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Congratulations to Dr Farah Shiraz, Senior Post Doctoral Fellow, on receiving the 2017 Robert L. Kane Research Award at the 21st IAGG World Congress of Gerontology and Geriatrics held on 23 – 27 July 2017 in San Francisco, USA. The award is named after the late Dr Robert Kane who was one of the world’s leading researchers on ageing and inspired the creation of EASYCare 28 years ago. Dr Shiraz gave an oral presentation on the development of a Risk Screening tool created in Singapore, which helps assess biological, psychologicalRead more

Think recreational gambling is harmless? Don’t bet on it. The thrill, excitement and anticipation of striking the slot machine jackpot at casinos can be addictive, especially to elderly gamblers, explains Adjunct Associate Professor, Saw Swee Hock School of Public Health, and director of Institute of Mental Health’s research division, Mythily Subramaniam. Media Coverage: The irresistible lure of the jackpot room and problem gambling among the elderly, Channel NewsAsia, 31 July 2017

The Centre for Infectious Disease Epidemiology and Research (CIDER) recently hosted a lunch symposium on 21 July 2017 at the 12th annual Public Health and Occupational Medicine (PHOM) Conference featuring invited speakers, Drs I Nyoman Kandun (Indonesia) and Do Thuy Trang (Vietnam). The event aimed to update participants on regional surveillance systems and initiatives to prevent, detect and respond to infectious disease threats, as well as to promote academic partnerships and surveillance network between local and regional organisations. Dr I Nyoman Kandun is currently the Program Director of Indonesian Field Epidemiology TrainingRead more

Recent research suggests three cups of coffee a day keeps the doctor away. Assoc Prof Rob M van Dam evaluates this theory as well as examines the benefits and concerns surrounding coffee. Media Coverage: Coffee, a healthy drink or an unhealthy addiction?, Channel NewsAsia, 27 July 2017 Is Coffee Good For You?, The New York Times, 13 February 2020 That cup of joe: Friend or foe?, The Straits Times, 19 February 2020

Our heartiest congratulations to Professor David Koh, who was awarded the 2017 Lifetime Achievement Award by the College of Public Health & Occupational Physicians (CPHOP), Academy of Medicine, Singapore! He received the award from guest of honour, Dr Lam Pin Min, Senior Minister of State, Ministry of Health and Ministry of Transport, at the 12th annual Public Health and Occupational Medicine Conference held 21-23 July 2017, at the Grand Copthorne Waterfront Hotel, Singapore. With Singapore’s ongoing “war on diabetes”, the battle against increasing youth obesity as well as continuing efforts toRead more

The NUS Saw Swee Hock School of Public Health (SSHSPH) and Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) co-organised the NUS-MIT Healthcare Analytics Symposium and Datathon 2017 on 30 June – 2 July 2017 with Merck Sharp & Dohme (MSD) Singapore as their industrial collaborator. Held for the first time in Singapore, the event gathered over 200 local and international clinicians, data scientists, software engineers and innovators to strengthen cross-disciplinary collaborations and explore how data analytics could be more effectively used in healthcare systems.   Dr Mengling ‘Mornin’ Feng, Organising Chairperson andRead more

Are all Japanese dishes equally healthy? Dr Mary Chong gives us the lowdown on what constitutes a healthy meal, and tips on making your next dining out experience a more nutritious one. Media coverage: 少而多 日料健康吃法, 早报现在/zbNOW, 13 July 2017

Although the number of adults smoking in Singapore fell progressively from 23 per cent in 1977 to 13.3 per cent in 2013, it has hit that plateau ever since. In support of the National Environment Agency’s recent announcement of a smoking ban taking place in Orchard Road next year, with smoking restricted to only allowed designated outdoor areas, Dean, Professor Chia Kee Seng, agrees that more can still be done to prevent non-smokers from picking up the habit and for smokers to quit. Media Coverage: More can be done to stubRead more

It was a memorable and joyous occasion for the NUS Saw Swee Hock School of Public Health (SSHSPH) Class of 2017 as they marked a significant milestone in their public health journey at the SSHSPH Commencement Ceremony on 7 July 2017. Held at the University Cultural Centre, 40 Master of Public Health (MPH), Master of Science (MSc) and Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) graduates received their degrees from Presiding Officer Mr Po’ad Mattar, NUS Pro-Chancellor. The ceremony was jointly hosted by the University Scholars Programme with participation from the Institute ofRead more

“A shift in mindsets of parents, employers and the private sector (is) needed to tackle the pressing problem of overweight and obesity in Singapore,” says Dean, Professor Chia Kee Seng, following the release of The Economist Intelligence Unit’s (EIU) recent report, “Tackling obesity in ASEAN: Prevalence, impact and guidance on interventions” in Singapore on 1 June 2017. Commissioned by the Asia Roundtable on Food Innovation for Improved Nutrition (ARoFIIN), the report states that obesity costs Singapore about a total of US$0.4-1 billion in 2016, up to 9.64 per cent (direct andRead more

Join us as the NUS S_W SWEE H_CK SCH_ _L _F PU_LIC HE_LTH supports the Singapore Red Cross’s Blood Donor Recruitment Programme’s Missing Type Campaign, happening from 04 to 09 July, 2017, to help raise awareness of the importance of blood donation in Singapore. Every day, more than 350 bags of blood are needed to save lives. This works out to an average of a bag of blood needed every four minutes. Blood is needed not only in times of emergency, but also during peacetime where it sustains the livesRead more

Singaporeans are living longer – but are we ready for old age? Singapore’s life expectancy at birth has risen from 59 to 80 years in males, and 63 to 85 years in females from 1960 to 2015. Life expectancies of 90 years and beyond in the near future might be a reality closer than we thought. Yet rising life expectancy, accompanied by a falling fertility rate and an ageing population, brings its set of challenges: the prospect of more seniors in post-retirement age, possibly outliving their financial resources; a shrinkingRead more