Dr Mary Chong and Dr Sim Xueling have been promoted to Associate Professor, and Dr Cecilia Teng has been promoted to Senior Lecturer with effect from 1 January 2023!
Mary’s research focuses on three inter-connected themes around early life nutrition and health – Maternal and Offspring Nutrition and Health, Preconception Nutrition and Health, and Children’s Health. This includes exploring relationships between macronutrients, maternal micronutrient status in the maternal diet and child neurocognition, maternal dietary patterns, metabolic health in mothers and offspring. Mary has made significant contributions to establish a strong foundation for research in her area of expertise.
Xueling’s research focuses on using omics techniques to better understand the aetiology of cardio-metabolic traits and diseases in Asian populations. Her research programme currently encompasses three major themes: (1) the discovery of genetic variants associated with cardio-metabolic outcomes and traits in Asia; (2) using omics association maps to translate genetic loci into biological insights; and (3) applications of human genetics to inform clinical care in Singapore populations. Xueling’s high-impact and novel research contributions have served well in establishing a collaborative network for further development in the field of genomics and metabolic diseases.
Cecilia’s main teaching areas include public health practice, fundamental public health methods and prevention and control of non-communicable diseases. Some of Cecilia’s achievements include the redesigning of the module, SPH3203: Prevention and Control of Non-Communicable Diseases with pedagogical theories such as incorporating blended learning approaches during her lectures. Due to Cecilia’s sustained excellent performance in teaching, she was awarded the Faculty Teaching Excellence Individual award for AY2020/2021.
Once again, our heartiest congratulations to Mary, Xueling, and Cecilia on their achievements, and we wish them continuing success in their career ahead!