Latest news with #Duke-NUSMedicalSchool
Straits Times
6 hours ago
- Health
- Straits Times
Record 121 graduate from Duke-NUS Medical School; some had jobs in law, public relations, accounting
This was the largest number of graduates for a class in the school's 20-year history. ST PHOTO: AZMI ATHNI Record 121 graduate from Duke-NUS Medical School; some had jobs in law, public relations, accounting SINGAPORE – With no background in science, Dr Faith Wong pursued her calling of becoming a doctor at the age of 40. The mother of one previously graduated with a degree in modelmaking from Arts University Bournemouth and then worked in the animation industry. She had suffered depression as a teenager, which was subsequently diagnosed as bipolar disorder, and the experience led her to want to become a doctor. On May 31, the now 44-year-old fulfilled that wish and was among 121 graduates from Duke-NUS Medical School at the Ngee Ann Kongsi Auditorium at Academia located at the Singapore General Hospital Campus. This was the largest number of graduates for a class in its 20-year history. Dr Wong was among the 41 per cent of the 72 doctor of medicine graduates who made mid-career switches from fields such as law, public relations, accounting and mental health support. The other 49 of the 121 graduated with PhDs or master's degrees. When she was 16, Dr Wong suffered from depression, but it was subsequently diagnosed as bipolar disorder. What kept her going was her Catholic faith, therapies and healthcare workers who never gave up on her. She was a senior peer support specialist at the Institute of Mental Health and left in 2021 to attend medical school. She said: 'I found myself deeply reflecting and praying about how best to serve others with this second lease of life. The answer that came to me, very clearly and consistently, was to become a doctor.' One major hurdle was taking the Medical College Admissions Test before entry into the Duke-NUS medicine programme after not taking a major science exam for about two decades. She said: 'For the first three months, biochemistry felt like reading a foreign language.' She spent most weekday nights and weekends studying while juggling her family responsibilities. Clinical rotations were also physically gruelling for her at first, but her stamina improved. 'There were times it felt almost impossible. But what made the difference was the unwavering support I received,' she said. She found hands-on assignments such as dissection work engaging. Her creative thinking skills also helped her approach clinical problems from fresh angles, sometimes offering perspectives that differed from those with more trad itional science train ing . Her ultimate goal is to establish an emergency mental health respite care centre in Singapore, a place where people can walk in and seek help, said Dr Wong. Health Minister Ong Ye Kung, who was guest of honour at the event, congratulated the graduates and acknowledged that they had taken a longer path to become medical doctors, with some whose first degrees were unrelated to medicine or science. He encouraged them to be resilient and optimistic. Health Minister Ong Ye Kung taking a picture with Duke-NUS Medical School graduates on May 31. ST PHOTO: AZMI ATHNI Mr Ong said patient load is high in hospitals, night calls are long, and demanding patients may even file complaints against them with the Singapore Medical Council. He added: 'I want to assure you, this is normal and par for the course. These are the inherent challenges of the profession that you have chosen, and you can overcome (them).' He said Singapore is responding proactively to an ageing world population, medical technological advancements and a global shortage of healthcare workers, which demand healthcare transformation. Besides investing in community care systems and infrastructure, among other things, Singapore is also using more digital and artificial intelligence (AI) technology in healthcare, he said. Mr Ong added: 'They will not replace healthcare workers and the judgment of doctors, but they will remove tedious tasks, augment capabilities and create new opportunities.' He was joined by Duke-NUS dean Thomas C offman and Dr Amy Abernethy, co-founder of healthcare start-up Highlander Health. Another graduate, Dr Loh De Rong, 28, hopes to combine his engineering background and medical knowledge to improve healthcare systems and patient outcomes. He is among the first batch of graduates from a special programme where Duke-NUS offers conditional admissions to pre-university students from other fields to pursue medical studies. Under the programme, which was launched in 2017, interested students can first apply to take undergraduate studies at one of Duke-NUS' partner universities before going on to Duke-NUS Medical School to study medicine at a postgraduate le vel. They undergo undergraduate studies for three or four years, then spend four more years at the postgraduate medical sch ool. A graduate from the Singapore University of Technology and Design, Dr Loh studied computer science, focusing on machine learning and software engineering. He said: 'As medicine continues to evolve in the AI era, I hope to contribute to clinical AI projects and be well positioned to critically evaluate how such tools are applied in healthcare.' Join ST's WhatsApp Channel and get the latest news and must-reads.
