1. science
2. medicine
3. medical research

A SPIRE
Find out why
Singapore
is becoming
Asia’s premier
scientific
research
destination
> PhD Careers MEET seven
INDIVIDUALS PURSUING DIFFERENT
PHD CAREERS IN SCIENCE
> Education Focus
Explore the study options
open to budding scientists
02
Contents
Overview
Biopolis and Fusionopolis – Singapore’s R&D hubs are home to A*STAR research
institutes and a growing number of biomedical sciences, infocommunication
technology, media, and physical sciences and engineering companies
contents
03 - 05 OVERVIEW
06 - 07 NEWS
08 - 09 EDUCATION
10 - 17 PhD Careers
18 -19 research at A*STAR
03
“Singapore’s longterm aim is to be
one of the most
research-intensive,
innovative and
entrepreneurial
economies in the
world in order to
create high-value
jobs and prosperity
for Singaporeans”
Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong
Win AN EYEFLY3D FILM
Use the QR code below to
enter our competition for a
chance to win an innovative
new 3D smart phone film,
developed by A*STAR IMRE
and Temasek Polytechnic.
Visit www.a-star.edu.sg/aspire2013
for the full competition
Cover model:
Dr Samantha Lee, A*STAR Scholar
Research Fellow at Institute of Molecular and Cell
Biology and Lecturer at Singapore Polytechnic
A*SPIRE is a publication of the Agency for Science,
Technology and Research (A*STAR) – Singapore’s lead
government agency for fostering world-class scientific
research.
© Dec 2013 A*STAR Graduate Academy
www.a-star.edu.sg
Go the
distance
through
R&D
Science and engineering graduates have
more career options than before, thanks to
rich and diverse Research and Development
(R&D) initiatives from the public and private
sectors. But what does it take to succeed as
a PhD holder?
N
estlé, Proctor & Gamble, Applied Materials, Nikon, IBM
and Rolls-Royce.
Just a few of the wellknown multinational corporations (MNCs) to have set up
R&D operations in Singapore in recent years.
Testament to the nation’s strength as an
international R&D hub, these firms are part
of the country’s transformation to a knowledge-based economy.
Singapore currently ranks within the
top 10 in the Global Innovation Index,
co-published by INSEAD and the World Intellectual Property Organization, which reflects
the quality of institutions, human capital
and research, infrastructure and market and
business sophistication here.
The figures speak for themselves. The
number of research scientists and engineers
(RSEs) grew from 4,329 in 1990 to 29,483
in 2011, representing a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 9.57% while the
number of PhD RSEs grew from 970 in 1990
to 7,745 in 2011, representing an even higher CAGR of 10.4%.
As more R&D jobs have been created
in Singapore, there has been a steady expansion of the talent pool. This growth has
been catalysed by the government’s current
Research, Innovation & Enterprise (RIE) plan,
which promises to invest a further S$16.1 billion into R&D by 2015.
At the 2010 announcement of the current S$16.1 billion RIE plan, Prime Minister
Lee Hsien Loong highlighted Singapore’s
commitment to R&D.
“Singapore’s long-term aim is to be one
of the most research-intensive, innovative
and entrepreneurial economies in the world
in order to create high-value jobs and prosperity for Singaporeans. Research and innovation underpin the competitiveness of our
industries, catalyse new growth areas, and
The co-location of public and private sector
research within the two research hubs,
Biopolis and Fusionopolis, facilitates a culture
of collaboration
transform our economy. Increasingly, intellectual capital will be critical for our next
phase of economic development.”
Due to the government’s stable and consistent investment in R&D, public sector-funded research has expanded greatly over the past
two decades. The number of research institutes
at A*STAR has grown over the years. A*STAR’s
role is to support Singapore’s key economic clusters by providing intellectual, human,
and industrial capital to its industry partners.
