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It is estimated that about one million research papers are published every year. However, very few of these research papers actually made real impacts in improving patients’ lives. Part of the problem is that the heavy investment in basic sciences worldwide, has not been applied or translated into
resolving clinical problems. This has resulted in a gap in the research ecosystem known as, ‘The valley of death’. Bridging this gap requires a seismic shift in mindset, as biomedical research should not occur in isolated silos, but in a functional, dynamic and interactive ‘bedside to bench to bedside’ continuum. The gap can be bridged through the cultivation of a pipeline of clinician scientists and clinician researchers, who work together closely to address the areas of clinical need.
The establishment of adequate research core infrastructure in healthcare systems is therefore critical to Singapore’s biomedical research development – which has shifted in recent years to focus on translational and clinical research. In line with the national agenda, SingHealth Duke-NUS Academic Medical Centre (AMC) has jointly identified six research focus areas, where translational and clinical research could flourish.
AMC has also charted a five-year research masterplan that identifies four key strategic thrusts for the development and retention of a strong translational and clinical research community. Investments have been made to establish core platforms to support research needs; and new research programmes have been set up to augment and grow known research capabilities. The Academic Medicine Research Institute (AMRI) has also been established to focus on the nurturing and development of young future translational and clinical researchers.
Today, SingHealth Duke-NUS AMC has made significant achievements in the areas of cancer, eye diseases, heart diseases and brain conditions. We are committed to maintaining our efforts in strengthening these areas and to build on new ones. The latter include: immunology, inflammation and infectious diseases, medical devices and health service delivery. Our researchers are keen in forming collaborations with other like-minded researchers to spearhead the next medical breakthrough. We believe that our investment in the eight research core platforms and three strategic research programmes, will provide high quality research support services to our researchers in the long run.
FROM THE GROUP DIRECTOR’S DESK
Professor Wong Tien Yin, Group Director of Research, SingHealth and Vice Dean of Clinical Sciences at Duke-NUS, Singapore; and Medical Director of the Singapore National Eye Centre.
RESEARCH FOCUS AREAS
STRATEGIC RESEARCH THRUSTS
6
4
Oncology
Develop research focus areas into world-leading
programmes
Identify, develop and retain clinical research talents
Streamline and integrate research support and
enabling services
Ophthalmology
Cardio-metabolic diseases
Infectious diseases, Inflammation and
Immunology
Strengthen collaborations with national and
international partners
Neurosciences
Health Services Research
SINGHEALTH RESEARCHSingHealth is the largest healthcare cluster in Singapore, comprising two general hospitals, five national specialty centres, a network of nine polyclinics and two step-down care hospitals. Together, the institutions embrace the three pillars of development and progress: Service, Education and Research.
INNOVATING TO ADVANCEAt SingHealth, we nurture those who seek excellence, and reward those who achieve it. Together with our academic partner, Duke-NUS Graduate Medical School, we have identified six research focus areas: Oncology, Ophthalmology, Cardio-metabolic, Neuroscience, I3 (Infectious diseases, Inflammation and Immunology) and Health Services Research in our five-year Joint Research Masterplan (2012 to 2016). We aim not only to be an academic healthcare cluster, but also a regionally and globally acclaimed academic research centre at the forefront of medical science.
Our goal is to bring new treatments and better diagnostic tools to our patients’ bedsides every year. Through close relationships between our scientists and clinician researchers, we hope to work towards the prevention and treatment of diseases in the region.
INVESTMENT IN RESEARCH ENABLERSSingHealth has invested extensively in its research infrastructure. Led by experienced researchers, these core platforms are focused on providing fee-for-service support to researchers. The core platforms also collaborate with researchers on projects at various levels.
SingHealth Research has set up 11 core platforms and strategic research programmes:
CORE PLATFORMS
Advanced Bioimaging
Advanced Molecular Pathology Laboratory (AMPL)1
Clinical Pharmacology
SingHealth Tissue Repository (STR)
Personalised OMIC Lattice for Advanced Research and Improving Stratification (POLARIS)2
SingHealth Experimental Medicine Centre (SEMC)
National Large Animal Research Facility (NLARF)3
Flow Cytometry
STRATEGIC RESEARCH PROGRAMMES
Investigational Medicine Unit (IMU)
SingHealth Translational Immunology and Inflammation Centre (STIIC)
Medical Technology Office (MTO)
TEAM SCIENCE: ADVANCEMENT THROUGH COLLABORATIONOver the years, SingHealth has forged collaborations with academic and industry partners who wish to leverage on our clinical and research experiences, in any of our 42 medical specialties. We also work with partners from the pharmaceutical industry, academic and research institutions such as the Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR).