Malaysian Reserve
8 hours ago
- Health
- Malaysian Reserve
Duke-NUS celebrates 20 years of medical innovation with largest ever graduating class
Duke-NUS Medical School's Class of 2025 graduates 121 medical and doctoral students, including MDs, MD-PhDs, PhDs, and masters' degrees Landmark first batch of Masters in Patient Safety and Healthcare Quality graduates, unique to Southeast Asia Inaugural graduates from conditional admissions pathways with NUS and SUTD 41% of MD and MD-PhD graduates made bold mid-career shifts from fields such as law, PR, accounting and mental health support SINGAPORE, May 31, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — Celebrating 20 years of transformative medical education, Duke-NUS Medical School graduated its largest cohort yet today, the Class of 2025, in a vibrant ceremony at the Ngee Ann Kongsi Auditorium in Academia attended by guest-of-honour Mr Ong Ye Kung, Minister for Health. Marking a strategic milestone for Duke-NUS, the graduating class included 72 Doctor of Medicine (MD) graduates—five of whom are also earning PhDs—and 27 PhD candidates from the Integrated Biology and Medicine, Quantitative Biology and Medicine and Clinical and Translational Sciences programmes. Among the MD graduates was the first group of individuals emerging from the Duke-NUS conditional admissions pathways with the National University of Singapore (NUS) and the Singapore University of Technology and Design (SUTD). These pathways are designed to attract talent from engineering, information technology and other undergraduate programmes. Dean Professor Thomas Coffman said: 'Collaborating with seven partner universities, including Duke University and NUS, these pathways are designed to allow students to earn a first degree in diverse academic majors while providing an opportunity to seamlessly transition into medicine. It's a powerful model for developing doctors who are outstanding clinicians but also bring valuable multi-disciplinary skills into our healthcare system.' This cohort also includes the inaugural batch of graduates of the Master's in Patient Safety and Healthcare Quality (MPSHQ) programme, the first of its kind in Southeast Asia. The MPSHQ is focused on building highly reliable healthcare systems that are of consistent quality and safety. The Class of 2025 represents Duke-NUS' commitment to broadening the skillset and experience of our students, with 41 per cent of MD and MD-PhD graduates having transitioned mid-career from professions that include law, public relations, accounting and mental health peer support. Additionally, 58 per cent of the Class of 2025's graduates are women, underscoring the School's dedication to fostering diversity in the learning environment. Said Dr Faith Wong Pih Yng, previously a modelmaking student and senior peer support specialist at Singapore's Institute of Mental Health, now MD graduate, 'Among the many hospital postings, what stood out most vividly was assisting in and witnessing childbirth—the intense anticipation and joy of welcoming a new life into the world was simply unmatched. Ultimately, however, the memories I cherish most are the countless hours spent with my classmates, supporting one another and peer-teaching.' Duke-NUS MD graduates received their degrees, awarded jointly by Duke University and the National University of Singapore, in front of friends and family, as well as notable guests, including Duke University School of Medicine Dean Professor Mary Klotman, SingHealth Group CEO Professor Ng Wai Hoe, and keynote speaker, Dr Amy Abernethy, member of Duke University's board of trustees and co-founder of Highlander Health. Caring and compassion underlines the Class of 2025's accomplishments, especially beyond academia. Partaking in a wealth of community service projects, some of their cohort, such as Dr Dana Chow Wai Shin, MD, started the Healthy to Thrive initiative, the first Duke-NUS-led public health screening event dedicated to migrant workers. The cohort was also recognised for their outstanding achievements, which were given out the night before. Awards such as the Singapore Medical Association-Lee Foundation Prizes and Teamsmanship Awards presented to graduates who demonstrated excellence in academics, community service, and leadership. In the aspect of research and scholarship, the Class of 2025 did not flag, publishing an exceptional 253 papers and publications in their time at Duke-NUS, several as first authors in prominent journals such as Nature Medicine, Immunity and EMBO Molecular Medicine. MD-PhD graduate Dr Katherine Nay Yaung, first author on a paper published in Lancet Rheumatology, wrote about artificial intelligence and high-dimensional technologies to diagnose and treat autoimmune diseases, and PhD graduate Dr Aishwarya Prakash, named first author and published in American Heart Association Journal, who found a type of peptide to have protective qualities for the heart after sustaining damage. 