Tel (65) 6435 3914
Email s_thilagaratnam@yahoo.com

As Group Director (Outreach) at the Health Promotion Board, I have oversight of health promotion programme implementation in the school, workplace and community settings. In addition, Screen For Life, the national screening programme which encourages Singapore residents to go for regular health screening, in particular for chronic diseases, and breast, cervical & colorectal cancers is under my purview.  

My teams and I have been implementing more integrated and tailored programmes to meet the challenges of Singapore’s changing demographics and differing health needs amongst the different population segments – e.g. the seniors, the ethnic minority groups, and the disadvantaged segments.  Increasingly, the emphasis has been on developing models of preventive care, working with Singapore’s Regional Health Systems, other government agencies and voluntary welfare organisations to improve population health through early detection, optimal clinical and lifestyle follow-up, and creating supportive health promoting environments.

• NUS Saw Swee Hock School of Public Health (Adjunct)
• Group Director (Outreach), Health Promotion Board, Singapore (Primary)

• M.B.,B.S. (NUS) 1986
• M.Sc (Healthcare Management) University of Wales (Swansea) 2002
• M.Med. (Public Health Medicine), NUS 2003

• Masters in Public Health – lecturer for module on Public Health & Ageing (2014 – 2019)
• Undergraduate public health module SPH3105 Prevention and Control of Non-Communicable Diseases – lecturer of module on health promotion (2019)
• Member – JCST Exit Examination Committee for Preventive Medicine

• Best Paper Presentation Award – MapAsia Conference 2009

• Behaviour and characteristics of low-grade ductal carcinoma in situ of the breast: literature review and single centre retrospective series.
  Koh, Valerie Cui Yun; Lim, Jeffrey Chun Tatt; Thike, Aye Aye; Cheok, Poh Yian; Thu, Minn Minn Myint; Li, Huihua; Tan, Veronique Kiak Mien; Ong, Kong Wee; Tan, Benita Kiat Tee; Ho, Gay Hui; Thilagaratnam, Shyamala; Wong, Jill Su Lin; Wong, Fuh Yong; Ellis, Ian; Tan, Puay Hoon.
  [Histopathology Article ID: HIS13837; Feb 2019]
• Characteristics and behaviour of screen-detected ductal carcinoma in situ of the breast: comparison with symptomatic patients.
  Koh, Valerie Cui Yun; Lim, Jeffrey Chun Tatt; Thike, Aye Aye; Cheok, Poh Yian; Thu, Minn Minn Myint; Tan, Veronique Kiak Mien; Ong, Kong Wee; Tan, Benita Kiat Tee; Ho, Gay Hui; Tan, Wai Jin; Tan, Benjamin Yongcheng; Ahmad, Syed Salahuddin; Busmanis, Inny; Chong, Angela Pek Yoon; Iqbal, Jabed; Thilagaratnam, Shyamala; Wong, Jill Su Lin; Tan, Puay Hoon.
  [Breast Cancer Research & Treatment; June 2015]
• Screen-detected versus symptomatic breast ductal carcinoma in situ: comparison of clinicopathological and immunophenotypical characteristics.
  Tan, Puay Hoon Koh, Valerie Cui Yun; Lim, Jeffrey Chun Tatt; Thike, Aye Aye; Ho, Gay Hui; Wong, Jill Su Lin Thilagaratnam, Shyamala
  [Conference paper; Feb 2014]
• Extent and Correlates of Change in Anthropometric and Fitness Outcomes Among Participants in a Corporate Team-Based Weight Loss Challenge in Singapore: Lose to Win 2009.
  Kathryn Vasquez, Rahul Malhotra, Truls Ostbye, Mei Fen Chan, Handy Amin, Gary Khoo, Lin Choo, Ling Chew, Shyamala Thilagaratnam
  [Asia-Pacific Journal of Public Health 08/2012; 27(2)
• Health Promotion Board-Ministry of Health clinical practice guidelines: functional screening for older adults in the community.
  Thilagaratnam S, Ding YY, Au Eong KG, Chiam PC, Chow YL, Khoo G, Lim HB, Lim HY, Lim WS, Lim WY, Peh KC, Phua KT, Sitoh YY, Tan BY, Wong SF, Wong WP, Yee R.
  [Singapore Med J. 2010]
• Breast cancer in Singapore: some perspectives.
  Jara-Lazaro AR, Thilagaratnam S, Tan PH.
  [Breast Cancer. 2010]
• Breast and Cervical Cancer Screening in Singapore – reaching the ‘right women’.
  Thilagaratnam S, Low SC, Fock C, Lee P, Lee KH
  [Presentation at MapAsia conference, 2009]
• Evaluation of a population-based organized breast cancer screening programme among Singaporean women
  Deurenberg-Yap M, Niti M, Low S, Chow KY, Thilagaratnam S
  [Poster presentation – AcademyHealth 2008 Annual Research Meeting, Washington DC]
• Diagnostic performance of a population-based organized breast cancer screening programme for Singaporean women
  Deurenberg-Yap M, Niti M, Low S, Chow KY, Thilagaratnam S
  [Poster presentation – AcademyHealth 2008 Annual Research Meeting, Washington DC]
• The occurrence, tumour characteristics and surgical outcome of interval cancers among Singaporean women attending a population-based organized breast cancer screening programme
  Niti M, Low S, Sultana R, Thilagaratnam S, Chow KY, Deurenberg-Yap M
  [Poster presentation – AcademyHealth 2008 Annual Research Meeting, Washington DC]
• Prevalence of childhood asthma and control in children assessed in a pilot school-based intervention programme in Singapore
  Yang KS, Ng TP, Kwang YP, Thilagaratnam S, Wong CS, Chia F.
  [Journal of Paediatrics and Child Health, 2007]
• School-Based Screening for Scoliosis – Is It Cost-Effective?
  Thilagaratnam S
  [Singapore Medical Journal, 2007]
• Community Health Screening in Singapore
  Thilagaratnam S.
  [Poster presentation at 19^th IUHPE World Conference on Health Promotion and Health Education, Vancouver, Canada, 2007]
• Implementing a National Cervical Cancer Screening Programme – Singapore’s Experience
  Pang YK, Thilagaratnam S.
  [Poster presentation – 19^th IUHPE World Conference on Health Promotion and Health Education, Vancouver, Canada, 2007]
• BreastScreen Singapore – Gearing Up For The Next Lap
  Thilagaratnam S
  [KK Review 2006]