chief Executive (Education & Research), NUHS
Professor Chong Yap Seng is the Dean of the Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine at the National University of Singapore. Since assuming the deanship in 2019, NUS Medicine has risen to 13th place in the 2026 Times Higher Education World University Rankings (Medical & Health) and 17th place in the 2026 QS World University Rankings for Medicine.
As Deputy Chief Executive for Education and Research at the National University Health System (NUHS), Professor Chong advances NUHS’ academic mission by overseeing academic and research development across its institutions. Recently appointed the Executive Director of Singapore's first RIE Grand Challenge (RIE GC) on Maximising Healthy and Successful Longevity (MHSL), he will spearhead the development of scientific innovations and evidence-based solutions to extend healthspan in a super-aging Singapore. As the Chief Clinical Officer at the Institute for Human Development and Potential, Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR), he oversees clinical programmes that seek to promote health and human capacity in Singapore and beyond.
Professor Chong is the lead principal investigator of two of Singapore’s most prominent birth cohort studies: Growing Up in Singapore Towards healthy Outcomes (GUSTO) and the Singapore Preconception Study of long-Term maternal and child Outcomes (S-PRESTO). He has co-authored close to 700 research publications in leading international journals to date. His research excellence has been recognised with numerous honours, including the National Outstanding Clinician Scientist Award (2017) from Singapore’s Ministry of Health and the Public Administration Medal (Silver) at the 2022 Singapore National Day Awards.
Driven by a lifelong belief in the power of science to optimise human potential and by his interest in the Developmental Origins of Health and Disease, Professor Chong’s energies throughout his career have been focused on bridging medicine with other disciplines and sectors, both locally and internationally. His efforts to refocus medical education on health was recognised with an honorary doctorate from the University of Zurich and in recognition of his longstanding contributions to medical science and global health, Professor Chong was conferred the ATOM Lifetime Outstanding Achievement Award for Healthcare.
An obstetrician by training, Professor Chong continues to serve as Senior Consultant in the Department of Obstetrics & Gynaecology at the National University Hospital and still takes joy in welcoming newborns into the world.
