Six more Clinician Scientists to boost Singapore's translational research

24 Jan 2006

Six more medical doctors are joining Singapore's drive to bridge the gap between basic scientific research and clinical applications.  Awarded the Clinician Scientist Investigator (CSI) Award, this new breed of researchers will thrust clinically relevant questions into the basic research laboratories and also bring the rigors of scientific investigation into the patient care arena.  The Award, which aims to support the career development of clinician scientists and promote translational research in Singapore, is sponsored by the Biomedical Research Council (BMRC) of A*STAR and the National Medical Research Council (NMRC) of MOH.

"The CSI Award is part of our mission and commitment to support and build translational research capabilities in Singapore.  With Singapore's excellent infrastructure for both medical care and biomedical research, the Clinician Scientists can combine the best of both worlds and launch novel investigations into pathogenesis, prevention, diagnosis, prognosis and treatment of diseases.  They can solve biomedical problems from a fresh perspective and with new knowledge gained from both clinical and laboratory settings, they can potentially develop innovative therapies for patients," said A/Prof Lam Kong Peng, Acting Executive Director of BMRC.

"Translational medicine refers to the transformation of laboratory discoveries into clinical applications with new ways to diagnose and to treat patients that will ultimately make a difference in patient outcomes, improve healthcare and save lives. This crucial task falls heavily upon developing a pool of clinician scientists who can ensure a free flow of information and new treatment from the laboratory to the patient's bedside and back again", said Prof Woo Keng Thye, Chairman NMRC.

The CSI Award is divided into two categories.  Category A caters to senior clinician-scientists who are already actively involved in basic scientific research and hold at least one active grant that has been peer reviewed and awarded at the national level.  Category B caters to younger clinician-scientists who wish to develop a career in translational research.  This year, there are two senior clinician scientists and four junior clinician scientists receiving the awards.  Their work covers a wide range of biomedical areas including neurology, orthopaedic surgery, stem cell biology, cancer biology and genetic study on human obesity, etc.  For more details on the awardees, please refer to Annex A.

The selection of the CSI awardees was based on both the quality of the candidates, as well as the scientific merits of their research plans and commitment from their host institutions.  To ensure the quality and commitment of the candidates selected, each application has to undergo stringent selection process by a Joint Review Panel comprising representatives from both BMRC and NMRC. For more details on the award, please refer to Annex B.

"I am very excited at the opportunities that this award will provide.  I will get to work alongside basic scientists and exchange ideas with them.  This will certainly broaden our horizons as clinicians and add depth to our understanding of research from the basic sciences.  Clinician Scientist is a relatively new concept in Singapore and I hope in my endeavour to seek solutions for clinical problems, I can inspire more young clinicians to relate clinical practice to research," commented Assoc Prof Hui Hoi Po, James, one of the senior clinician scientists receiving the award.

This batch of six clinician scientists will join the pioneer batch of eight clinician scientists, to build up translational research capabilities in Singapore.

Jointly issued by A*STAR and MOH

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About the Biomedical Research Council (BMRC)

The Biomedical Research Council (BMRC) oversees the development of core research capabilities within A*STAR research units specialising in bioprocessing; chemical synthesis; genomics and proteomics; molecular and cell biology; bioengineering and nanotechnology and computational biology. Through competitive grants, the Council also supports research in the wider scientific community such as public universities and hospitals.  As part of its efforts to advance human healthcare, BMRC actively promotes translational medicine and cross-disciplinary research. The Council also engages in human capital development in the biomedical sciences and promotes societal awareness of biomedical research through outreach programmes.

For more information, please visit: www.a-star.edu.sg  

About the National Medical Research Council (NMRC)

The National Medical Research Council (NMRC) under the Ministry of Health (MOH) was established with the mandate to engender the growth of research talent, to support high quality scientific and clinical research and to improve medical care and human health in Singapore.  The NMRC supports the development of core manpower and research capabilities and fund research programmes and projects carried out by restructured hospitals, national disease centres and public tertiary educational institutions.  The NMRC also awards medical research fellowships for the development of medical research manpower.

For More information, please visit www.nmrc.gov.sg

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Annex A:  Awardees of the Clinician Scientist Investigator Award

1. Associate Professor Hui Hoi Po, James

Use of cell based therapy and drug supplements for the repair of cartilage defect in the young

A/Prof Hui is currently the Group leader (Cartilage Division) of the National University of Singapore Tissue Engineering Program (NUSTEP) and b) Director of Therapeutic Tissue Engineering Laboratory of National University Hospital.

The cartilage division of NUSTEP under A/Prof Hui's leadership has been actively engaged in the research of 3 different types of cartilages namely physeal, fibro and articular cartilages.

1. The effect of damage to growth plate of Physeal cartilage has been extensively studied. Various modalities of cell-based therapy have been attempted to rectify damage caused by growth arrest. Cell sources including bone marrow, periosteal, and adipose derived stem cells, with the use of bio-absorbable scaffolds, was found to be successful in correcting misalignment as a result of growth arrest.

2. Bone marrow derived stem cells (BMSCs) was able to enhance the repair of meniscal tear, which is fibro cartilage in nature. BMSCs were also found to restore the ligament-bone interface in anterior cruciate ligament in both autograft and allograft reconstruction.