1 Set up in collaboration with Institute of Molecular and Cell Biology (IMCB)
2 A collaboration with A*STAR’s Genome Institute of Singapore (GIS)
3 Jointly governed by SingHealth and National University Health System (NUHS)
ABOUT SINGHEALTH OFFICE OF RESEARCH
GRANTS MANAGEMENT
Manages the pre and post awards of SingHealth Foundation grants to support research careers; tracks, consolidates and analyses SingHealth research KPIs and output.
FINANCE OPERATIONS
Manages finance matters and budgets for research cost centres in SingHealth HQ.
IACUC SECRETARIAT
Supports the Institution Animal Care and Use Committee (IACUC) on administrative matters; and liaises with PIs to ensure protocols comply with international best practices and animal ethics.
RESEARCH OPERATIONS
Manages the Academia’s research space including laboratory and office spaces, as well as the daily operations of shared research facilities and services.
INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY PROTECTION
Protects SingHealth’s Intellectual Property (IP) assets such as patents, trademarks, or in contracts such as Research Collaboration Agreements, as well as commercialises IP through licensing patents to industry.
RESEARCH OUTREACH
Develops and implements research communications plans; manages the research website, research e-bulletins and research branding. Assists core platforms and research programmes on publicity and communication matters.
POLICY & STRATEGY
Develops and implements research strategies, manages research governance matters and coordinates annual work plans and retreats.
PROJECT MANAGEMENT & RESEARCH COLLABORATIONS
Supports and manages research collaboration projects between SingHealth and external collaborators, including the formation of new collaborations up to the full execution of the collaborative agreements.
SingHealth’s Office of Research (OoR) is the central research administration office. It supports research strategy development and implementation, research risk management, collaborations and project management. OoR works with our colleagues in member institutions to support our researchers.
CORE STRENGTHS & SERVICES
SingHealth Advanced Bioimaging provides imaging services for both light and electron microscopy. The core focuses on super-resolution light microscopy, including:
- SingHealth Advanced Bioimaging
20 College Road, The Academia, Discovery Tower, Level 10, Singapore 169856 Tel: (+65) 6576 7186 | Email: [email protected] or [email protected]
CORE
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Structured Illumination Microscopy (SIM)
Stimulated Emission Depletion microscopy (STED)
Bright Field
Differential Interference Contrast
Wide-Field Fluorescence
Total Internal Reflection Fluorescence
Live-Cell Imaging
Laser Scanning Confocal Microscopy
High-Content Screening
Laser Microdissection
Spinning Disk Confocal
SingHealth Advanced Bioimaging also provides access to services for the following conventional imaging techniques in light microscopy:
3D-Stochastic Optical Reconstruction Microscopy (3D-STORM)
3D-Photoactivated Localization Microscopy (3D-PALM)
BF LSCM
DIC HCS
WF LMD
TIRF SD
BF & WF
CORE STRENGTHS & SERVICES
AMPL@SingHealth provides pathology services as a one-stop facility for pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies. This is for both animal tissue and human tissue based research. Animal research services include GLP-grade animal necropsy, histology services, immunohistochemistry, in situ hybridization, image analysis and veterinary pathology evaluation.
At AMPL, researchers also have access to a CAP-compliant diagnostic facility with a variety of techniques necessary for human tissue-based research including histotechnology, histopathology consultation, immunodiagnostics and molecular assays. AMPL is also closely linked to the SingHealth Tissue Repository (the largest human tissue research biobank in Singapore).
- Human tissue-based bioresources and research services AMPL@SingHealth
20 College Road, The Academia, Discovery Tower, Level 10, Singapore 169856 Tel: (+65) 6576 7116 | Email: [email protected] - Animal tissue-based bioresources and research services AMPL@Biopolis
61 Biopolis Drive, Proteos Building, Level 6, Singapore 138673 Tel: (+65) 6586 9629 | Email: [email protected]
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CORE STRENGTHS
SingHealth Clinical Pharmacology has a team of dedicated scientists support a range of services at all stages of drug development and personalized delivery of therapeutics into the clinics. The facility is equipped with cutting-edge instrumentation, including:
AB SCIEX 5500 QTRAP LC-MS/MS System
Shimadzu Prominence LC
Applied Biosystems 7500 FAST Real-Time PCR
SingHealth Clinical Pharmacology will continue to build on their core strengths to distinguish themselves in a competitive market and to bring value to your project.