It promotes the training and development of
highly-skilled PhD talent, directs and undertakes research through its research institutes,
and promotes the commercial application of
scientific knowledge and technology through
commercialisation of intellectual property, and
industry engagement and collaboration.
To date, the Agency for Science, Technology, and Research (A*STAR) has nurtured
a pipeline of more than 1,200 Singaporean
PhD students through its scholarship and
fellowship programmes. Between 2011 and
2012 alone, 455 RSEs have flowed out from
A*STAR research institutes into industry.
“The local R&D landscape is growing
very quickly,” said A*STAR Graduate Academy’s Executive Director, Prof Alfred Huan.
“Singapore is seeing an increase in private
sector investment as companies today seek
global presence. We are pushing hard to
compete for the R&D pie by ensuring that
our pipeline delivers the talent and skills.”
Research activity has also increased in
other public sector agencies, universities,
research centres of excellence, and medical
institutions. Today, medical research centres
and hospitals, such as the National Cancer
Centre, National Skin Centre, and Singapore
General Hospital, not only provide treat-
04
Overview
Overview
05
“The whole idea
of research,
innovation and
enterprise rests
on risk taking.
People need to try
different routes
and explore; that’s
how they learn
and become better
researchers”
Prof Alfred Huan
The number of research scientists and engineers in Singapore has grown almost seven times from
4,329 in 1990 to 29,483 in 2011 (National Survey R&D, 2011)
ment to patients, but also train medical and
post-graduate students, and undertake clinical research in their respective fields. Another example is CREATE, a new complex of
research centres from top global universities
and corporate labs that is being developed
by the National Research Foundation, which
will encourage intensive research collaboration with Singapore’s universities and research institutions.
R&D investment from MNCs
According to Mr Yeoh Keat Chuan, Managing
Director of the Economic Development Board,
Singapore’s lead government agency for
planning and executing economic strategies,
Singapore is experiencing robust growth in
electronics, pharmaceuticals and consumer
businesses.
This stems from the need for companies
to innovate for Asia, in Asia.
“In the pharmaceutical sector, there are
significant R&D developments such as the
Roche Translational Medicine Hub, Eli Lily research centre and Novartis Institute for Tropical Disease,” he said.
“More recently, Chugai Pharmaceutical
announced plans to invest S$200 million into
novel antibody drugs research in Singapore.”
Recognising the need for Asia-specific
innovations, consumer care company Procter
and Gamble has invested $250 million to
build a 500-strong R&D team here, the second of only two innovation centres in Asia.
Nestlé is also extending its research and
development centre in Singapore to focus
on its fastest-growing markets in Asia-Pacific. The centre employs 100 experts in special-
ised fields including mechanical engineering, analytical chemistry, microbiology and
sensory science.
At the same time, Singapore is also developing new capabilities in Additive Manufacturing, Biologics, Satellites, Cyber-security
and Analytics.
Mr Yeoh added: “Singapore hopes to
develop a pool of 2,500 analytics professionals over the next five years and companies
such as RSA, SAP and IBM have all set up R&D
activities here.”
“As more
companies realise
the value of
technology and
adopt innovation
as a growth
strategy, it will
fuel the demand
for R&D talent with
different skill sets,
from engineers,
lab researchers
to Intellectual
Property experts”
Mr Tan Kai Hoe
Research activity has also increased in other
public sector agencies, universities, research
centres of excellence, and medical institutions
The country’s strategic position as a
leading Asian business hub is also an attractive draw for companies and talent alike.
P&G’s Singapore operation represents
more than 25 nationalities and connects
with businesses around the world.
“The consumer is our boss, and Singapore enables easy access to our bosses
around the world,” said Director of Corporate R&D at the company’s Singapore Innovation Center, Mr James Kaw.
Start-ups get more support
SPRING Singapore supports new business entries, from entrepreneurs to SMEs, and has
supported more than 1,300 technology innovation projects by SMEs since 2006.