'The conversations I've had with patients emphasise a shift towards continuity of care and empowering individuals to make their own health choices. In moments where I feel overwhelmed, I remind myself that being a small part of each patient's journey has been a privilege,' said Dr Pang Wui Ming Jeremy, recipient of the SingHealth Prize in Family Medicine, Singapore Medical Association-Lee Foundation Teamsmanship Award for exemplary team values in medicine and Duke-NUS Achievement Prize. As Duke-NUS enters its third decade, the School continues to redefine medical education and research, nurturing the next generation of healthcare leaders who are not just exceptional doctors but visionary innovators ready to make an impact in Singapore and beyond. About Duke-NUS Medical School Duke-NUS is Singapore's flagship graduate-entry medical school, established in 2005 with a strategic, government-led partnership between two world-class institutions: Duke University School of Medicine and the National University of Singapore (NUS). Through an innovative curriculum, students at Duke-NUS are nurtured to become multi-faceted 'Clinicians Plus' poised to steer the healthcare and biomedical ecosystem in Singapore and beyond. A leader in ground-breaking research and translational innovation, Duke-NUS has gained international renown through its five Signature Research Programmes and ten Centres. The enduring impact of its discoveries is amplified by its successful Academic Medicine partnership with Singapore Health Services (SingHealth), Singapore's largest healthcare group. This strategic alliance has led to the creation of 15 Academic Clinical Programmes, which harness multi-disciplinary research and education to transform medicine and improve lives. For more information, please visit
The Star
19-05-2025
- Health
- The Star
Made-in-Singapore antibody test for multiple viruses now used worldwide
SINGAPORE: A test developed by local researchers to help tackle the next pandemic is now in use in more than 90 countries. Known as the multiplex surrogate virus neutralisation test (sVNT), it can detect if a person has antibodies capable of neutralising multiple viruses to prevent disease. Such antibodies offer protection against a variety of highly pathogenic viruses, including variants of Sars-CoV-2 – the coronavirus that causes Covid-19. The test can also be used for other pathogens such as Ebola and henipaviruses, a group of zoonotic viruses such as Nipah. Experts have warned that zoonotic viruses – transmitted from animals to humans, and vice versa – could spark future pandemics. The test was developed by a team led by Dr Tan Chee Wah of the microbiology and immunology department at the NUS Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine (NUS Medicine) and Professor Wang Linfa of the emerging infectious diseases programme at Duke-NUS Medical School. It has a number of benefits, Prof Wang noted, especially its ability to measure neutralising antibodies. 'Neutralising antibodies are a functional measure of your immunity. So if you have a high level (of them), you will most likely be protected against future infection,' he said. This ability to measure an individual's immunity can in turn be used to determine the efficacy of new vaccines, he added. Such insights could then be used to make future vaccines more effective by broadening their coverage to include a variety of different, but related, viruses, said Prof Wang. The test can also support contact tracing in future epidemics by enabling the authorities to identify individuals who were previously infected and developed antibodies, thereby uncovering the chains of transmission. It can be used on animals as well, Prof Wang added, noting its use in tracing the spread of Sars-CoV-2 from humans to white-tailed deer in a US study published in the journal Nature Communications in 2023. This is important as future pandemics are likely to be the result of zoonotic diseases, as was the case for Sars (severe acute respiratory syndrome) and Covid-19, said Professor Paul Tambyah from NUS Medicine. Dr Tan noted that another advantage is that the test does not require the use of a live virus – which carries a risk of infection – to determine the presence of neutralising antibodies. Instead, it requires only a spike protein from the virus – the component that the virus relies on to invade human cells, which is relatively harmless on its own. The multiplex sVNT was developed under the Integrated Innovations in Infectious Diseases (I3D) large collaborative grant, funded by the National Medical Research Council. Established under the Ministry of Health in 1994, the council oversees the development and advancement of medical research in Singapore. The test kit is based on cPass, the first commercial tool to detect whether someone has antibodies that neutralise Sars-CoV-2. Developed in 2020, cPass was created by a team led by Prof Wang, in collaboration with biotech firm GenScript and A*Star's Diagnostics Development Hub. The US Food and Drug Administration granted cPass emergency use approval in November 2020. However, cPass was limited in its ability to detect the different variants of Covid-19 that emerged as the virus evolved, noted Prof Tambyah, who is also lead principal investigator of I3D. This underscored the need for an enhanced test, he said. The multiplex sVNT is now being used in more than 90 countries, Prof Wang noted. This includes at institutions such as the University of Oxford, the University of Indonesia and the University of Melbourne. The team is now trying to build a test that can be used for all the pathogens on the World Health Organisation's global priority list of antibiotic-resistant bacteria, Dr Tan said. Prof Wang added: 'The challenge now, and also our excitement, is trying to build up a really multi-family, multi-class surrogate virus neutralisation test, so that we're ready for any disease X'. The term 'disease X' refers to an unknown pathogen that could cause a serious global pandemic. Since the outbreak of Covid-19, Singapore has been ramping up its pandemic preparedness efforts. In 2022, the Programme for Research in Epidemic Preparedness and Response, headed by Prof Wang, was launched. With funding of $100 million over five years, it aims to bring together experts from various fields to respond to future infectious disease outbreaks. And in April 2025, a new statutory board – the Communicable Diseases Agency – was launched. It consolidates public health functions that detect and control infectious diseases, enabling a faster response to disease outbreaks. - The Straits Times/ANN
