Duke-NUS Medical School

Congratulations to Prof David Matchar and Prof Paul Michael Yen of Duke-NUS, together with Prof Robert K Kamei and Prof Ng Keng Yeen, on being conferred the title of Emeritus Professor by National University of Singapore.

Emeritus Professorship is one of NUS's highest academic honours, recognising distinguished faculty members whose contributions continue to shape their institutions and disciplines well beyond retirement.

For the Duke-NUS community, this recognition is especially meaningful. Prof Matchar and Prof Yen have each left an enduring mark on our School, helping to strengthen our research, education and academic community while mentoring generations of students, clinician-scientists and colleagues.

Dean Prof Patrick Tan joined NUS President Prof Tan Eng Chye, Provost Prof Aaron Thean, fellow faculty members and colleagues at a luncheon to celebrate this year's newly appointed Emeritus Professors.

Congratulations to all recipients, and our heartfelt thanks to Profs Matchar and Yen for their extraordinary contributions to Duke-NUS, NUS and academic medicine.

Welcome home, Class of 2030! 🌟

From today, you carry a white coat and everything it stands for: curiosity, resilience, and the drive to change patient lives. The road ahead will challenge you and shape you in equal measure, but you won't walk it alone.

We can't wait to watch you grow into doctors of tomorrow. 💙🧡

National University of Singapore Duke University

Zoonotic diseases remain one of the most pressing challenges in global public health. Two new studies from Prof Gavin Smith and Assoc Prof Yvonne Su from Duke-NUS are helping Singapore stay ahead of this risk.

Funded under the NParks Biosurveillance Research Programme, the studies focus on pets and bird populations, two groups that sit close to the human-animal interface in our urban environment. Together, they will build a clearer picture of how pathogens circulate among animals, and what that could mean for human health, generating evidence to strengthen surveillance, sharpen risk assessment, and enable earlier detection of emerging threats.

Find out more about the studies at https://www.duke-nus.edu.sg/newshub/media-releases/duke-nus-wins-nparks-grants-to-study-zoonotic-transmission-in-singapore .

📸: iStock

From Duke-NUS to Massachusetts General Hospital, and back again with new ideas for Singapore. 🇸🇬 🇺🇸

Congratulations to Duke-NUS alumna Dr Ruan XuCong, Class of 2017, who will be heading to Massachusetts General Hospital for a one-year fellowship in artificial intelligence in cardiac imaging, with a focus on photon-counting CT.

During the fellowship, Dr Ruan will deepen her training in coronary plaque analysis and the use of AI across image acquisition, interpretation, reporting and clinical workflow optimisation. The goal is not only to learn from one of the world’s leading centres, but to bring those insights back to support service development in Singapore.

Her next chapter reflects the kind of clinician Duke-NUS hopes to nurture: one who remains close to clinical needs, curious about new technologies, and committed to improving care through better tools, better systems and thoughtful innovation.

As AI continues to shape the future of medicine, alumni like Dr Ruan remind us why it matters to train doctors who can work across disciplines and translate emerging capabilities into real benefit for patients.

Congratulations, Dr Ruan! We are proud of you and look forward to seeing what this fellowship will help make possible.

Happy National Day, Singapore! 🇸🇬

This National Day, we celebrate our SingHealth Duke-NUS Academic Medical Centre (AMC) recipients of this year's National Day Awards! Your dedication and excellence reflect the very best of our AMC community.

Here are this year’s top award recipients:

⭐The Meritorious Service Medal
- Ms Anita Fam Siu Ping

⭐The Public Administration Medal (Gold)
- Prof Wai Hoe NG

⭐The Public Administration Medal (Silver)
- Assoc Prof Ruban Poopalalingam
- Assoc Prof Au Wing Lok
- Ms Lee Mui Pheng Margaret

⭐The Public Administration Medal (Bronze)
- Assoc Prof Tan Hak Koon
- Dr Chow Mun Hong
- Assoc Prof Soh Chai Rick
- Assoc Prof Lim Boon Leong Kevin
- Assoc Prof Chao Tar Toong Victor
- Cl Assoc Prof Chew Ming Tak
- Dr Ng Wai May
- Prof Ravindran Kanesvaran
- Assoc Prof Tay Bee Gek Laura
- Prof Charles Chuah Thuan Heng
- Dr Wang Lian Chek Michael
- Prof Lim Kiat Hon
- Assoc Prof Kam Juinn Huar
- Prof Ban Leong Sng
- Dr Koh Kim Hwee
- Dr Boon-Hean Ong
- Assoc Prof Ong Gek Kim Sharon
- Dr Ho Chih Wei Sally
- Assoc Prof Mark Koh Jean Aan
- Dr Ng Chung Wai
- Assoc Prof Limin Wijaya
- Assoc Prof Zhong Liang
- Dr Chang Ngai Kin, Christopher
- Dr Naing Chaw Su
- Dr Ho Vui Kian
- Assoc Prof Caroline Lee Guat Lay
- Adj Asst Prof Mok Yee Ming
- Clin Asst Prof Baikunje Shashidhar
- Adj Prof Khor Chiea Chuen