- SingHealth Clinical Pharmacology
20 College Road, The Academia, Discovery Tower, Level 8 , Singapore 169856 Tel: (+65) 6576 7096 | Email: [email protected]
CORE
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Qiagen PyroMark Q24
Perkin Elmer EnSpire Multimode Microplate Analyzer
Expertise in advanced PK/PD modeling
Experience in early phase clinical trial design
Efficient project management & clinical pharmacology support
Extensive translational research experience
Close collaboration with SingHealth Investigational Medicine Unit
Expertise in development & validation of GLP bio-analytical assays
CORE STRENGTHS & SERVICES
SingHealth Tissue Repository (STR) maintains a collection of tumour tissue with consent from patients and matches normal tissue controls and blood where available. Tissue samples are harvested with a minimum of warm ischaemia time in the operating theatres, snap frozen and stored in vapour phase liquid nitrogen at -196oC. STR performs histological examinations to determine the tumour content and assess nucleic acid quality in selected cases by spectrophotometry, gel electrophoresis and RNA/DNA quality score.
STR’s biobank supports both scheduled and unscheduled collections. It provides a ‘hostelling service’ for researchers who require a facility to process and store bio-resources, for the duration of their projects. A scheduled collection includes harvesting tissue and/or processing blood samples.
An unscheduled collection involves regularly harvesting tissue (mainly malignancies) from consenting patients who undergo surgery, regardless of whether there is an ongoing study. These samples go into STR’s tissue bank.
STR meets the needs of research projects involving flow cytometric studies, construction of cell lines and xenografts, all of which require the use of freshly harvested cells and tissue.
- SingHealth Tissue Repository (STR)
20 College Road, The Academia, Discovery Tower, Level 10 , Singapore 169856 Tel: (+65) 6576 7115 / 7116 | Email: [email protected]
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CORE STRENGTHS
Experience and expertise in developing laboratory assays and standards; particularly for somatic and germline mutations.
Familiarity using histopathological diagnostic materials for oncologic tests.
Sequencing abilities and access to a range of platforms, especially for next generation sequencing.
A range of platforms that now include ION Personal Genome Machine (PGM) and Illumina MiSeq sequencers.
- POLARIS at SingHealth
20 College Road, The Academia, Discovery Tower, Level 10, Singapore 169856 Email: [email protected] or [email protected]
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Research areas include molecular profiling of cancers and germline screening for a range of cancer syndromes and metabolic diseases.
Other aims include validation and commercialisation of test assays.Collaborations are aimed at assay development
validation, for preclinical and early phase trials testing assays to support grant application.
RESEARCH INTERESTS AND COLLABORATIONS
CORE STRENGTHS & SERVICES
A multi-faceted research facility located on SGH Campus
A key publicly-run source for large animal research, with the facilities and capabilities to support long-term large animal studies
Led by experienced specialist veterinarians
SEMC provides the following services:
- SingHealth Experimental Medicine Centre (SEMC)
20 College Road, The Academia, Basement 1, Singapore 169856 Tel: (+65) 6576 7041 | Fax: (+65) 6221 8936 | Email: [email protected]
CORE
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Basic and complex laboratory animal procedures
Animal care, maintenance and emergency treatment
Creation of novel animal models
Animal treatment and intervention
Bioimaging procedures
Research & Veterinary technical support
Veterinary diagnostic, including analysis of small-volume blood sample
Veterinary pathology support
CORE STRENGTHS
The only AVA-approved international quarantine for pigs and Non-Human Primates (NHPs) in Singapore
Expertise in large animal importation for scientific uses, including regulatory clearance
Competent team of professionals trained in management of large animals for research
Research quality NHPs and pigs (local and imported)
Long-term housing of large animals in sheltered outdoor housing
OTHER SERVICES
Supply of large animals at age and/or weight required for research
Animal care, maintenance and emergency treatment
Technical and veterinary services for PI-initiated research
Transport services for large animals using a designated, climate-controlled vehicle
Training courses in large animal husbandry, care and basic diagnostics
Comprehensive services to meet PI’s research needs, including import of other animal models