Straits Times
18-05-2025
- Health
- Straits Times
Made-in-Singapore antibody test for multiple viruses now used worldwide
(From right) Professor Wang Linfa and Dr Tan Chee Wah, who together led the team that developed the antibody test, with Professor Paul Tambyah. ST PHOTO: GIN TAY SINGAPORE – A test developed by local researchers to help tackle the next pandemic is now in use in more than 90 countries. Known as the multiplex surrogate virus neutralisation test (sVNT), it can detect if a person has antibodies capable of neutralising multiple viruses to prevent disease. Such antibodies offer protection against a variety of highly pathogenic viruses, including variants of Sars-CoV-2 – the coronavirus that causes Covid-19. The test can also be used for other pathogens such as Ebola and henipaviruses, a group of zoonotic viruses such as Nipah. Experts have warned that zoonotic viruses – transmitted from animals to humans, and vice versa – could spark future pandemics. The test was developed by a team led by Dr Tan Chee Wah of the microbiology and immunology department at the NUS Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine (NUS Medicine) and Professor Wang Linfa of the emerging infectious diseases programme at Duke-NUS Medical School. It has a number of benefits, Prof Wang noted, especially its ability to measure neutralising antibodies. 'Neutralising antibodies are a functional measure of your immunity. So if you have a high level (of them), you will most likely be protected against future infection,' he said. This ability to measure an individual's immunity can in turn be used to determine the efficacy of new vaccines, he added. Such insights could then be used to make future vaccines more effective by broadening their coverage to include a variety of different, but related, viruses, said Prof Wang. The test can also support contact tracing in future epidemics by enabling the authorities to identify individuals who were previously infected and developed antibodies, thereby uncovering the chains of transmission. It can be used on animals as well, Prof Wang added, noting its use in tracing the spread of Sars-CoV-2 from humans to white-tailed deer in a US study published in the journal Nature Communications in 2023. This is important as future pandemics are likely to be the result of zoonotic diseases, as was the case for Sars (severe acute respiratory syndrome) and Covid-19, said Professor Paul Tambyah from NUS Medicine. Dr Tan noted that another advantage is that the test does not require the use of a live virus – which carries a risk of infection – to determine the presence of neutralising antibodies. Instead, it requires only a spike protein from the virus – the component that the virus relies on to invade human cells, which is relatively harmless on its own. The multiplex sVNT was developed under the Integrated Innovations in Infectious Diseases (I3D) large collaborative grant, funded by the National Medical Research Council. Established under the Ministry of Health in 1994, the council oversees the development and advancement of medical research in Singapore. The test kit is based on cPass, the first commercial tool to detect whether someone has antibodies that neutralise Sars-CoV-2. Developed in 2020, cPass was created by a team led by Prof Wang, in collaboration with biotech firm GenScript and A*Star's Diagnostics Development Hub. The US Food and Drug Administration granted cPass emergency use approval in November 2020. However, cPass was limited in its ability to detect the different variants of Covid-19 that emerged as the virus evolved, noted Prof Tambyah, who is also lead principal investigator of I3D. This underscored the need for an enhanced test, he said. The multiplex sVNT is now being used in more than 90 countries, Prof Wang noted. This includes at institutions such as the University of Oxford, the University of Indonesia and the University of Melbourne. The team is now trying to build a test that can be used for all the pathogens on the World Health Organisation's global priority list of antibiotic-resistant bacteria, Dr Tan said. Prof Wang added: 'The challenge now, and also our excitement, is trying to build up a really multi-family, multi-class surrogate virus neutralisation test, so that we're ready for any disease X'. The term 'disease X' refers to an unknown pathogen that could cause a serious global pandemic. Since the outbreak of Covid-19, Singapore has been ramping up its pandemic preparedness efforts. In 2022, the Programme for Research in Epidemic Preparedness and Response, headed by Prof Wang, was launched. With funding of $100 million over five years, it aims to bring together experts from various fields to respond to future infectious disease outbreaks. And in April 2025, a new statutory board – the Communicable Diseases Agency – was launched. It consolidates public health functions that detect and control infectious diseases, enabling a faster response to disease outbreaks. Zhaki Abdullah is a correspondent at The Straits Times. He is on the health beat, in addition to occasionally covering science, environmental, tech and Muslim affairs issues. Join ST's WhatsApp Channel and get the latest news and must-reads.
