Distinguished professorships recognise research achievements of NCCS staff

The official conferment ceremony for two distinguished professorships was held at the National Cancer Centre Singapore (NCCS) on 7 September 2023. The professorships are the highest honour bestowed on faculty members by the SingHealth Duke-NUS Academic Medical Centre (AMC), to recognise exemplary research achievements and support long-term research and advancements in the field.

 

Professor Teh Bin Tean, Deputy Chief Executive Officer (Research), NCCS was conferred the Tan Yew Oo Professorship in Pathology. Prof Teh and his team at NCCS, in collaboration with Singapore General Hospital’s (SGH) Department of Pathology, have championed cancer pathology research. An example of a novel discovery they made was of MED12 gene mutations in fibroadenomas and subsequently the progression genes to phyllodes tumours. With 20 related publications, Prof Teh and his team have not only furthered the understanding of fibroepithelial tumour pathogenesis, but their novel gene discovery has been successfully incorporated into a clinical diagnostic panel currently used in several countries.

At the Conferment Ceremony, Professor Lim Soon Thye, Deputy Group Chief Executive Officer (Research and Education), SingHealth and Deputy Chief Executive Officer (Clinical), NCCS delivered the citation that traced Prof Teh’s research journey, from medical studies to esteemed research-leader. Prof Teh’s research on Asian endemic cancers has moved the needle for Asian cancer genomics with ground-breaking discoveries in lymphoma, cholangiocarcinoma, herbal carcinogen-related cancers and fibroepithelial tumours of the breast. The conferment of the Tan Yew Oo Professorship is an endorsement of Prof Teh’s exemplary achievements in cancer pathology and his rich wealth of expertise in translational cancer research. 

 

In his acceptance speech, Prof Teh shared how a research project during his medical studies to track a family with a rare disease in Tasmania sparked a lifelong curiosity to help populations with lesser understood biology to have better health outcomes. He also reflected on how he was thankful he was to still be pursuing his research passions throughout his career.

“I must thank all my mentors and my collaborators, for all their support,” said Prof Teh. “Having just started a new research journey into biodiversity, I think about how lucky I am to still be able to do the things that excite me!”

 

Recipient of the Goh Hak Su Professorship in Colorectal Surgery, Associate Professor Iain Tan is a next-generation research leader in the SingHealth Duke-NUS AMC. He specialises in treating gastrointestinal cancer as an oncologist and focuses on colorectal cancer research as a clinician scientist. Just last year, Assoc Prof Tan and his team uncovered that colorectal cancer cells can essentially be placed into two groups, leading them to propose an update for the disease’s classification system. Their findings can help clinicians and researchers adapt immunotherapy regimens for better outcomes.

As a lead mentor in the AMC’s Centre for Clinician-Scientist Development programme, Assoc Prof Tan works closely with the SingHealth Duke-NUS Surgery Academic Clinical Programme to guide and advise young surgeons across the cluster. His influence is instrumental in grooming the next generation of colorectal surgeon researchers.  

Associate Professor Emile Tan, Head & Senior Consultant, Colorectal Surgery, Division of Surgery & Surgical Oncology, SGH & NCCS delivered the citation which outlined Assoc Prof Tan’s research focus, awards, role as mentor and ethos as a clinician-scientist. Believing that science must be used to improve fundamental knowledge and applied to improve human health, Assoc Prof Tan practices and teaches team science, collaborating across medical and scientific disciplines to address important clinical needs. 

 

In his acceptance speech, Assoc Prof Tan confessed that there was a time in his career, after months of struggling with the challenges of juggling the demands of being an oncologist and scientist, he almost gave up his research journey. He remembers making the firm decision to persevere after reflecting upon a poetic remark in a Nature article which said, “history leaves no trace of the many roads it did not take.” 

His advice to all aspiring researchers is to keep moving forward and not be discouraged when faced with challenges. “Keep at it, you wouldn’t know what good you can do if you don’t go for it. History will never know what you can achieve, if you don’t push for it,” he encouraged. 

The conferment of the Tan Yew Oo Professorship in Pathology and Goh Hak Su Professorship in Colorectal Surgery is a celebration of the strength and collective triumph of an entire research community. They are also testament that the strengths of an academic medical centre are to bring together diverse teams of experts in clinical care and research, to drive innovation and discovery that improves care for patients.