⭐The Public Administration Medal (Bronze) (Military)
- COL(NS) Andrew Wong Siang Yih

⭐The Commendation Medal (Military)
- SLTC(NS)(DR) Liow Ming Han Lincoln
- LTC(NS)(DR) Chen Haobin

⭐The Public Service Medal
- Adj Prof Michael Merson
- Prof John Lim Chien Wei

We would also like to extend our congratulations to Ms Vanessa Chuo Kher Sing from the Duke-NUS Emerging Infectious Diseases Programme on receiving the Efficiency Medal.

Check out the complete list of National Day Awards 2026 recipients here: https://www.duke-nus.edu.sg/newshub/our-stories/nda2026

New software developed by scientists Assoc Prof Adam Claridge-Chang and Dr Sangyu Xu from Duke-NUS, along with colleagues from Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR) and National University of Singapore, can improve how scientists analyse data gathered from their studies.

Called the Data Analysis using Bootstrap-coupled ESTimation (DABEST) 2.0, the software allows scientists to visualise their observations in a single, comprehensive graphic—an improvement over the traditional bar chart.

Read more about the study here: https://www.nature.com/articles/s41592-026-03187-7

🌏 From Singapore to Durham: A PhD Journey in Medical Decision-Making

Meet Shravya Murali, a fourth-year PhD student in the Duke-NUS Health Services Research and Population Health (HSRPH) Programme, who recently completed a one-month research exchange at Duke University!

Shravya is developing a web-based chatbot to support decision-making for patients as part of her thesis. Seeking to strengthen her work, she travelled to Durham to collaborate with Associate Professor Semra Ozdemir, an expert in medical decision-making. Working alongside her Duke host lab, Shravya gathered fresh perspectives from experts in an adjacent field and even explored a similar intervention developed at Duke that sparked new inspiration for her own project.

What struck her most was the passion and openness of the researchers she met, like colleagues who are eager to offer feedback even in areas outside their expertise, all within a relaxed, collaborative environment. The experience opened her eyes to novel research happening around the world and reminded her just how vast the field is, with countless possibilities for solving real problems.

Beyond the lab, Shravya immersed herself in everything Durham had to offer, like exploring the Duke Gardens, discovering the UNC campus with her mentor, travelling between cities, and even catching Broadway musicals along the way.

Reflecting on her growth, she shared:

"I learnt that I also enjoy travelling independently, and while I was a bit nervous to present my work to team members especially from outside Duke-NUS, I found that I came to enjoy sharing my ideas with others."

A wonderful reminder that stepping outside our comfort zones is where growth truly begins. 👏

📸: Shravya Murali

Every morning at Duke-NUS begins in much the same way: a warm greeting from the reception desk.

Last week, we thanked Mr Siva and our security colleagues as they marked their final day with the School.

For many of us, Mr Siva has been a familiar face for years. But his story stretches back much further. His decades of service span generations at Singapore General Hospital before becoming part of the Duke-NUS community, quietly witnessing how both institutions have grown and evolved over the years.

As Dean Patrick Tan put it, “His story is the story of SGH and Duke-NUS.” Former Dean Thomas Coffman reflected that the team has been “part of the School’s identity over these many years.”

They were often the first people to welcome us each morning and the last to wish us goodnight. They helped countless visitors find their way, reassured anxious students, greeted faculty and staff by name, and quietly made Duke-NUS feel a little more like home.

Institutions are remembered for breakthroughs and milestones. But they’re built every day by people like Mr Siva and our security colleagues, whose kindness, dedication and quiet presence shape a community in ways that are easy to overlook, but impossible to replace.

Thank you, Mr Siva and team. You’ll always be part of the Duke-NUS story. 💙🧡

Happy Nurses Day! 💙🧡

Behind every patient's recovery is a nurse who showed up: through long shifts, quiet moments of comfort, and countless small acts of care that often go unseen. Today, we celebrate you and everything you carry with grace.

Thank you for being the steady hands and warm hearts of healthcare!