3. Till May 2005, NUH Therapeutic Tissue Engineering Laboratory has done more than 90 cases of Autologous Chondrocyte Transplantation (ACT) clinically for repair of articular cartilage. Efficacy of intra-articular therapy of chrondroitin sulphate with or without hyaluronal acid is also being investigated in animal models of osteoarthritis.

A/Prof Hui is also conducting studies on chondrogenic potential of bone marrow derived stem cells and adipose derived stem cells from the same individual as possible cell sources for transplantation. Since 2005, he started to conduct clinical trial on use of stem cells in repairing cartilage in human.

While joint replacement is the treatment of choice in the elderly with cartilage defects, it is not feasible in the young as the implant would need to be revised with wear and tear.  The trend of treatment in the young would be repair of the cartilage defect.  A/Prof Hui's research aims to investigate the two pronged approach, using cell based therapy and drug supplements to solve this problem. The cell based therapy approach would potentially allow transplantation of stem cells to the cartilage defect in a minimally invasive way, while the drug supplements approach will be a more natural mode of treatment that does not require the injection of cells near the joint.

In the area of paediatric orthopaedics, A/Prof Hui has also been actively involved in clinical research in the areas of deformity of the upper limb, deformities of the spine and in the musculoskeletal in children.

2. Assoc Prof Christopher Chen Li Hsian

Translational research and clinical trials in stroke and dementia

The major research and clinical interests of A/Prof Chen are the neurochemistry, molecular biology and treatment of stroke and dementia.

A/Prof Chen's research in Behavioural and psychiatric disorders in dementia is in collaboration with colleagues from Oxford, London, UCLA and NUS. They have been investigating the neurochemistry of patients with Alzheimer's Disease and other related disorders. By correlating these with prospectively studied clinical features and genetic markers we aim to identify novel therapeutic targets.

Apart from international collaborative research programmes, A/Prof Chen works very closely with scientists from A*STAR and NUS. They have been studying biochemical and genetic markers underlying the pathophysiology of stroke. Longitudinal studies are also in progress to study the natural history, risk factors for and treatment to prevent cognitive impairment and dementia after stroke. We aim to discover new therapeutic approaches.

A/Prof Chen has also developed an international reputation for participation in academically driven as well as industry sponsored clinical trials. His current focus is on developing a regional network for innovative trials into conditions prevalent and pertinent to Asia. We also plan on enhancing our capability for conducting increasingly sophisticated Phase II studies utilizing biomarkers such as neuroimaging.

A/Prof Chen's aim is to develop synergies with basic neuroscience research and to translate novel scientific findings into therapeutic possibilities as well as to provide clinical insights for disease specific laboratory research.

3. Dr Lee Soo Chin

To develop reliable and robust biomarkers in breast cancer chemotherapy through high-throughput proteomic profiling

While many chemotherapy drugs are active in breast cancer, no reliable tests exist to predict which drug works best for each patient. High-throughput technologies that simultaneously analyze hundreds of proteins may generate tumor-specific signatures, and we are the first to apply this to predict chemotherapy response in breast cancer. By studying 90 patients, Dr Lee Soo Chin identified a panel of protein markers predictive of chemotherapy response. He also plans to extend this work in the next 3 years through a series of clinical trials to identify and verify predictive markers. Tests will be developed for their rapid detection for clinical application to guide treatment choice.

4. Dr Dan Yock Young

Liver Epithelial Progenitor cells and their therapeutic potential

Advances in regenerative medicine have raised the possibility of using liver stem cells for the treatment of liver diseases. However there are still significant hurdles that need to be overcome. Understanding the fine control of how liver stem cells mature into functional liver cells is critical. Dr Dan Yock Young's study will allow us to explore how we can isolate liver stem cells, grow them in the lab and test out how they can be optimally used for treatment. The knowledge gained from the study will pave the way towards realizing the eventual aim of harnessing these cells to save human lives.

5. Dr Lee Yung Seng

Obesity Gene Study (OGS): uncovering genetic variations which predispose to human obesity and obesity-related complications

Obesity is one of the most common health problems in Singapore, and it is the substrate for other chronic diseases such as diabetes mellitus, hypertension, high cholesterol level and coronary heart disease. Obesity is the result of poor dietary habits and physical inactivity, and it is believed that certain individuals are more prone to develop severe obesity because of their genetic makeup. Dr Lee Yung Seng's research aim is to uncover the genetic factors which predispose an individual to the development of severe obesity, as well as obesity-related complications. He will be screening the DNA of an existing group of obese children in a bid to uncover these genetic factors. He will also be inviting new participants who have been obese since young to participate in this study in the next three years. The research will contribute to efforts to unravel the biology of our weight regulating mechanism.   

6. Dr Chan Ling Ling:

Prospective study of Magnetic Resonance Diffusion Tensor Tractography in patients with vascular gait disorders: Topographical correlation

Gait disorder is a common problem in the elderly population. Problems with walking such as slowness and poor balance can be part of normal aging or due to a variety of causes such as stroke or degenerative brain diseases. Dr Chan's research focuses on the clinical utility of non-invasive advanced functional MR imaging of the brain in the evaluation, diagnosis and monitoring of treatment response in patients who present with gait disorders as compared to healthy individuals.