- National Large Animal Research Facility (NLARF) c/o SingHealth Experimental Medicine Centre (SEMC)
20 College Road, The Academia, Basement 1 , Singapore 169856 Tel: (+65) 6576 7041 | Fax: (+65) 6221 8936 | Email: [email protected]
CORE
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CORE STRENGTHS
SingHealth Flow Cytometry has facilities for basic sample preparation work, along with 3 cell analyzers and a flow cell-sorter:
BD LSRFortessa™ (Lasers - 355nm, 405nm, 488nm, 561nm, 640nm, 18 colours)
BD FACSAria™ III encased in Biosafety Cabinet (Lasers - 405nm, 488nm, 561nm, 633nm, 16 colours)
BD FACSCanto™ II (Lasers - 488nm, 640nm, 6 colours)
BD™ LSR II (Lasers - 405nm, 488nm, 561nm, 640nm, 13 colours)
CORE SERVICES
Self-operated cell analysis
Staff-assisted or drop-off cell analysis
Training for end users to gain basic competency to execute their analyses independently
Staff-operated cell-sorting services for both live and fixed biological samples
Analysis workstation (installed with Flowjo analysis software,Version 7 or 10)
- SingHealth Flow Cytometry
20 College Road, The Academia, Discovery Tower, Level 10 , Singapore 169856 Tel: (+65) 6576 7178 | Email: [email protected]
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CORE STRENGTHS
SingHealth Investigational Medicine Unit (IMU) specialises in early phase clinical research. IMU’s projects are supported by a team of dedicated and well-trained Clinical Research Coordinators, Clinical Research Nurses and Resident Physicians. The unit specialises in studying diseases that impact patients in Asia, including:
- SingHealth Investigational Medicine Unit (IMU)
Singapore General Hospital Block 7, Level 7 , Outram Road , Singapore 169608 Tel: (+65) 6323 7533 | Fax: (+65) 6323 3971 | Email: [email protected]
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Conducting trials that adhere to Singapore-Good Clinical Practice, supported by a robust healthy volunteer database
Internal Quality Assurance (QA) system
Clinical pharmacology and pharmacogenetic testing
CORE SERVICES
Case Report Form (CRF) design
Specimen collection, handling and processing
Coordination with external central laboratories
Project management of trials
ONCOLOGY
CARDIOLOGY
GASTROENTEROLOGY
HAEMATOLOGY
EMERGING INFECTIOUS DISEASE
COLLABORATION OPPORTUNITIES
- SingHealth Translational Immunology and Inflammation Centre (STIIC)
20 College Road, The Academia, Discovery Tower, Level 8 , Singapore 169856 Tel: (+65) 6576 7154 | Email: [email protected]
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SingHealth Translational Immunology and Inflammation Centre (STIIC) collaborates with researchers and clinician-scientists on clinically important medical conditions, through translational studies on immunology and inflammation. Translational research bridges unmet needs between the knowledge of basic sciences and its translation into medical practice and meaningful health outcomes.
Aims:
Identify unmet clinical needs that are addressable via immunology research tools.
Create enough critical mass for a knowledge base that leads to tangible project proposals with high translational potential.
Establish a network of clinicians and researchers, each contributing unique expertise and driving successful grant applications.
STIIC is engaged in international Translational Medicine activities with Eureka Institute, UCAN-U(trecht) where UCAN-U is the first platform of the Understanding Childhood Arthritis Network (UCAN), Paediatric Rheumatology International Trials Organisation (PRINTO), Childhood Arthritis and Rheumatology Research Alliance (CARRA), Queen Mary University of London, University Medical Center Utrecht, Sanford-Burnham Medical Research Institute and Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center.
CORE STRENGTHS
SingHealth Medical Technology Office’s (MTO) strength is their clinicians, who provide valuable inputs on new projects and support the clinical development of products. MTO also have partnerships that support advanced prototyping, testing and validation.
MTO is currently engaged in surgical areas such as:
Ear, Nose, and Throat (ENT)
Head & Neck
Orthopedics
Plastic, Reconstructive and Aesthetic Surgery
Gastrointestinal Surgery
MTO is also open to developing new healthcare technologies that have impact in improving patients’ lives.
- SingHealth Medical Technology Office (MTO)
General enquiries: [email protected]
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SingHealth Office of Research20 College Road, The Academia, Discovery Tower, Level 7, Singapore 169856 Email: [email protected]
The content is correct at the time of printing.©2015 SingHealth Office of Research. All rights reserved.
