Nerissa Ng

Our warmest congratulations to Prof Ong Choon Nam on being conferred the NUS Emeritus Professorship – making him the second Emeritus Professor at the Saw Swee Hock School of Public Health (SSHSPH). The Emeritus Professor title is awarded to full professors on retirement in recognition of their sustained and strong contributions in teaching, research and/or service to the University and its community.

Prof Ong was the founding Director and a Principal Investigator (PI) of the Centre for Environmental and Occupational Health Research (CEOHR) in SSHSPH. CEOHR engages research on the identification of biomarkers for the School’s Environmental and Occupational Health Studies, especially on how lifestyle and diets may affect chronic diseases such as diabetes and cardiovascular diseases. His expertise in environmental health and ability in coordinating multidisciplinary research led to his appointment as the Chairman of the International Expert Panel on the NEWater study (1997-2003) by the Ministry of the Environment and Water Resources. As a water quality expert, he has been advising our national water agency, PUB, for many years, and is currently chairing the PUB’s Grant Review Panel. In acknowledgement of his contributions, Prof Ong received the Singapore President’s National Day Award (PBM) in 2004.

Prof Ong also served as the Director of the Life Sciences Institute (LSI) from 2006 to 2009 and subsequently as the Director of the NUS Environmental Research Institute (NERI), from 2009 to 2018. During his tenure, he took the lead in initiating the Energy and Environmental Sustainability Programme (E2S2, 2014-2024) under CREATE programme, securing a total support exceeding $40 million from the National Research Foundation (NRF). Additionally, his team successfully obtained a NEA supported programme addressing on Haze and Air Quality in Singapore, and an NRF-CRP Programme on Agrotech for Urban Farming in Singapore. His team’s work on “An on-line senor to monitor surface water Quality” earned them the TechConnect Innovation award (Washington, 2015), and part of this study was presented at the World Economic Forum in 2017. Prof Ong is currently Chairman of the Technical Expert Panel for Development of Environmental Standards on Soil for NEA and SLA.

At SSHSPH, Professor Ong oversaw research projects and provided supervision and guidance to his research team who were involved in various government-supported projects. He has a distinguished body of scholarly work, with pivotal contributions reflecting a continued dedication to impactful research. Internationally recognized, he served as an editorial member for several prestigious journals and is frequently invited as a keynote speaker at global conferences. His educational contributions are reinforced by teaching commitments and mentorship, guiding many MSc/PhD students and post-docs. Professor Ong also held positions in evaluation committees responsible for overseeing the appointment and promotion of faculty staff. He served as a mentor to junior Assistant Professors, offering guidance and advice on various aspects, including research projects and the promotion & tenure process. In 2016, Professor Ong was honoured with the Outstanding Mentor Award from the Singapore Medical Association Charity Fund. Currently, he holds the position of Visiting Professor at Shanghai Jiaotong University and the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Institute of Urban Environment.

The conferment of the title Emeritus Professor is a tribute to Prof Ong’s illustrious career, outstanding contributions to NUS, and global recognition in his field. Once again, we would like to extend our heartfelt congratulations to Prof Ong on achieving this exceptional recognition of his many achievements and wish him continued success in all his future endeavors.

In April, the World Health Organization (WHO) expressed concerns about the spread of H5N1 bird flu. Chief Scientist Jeremy Farrar highlighted that it has an “extraordinarily high” mortality rate in humans.

The Ministry of Health (MOH) has rejected “egregious and false claims” that COVID-19 vaccinations are the cause of severe side effects including excessive deaths.

Rebutting these claims, MOH said that there is a need to draw the right conclusions and follow scientific evidence on the safety and effectiveness of the vaccines. It added that, while there are side effects to any vaccination, scientific evidence overwhelmingly shows that protection from vaccines outweighs the side effects.

Hear from Professor Hsu Li Yang as he shares his views on the vaccine.

ongratulating to our SSHSPH Faculty Awards AY2022/2023 recipients.

Asst Prof Hannah Clapham, Dr Cecilia Teng and Asst Prof Saima Hilal have been awarded the SSHSPH Teaching Excellence Award AY2022/2023, which recognises faculty members who have excelled in teaching, and have shown a high level of performance, dedication and commitment to teaching and learning.

Asst Prof Yvette van der Eijk is the recipient of the SSHSPH Young Researcher Award for AY2022/2023. This award recognizes junior faculty members who have demonstrated great potential in research and achieved research excellence.

Congratulations to Assistant Professor Swapnil Mishra on being conferred the NUS Presidential Young Professorship (PYP) award – making him the first Presidential Young Professor at the Saw Swee Hock School of Public Health (SSHSPH). The prestigious PYP award is designed to help the University attract and retain the most talented and promising early career academics, enabling them to develop into world-class scholars.

The School is pleased to announce the appointment of Associate Professor Adeline Seow as the new leader of the Epidemiology domain, effective 1 June 2024. In this pivotal role, she will oversee the domain’s teaching and research capabilities, collaborating closely with the School’s leadership and faculty to further expand the scope as well as elevate the quality and vitality of its activities.

On 11 April 2024, a delegation from the School visited Cambodia’s Ministry of Health (MOH). The purpose of this visit was to strengthen strategic partnerships between the Cambodia MOH and NUS in areas such as health training, capacity building, research, and public health initiatives.

The delegation led by Dean, Prof Teo Yik Ying, included Vice Dean of Global Health, Prof Hsu Li Yang, UHS-SPH Integrated Research Programme Leader, Assoc Prof Siyan Yi and Asst Prof Kiesha Prem amongst others were warmly welcomed by His Excellency Professor Chhang Ra, Minister of Health, Cambodia.

During the meeting, key areas of current and future public health topics and initiatives were discussed. Emphasis was placed on bolstering the health workforce capacity in Cambodia through comprehensive research and medical training programs. Collaborative efforts centered around addressing pressing health issues such as antimicrobial resistance, infectious diseases, non-communicable diseases (NCDs), and the growing field of digital health development were also deliberated upon.

The Cambodian MOH shed light on their current priorities encompassing health education, infectious disease prevention, NCD management, climate change, and the development of healthcare infrastructure. Specific strategies were discussed, including the development of national guidelines for cancer, refining protocols for type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) and hypertension, and deploying digital health services to drive healthcare innovation.

Following the fruitful dialogue, several outcomes and future directions emerged, marking a significant milestone in the trajectory of collaboration and exchange. It was agreed that expertise and resources from Singapore will be shared moving forward. These include antimicrobial stewardship, medical training, NCD guidelines, and digital health services. There was also keen interest in potential collaborations in future training programs, research initiatives, and the implementation of national health strategies. Plans were also brought up for the establishment of a new department of digital health and the appointment of a director for digital health in Cambodia.

This visit was pivotal as it laid the groundwork for a shared commitment towards advancing public health in the region, transcending geographical boundaries to pave the way for a healthier and more resilient future for all.