NUS Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences Dept

We are delighted to welcome Mr Clivia Yap, who joins our department as a Teaching Assistant.

Clivia brings with him eight years of experience as a community pharmacist at Watsons. Throughout his practice, he particularly enjoyed helping patients not only adhere to their medications but also develop a deeper understanding of the rationale behind their treatments, empowering them to take an active role in managing their health. He is passionate about nurturing these same skills in students and supporting them as they transition into professional practice.

Congratulations to 𝐂𝐡𝐞𝐧 𝐖𝐞𝐢 𝐌𝐞𝐧𝐠 on receiving the 𝐁𝐞𝐬𝐭 𝐆𝐫𝐚𝐝𝐮𝐚𝐭𝐞 𝐑𝐞𝐬𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐜𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐀𝐰𝐚𝐫𝐝 𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟔, representing the NUS Department of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences. 🎉👏

Driven by a long-standing passion for peptide and protein engineering, Wei Meng's research in A/P Rachel Ee's lab led to the discovery of a first-of-its-kind peptide motif that self-assembles into unique nanonet structures capable of trapping bacteria. Building on this breakthrough, the team is now leveraging deep learning to identify new peptide motifs and nanonet morphologies with potential therapeutic applications.

This achievement reflects years of dedication, innovation, and collaboration, resulting not only in impactful scientific discoveries but also in patents and the creation of a spin-off company.

Congratulations once again to Wei Meng, A/P Ee, and the research team on this outstanding achievement in advancing pharmaceutical science. 🔬✨

Celebrating Assistant Professor Liu Boxiang on receiving the National Research Foundation (NRF) Fellowship (Class of 2026) for his project, “𝗕𝗶𝗹𝗹𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝘁𝗼 𝗢𝗻𝗲: 𝗦𝘆𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗺𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗰 𝗗𝗮𝘁𝗮-𝗱𝗿𝗶𝘃𝗲𝗻 𝗜𝗱𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗶𝗳𝗶𝗰𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗼𝗳 𝗦𝗽𝗹𝗶𝗰𝗲-𝗺𝗼𝗱𝗶𝗳𝘆𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗗𝗿𝘂𝗴 𝗧𝗮𝗿𝗴𝗲𝘁𝘀”.

The NRF Fellowship brings together outstanding early-career researchers from all over the world to lead impactful, independent research in Singapore. It supports exceptional young scientists carrying out high-risk, high-reward research with the potential to drive transformative, real-world breakthroughs. By offering substantial funding over five years, the NRF Fellowship empowers the next generation of scientific leaders to push boundaries and deepen Singapore’s capabilities in science and technology.

Through this support, Dr Liu will combine genomic data science and machine learning to develop therapies that correct RNA-splicing errors linked to complex autoimmune and inflammatory diseases.

Congratulations on this outstanding achievement, Dr Liu and team!

New beginnings, great conversations, and meaningful connections ✨

The Department was delighted to welcome our newest PhD and MPST students on 27 July, followed by a memorable MPST orientation trip to the Singapore Flyer on 31 July. We wrapped up the orientation series with the Graduate Certificate, MCP and PharmD orientation on 6 August, marking a warm and wonderful start to our new students’ journey with us.

A warm welcome to Class of 2030 for joining our Pharmily!

The months of hard work by our flagship committees—Pharm Orientation Programme (POP), Pharm RAG (RxAG), and Pharm Flag (RxFlag)—culminated in an incredible NUSPS Orientation kickoff on 17 June.

All 156 freshmen had an absolute blast, participating in a slew of exciting games and forging enduring bonds along the way! Read all about it here: https://pharmacy.nus.edu.sg/newsletter/pharmconnect-0726-a03/

Celebrating Singapore’s 61st birthday with pride and gratitude.
Happy National Day!

Have you always wanted to step out of your comfort zone and challenge yourself? How about the chance to experience rural village life while sharing essential health education and skills with local communities?

This May, 21 students from the Department of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences did just that through the Youth Expedition Project Dispense-A-Dream (YEPDAD). Organised by the National University of Singapore Pharmaceutical Society (NUSPS), YEPDAD is an overseas service-learning initiative designed to broaden students’ horizons through meaningful community outreach and skills-sharing.

Read on to learn more about their journey to Sembalun and Mataram, where students visited an eye care hospital, experienced a village homestay, and made a lasting impact: https://pharmacy.nus.edu.sg/newsletter/pharmconnect-0726-a02/

In part three and the final part of our series, past NUSPS presidents demonstrate the true impact of the society: empowering students, fostering a lifelong support network and building critical leadership skills. Read more from:

• Mr Chia Ming Tjong, 53rd NUSPS President, Health Coach, MORROW Medical;
• Ms Vivian Chin, 54th NUSPS President, Business Development & Marketing Manager, Goldplus Universal Pte Ltd;
• Mr Ong Wei Siong, 61st NUSPS President, Research Assistant, NUS, Histology Core Facility Manager, Life Sciences Institute;
• Mr Jerald Tan Chun Shing, 62nd NUSPS President, Inpatient Pharmacist, Singapore General Hospital;
• Ms Valerie Wang Yi En, 65th NUSPS President, Year 4 Pharmacy Undergraduate.

Read their key highlights here:

𝐌𝐫 𝐂𝐡𝐢𝐚 𝐌𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐓𝐣𝐨𝐧𝐠 found meaning in connection and holding himself to higher standards whereas 𝐌𝐬 𝐕𝐢𝐯𝐢𝐚𝐧 𝐂𝐡𝐢𝐧 led through trust, built strong relationships, and held a shared determination to make positive change happen.

𝐌𝐫 𝐎𝐧𝐠 𝐖𝐞𝐢 𝐒𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐠 reflected on practical skills—budgeting, stakeholder management, and prioritisation—that continue to shape his professional success. 𝐌𝐫 𝐉𝐞𝐫𝐚𝐥𝐝 𝐓𝐚𝐧 enriched his journey far beyond the classroom, providing a lifelong community that continues to champion his professional growth. Finally, 𝐌𝐬 𝐕𝐚𝐥𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐞 𝐖𝐚𝐧𝐠 𝐘𝐢 𝐄𝐧 redefined leadership as empowerment and foresight, guiding her team while paving the way for future successors.

Click for full article: https://pharmacy.nus.edu.sg/newsletter/pharmconnect-0726-a01/

Congratulations to Brandon Cheah and Zhai Weiting on being recognised as recipients of the Outstanding Undergraduate Researcher Prize (OURP) for Academic Year 2025/2026!