Straits Times
30-04-2025
- Health
- Straits Times
How Duke-NUS Medical School supports staff to drive healthcare innovations
Professor Patrick Tan in his Duke-NUS lab, where groundbreaking cancer genetics research translates into clinical trials with real-world impact. PHOTO: DUKE-NUS MEDICAL SCHOOL BRANDED CONTENT 'Our role is about service': Why staff stay, grow and drive healthcare innovation at this med school Duke-NUS Medical School's culture of open collaboration and access to a vast clinical ecosystem enables its staff to push boundaries in medicine and public health From installing life-saving devices at Housing Board void decks to discovering new cancer treatments, innovation at Duke-NUS Medical School extends beyond the lab. In March 2025, in collaboration with SingHealth, the school launched its Artificial Intelligence in Medicine Institute (AIMI) with the aim to equip healthcare professionals with the tools and support to develop and apply AI solutions in the real world. There is tremendous use for AI, from finding new drugs to understanding complex biological pathways, to detecting patterns in the emergence of diseases, says Professor Patrick Tan, Duke-NUS' senior vice-dean for research. A Stanford-trained MD (Doctor of Medicine)-PhD holder, the 56-year-old was one of the school's pioneer faculty members and has been appointed the next and fourth dean of the school, effective January 1, 2026. 'The character of Duke-NUS is very special,' he says. 'We're a medical school that produces doctors who do more than clinical care, researchers who do more than publish papers, and administrators who lean into our mission of innovative education and impactful research that transforms the practice of medicine in Singapore and beyond.' This sense of shared purpose is echoed by Associate Professor Shiva Sarraf-Yazdi, who sums it up succinctly: 'Our role is about service.' Duke-NUS was established in 2005 as a partnership between two world-class institutions: Duke University and the National University of Singapore. A former Duke-trained surgeon, she joined Duke-NUS more than a decade ago to focus on medical education. 'The act of surgery itself measures impact in days, weeks or months but education measures impact in decades,' says the 53-year-old, who is now the vice-dean for education overseeing the Duke-NUS MD programme. The school has been ranked as one of Singapore's best employers for five years running, in a list compiled by global research firm Statista in collaboration with The Straits Times. Faculty members and staff have cited a high level of trust, strong emphasis on workplace diversity and clear work expectations as factors that make Duke-NUS stand out as an employer. Prof Tan, who leads a 600-strong research office, says: 'Part of my job is to bring in the best people, assemble the best teams, and make sure they can do their best work with supporting structures in place to tackle the big questions of the future.' The setting up of AIMI marks the school's latest move to leverage cutting-edge technology and interdisciplinary expertise to solve complex healthcare challenges and redefine what's possible in patient care. A spirit of innovation at Duke-NUS Medical School empowers every member to push boundaries, to transform medicine and improve lives. (Seated, from left) Professor Patrick Tan, senior vice-dean for research; professor Thomas Coffman, dean; and Dr Zhou Jin, principal research scientist. (Standing, from left) Mr Anirudh Sharma, director, communications and strategic relations; and associate professor Shiva Sarraf-Yazdi, vice-dean for education. PHOTO: DUKE-NUS MEDICAL SCHOOL Creating real-world impact Prof Tan says the scale and success of the work of Duke-NUS researchers is made possible because of the institution's collaborative model and access to Singapore's broader healthcare ecosystem. That includes his own groundbreaking contributions to stomach cancer research. Prof Tan's work in gastric cancer won the American Association for Cancer Research Team Science Award in 2018 – a first for a team from Asia. Supported by Duke-NUS, his team – comprising researchers from the National Cancer Centre Singapore, the Genome Institute of Singapore and collaborators from Japan, Taiwan and Thailand – identified key genetic abnormalities in stomach cancers and translated those findings into targeted clinical trials. Reflecting on his focus on research rather than clinical care, he says: 'When you provide clinical care, it is to one patient at a time. This is tremendously important. But if you can find the cause of disease and therapy to intervene, there is a much broader level of impact.' Another real-world example is the installation of AEDs (Automated External Defibrillators) across Singapore, an initiative led by Duke-NUS' research on out-of-hospital cardiac arrest survival rates. 'It wasn't a drug, but it saved lives. That's the impact,' says Prof Tan. Breakthroughs in medical research and healthcare Fighting cancer From developing Singapore's first home-grown cancer drug (ETC-159) to mapping stomach tumours for personalised therapies, scientists at Duke-NUS are leading advances in cancer treatment. From developing Singapore's first home-grown cancer drug (ETC-159) to mapping stomach tumours for personalised therapies, scientists at Duke-NUS are leading advances in cancer treatment. Pioneering Covid-19 response Duke-NUS is among the first globally to isolate, culture and characterise the SARS-CoV-2 virus, driving innovations in Covid-19 testing, vaccines and therapeutics – including the world's first FDA-approved neutralising antibody test kit. Duke-NUS is among the first globally to isolate, culture and characterise the SARS-CoV-2 virus, driving innovations in Covid-19 testing, vaccines and therapeutics – including the world's first FDA-approved neutralising antibody test kit. Hope for Parkinson's Duke-NUS is advancing cell therapies for brain diseases like Parkinson's, taking these treatments from the lab to clinical trials in Singapore and overseas. Duke-NUS is advancing cell therapies for brain diseases like Parkinson's, taking these treatments from the lab to clinical trials in Singapore and overseas. Driving longevity research Researchers at Duke-NUS discovered how the IL-11 protein is linked to ageing and excess scar tissue build-ups in organs or tissues, paving the way for new treatments. Researchers at Duke-NUS discovered how the IL-11 protein is linked to ageing and excess scar tissue build-ups in organs or tissues, paving the way for new treatments. Beating cardiac arrest Research led to the placement of over 10,000 automated external defibrillators across Singapore and cardiopulmonary resuscitation training for more than 180,000 people annually – dramatically improving survival from cardiac arrests outside hospitals. Empowering bold innovations Prof Sarraf-Yazdi feels the school's innovation-friendly culture encourages bold ideas. This support has enabled her team to embark on new projects that continually enhance the school's education programme to better prepare students for clinical practice. One of her earlier initiatives was the MD Programme Longitudinal Integrated Clerkship. It was run as a pilot to expose students to multiple clinical disciplines in a holistic approach while enabling them to form stronger connections with patients, mentors and peers. Insights from the pilot helped reshape the MD curriculum, such as the longitudinal C.A.R.E. (Connect, Assimilate, Reflect, Explore) Programme, which now spans the entire curriculum. The programme complements students' capabilities for practice by progressively incorporating essential skills like communication, clinical reasoning, ethics and professionalism, while exploring emerging healthcare priority areas such as Population Health and AI in medicine. Associate Professor Shiva Sarraf-Yazdi with Duke-NUS students during one of their clinical education programmes, practising procedural skills in a safe environment. PHOTO: DUKE-NUS MEDICAL SCHOOL 'It is easy to take bold steps when you are backed by a courageous team and supported by institutional leadership that tolerates failure, embraces change and encourages innovation,' she says. In addition to Duke-NUS, she credits the school's extended ecosystem – including over 2,000 clinical faculty across the SingHealth Duke-NUS Academic Medical Centre – for guiding students through their clinical education. Enduring impact on public health At Duke-NUS, professional growth is not limited to students. By providing a supportive environment including flexible work arrangements to encourage lifelong learning, faculty and staff are enabled to deepen their expertise and expand their capabilities. Prof Sarraf-Yazdi herself pursued two additional degrees while working – a Master of Health Professions Education from Johns Hopkins University and a Master of Business Administration from NUS. Programmes such as the Dean's Excellence Awards and Administrative Achievement Awards also help in highlighting staff contributions and fostering peer appreciation. Prof Tan says: 'There is an ethos and culture to Duke-NUS that has sustained me. 'Here, you will find that many of us stay for quite a long time because we're all attracted to this very dynamic place that tackles some of the key and important questions of the future that affect Singapore and the world.' Read more about Singapore's Best Employers 2025. Join ST's WhatsApp Channel and get the latest news and must-reads.