“Our investments in R&D puts us in the
same league as research-intensive countries
like the US, Germany, France, Switzerland,
Denmark and Taiwan,” said SPRING Chief Executive, Mr Tan Kai Hoe.
“Many SMEs and start-ups now recognise the importance of research, and license
technologies from researchers, or tap on researchers who are seconded to their company to build up in-house R&D capabilities.”
Researchers can venture out alone or
collaborate with an entrepreneur to create
market-disruptive innovations. Mr Tan cites
Endomaster, a start-up, set up by an engineer and a doctor, who were awarded a
grant from SPRING’s Technology Enterprise
Commercialisation Scheme. Inspired by a
chilli crab dish, they translated the idea of
a crab claw into a robot-assisted technology
for endoscopic surgery.
Mr Tan pointed out: “As more com-
panies realise the value of technology and
adopt innovation as a growth strategy, it will
fuel the demand for R&D talent with different skill sets, from engineers, lab researchers
to Intellectual Property experts.”
Scientific PhD Talent
At A*STAR, scholarships and fellowships are
offered to bright young scientific minds to
encourage them to pursue a PhD. “There are
a variety of schemes from Bachelor to PhD
to post-docs, and we provide active support
and guidance to our scholars and scientists.”
added Prof Huan.
“We take the grooming of Singaporean
core talent in R&D very seriously.”
In a dynamic job market, PhD-trained
individuals are translating their scientific and
technical training into a multitude of careers.
“A PhD is not only a preparation for an
academic career, but for a variety of careers.
Overall, about two-thirds of our PhD graduates find work in R&D jobs and this has been
relatively consistent in recent years,” said
Professor Tan Eng Chye, Provost of the National University of Singapore (NUS).
The demand for PhD talent has shown a
large increase.
Prof Freddy Boey, Provost of Nanyang
Technological University (NTU), confirmed
this: “In the past, students often asked ‘If I
get a PhD, will I find a job?’ They worried
about being overqualified, but this is no
longer the case today. Indeed, many large
global corporations have set up major research units in Singapore and they often
look to hire PhDs.”
Whether it’s industry, academia, entrepreneurship or scientific research, PhD talents have more options today.
Providing a seamless infrastructure for scientists and researchers to develop new innovations and
collaborations with the industry
But in the same way that innovation
requires trial and error to achieve success, a
scientific career requires flexibility.
Scholars considering an R&D-driven career should actively explore their options in
order to choose the best path.
Being flexible allows scholars to discover their true calling. Prof Huan encourages
students to take risks, to be open and flexible. “The whole idea of research, innovation
and enterprise rests on risk taking. People
need to try different routes and explore;
that’s how they learn and become better researchers.”
Prof Boey advocates that students
should collaborate and draw on the knowledge of others: “It’s almost impossible to do
“You should
always ask
yourselves the “so
what” question;
meaning, what
is the relevancy
or implications
of your work in
improving the lives
of the consumers
you serve”
Mr James Kaw
everything by yourself. I have found that the
most effective way to get ideas into inventions and then products is to work as a team
with other people. Sharing ideas one with
another often generates not only better ideas, but more workable ones.”
Networking, too, is an important career
skill. Prof Huan said: “Building a network of
friends in the research community and outside is very important as these friendships
can give rise to exciting collaborations.”
Building a successful scientific career
More importantly, it takes more than academic qualifications to succeed.
“Out in the workforce, our PhD graduates need to have good communication and
interpersonal skills as well as the flexibility to
adapt their knowledge and skills across disciplines and industries,” said Professor Tan.
As many scholars will testify, finding an
avenue that allows their work to impact real
life situations, from biomedical research to industry, is one of the keys to career satisfaction.
“You should have a genuine passion for
learning and research to help you complete
your PhD, but also a desire for applying your
research to the betterment of society,” Prof
Tan said.
As P&G’s James Kaw confirmed, working with real life solutions means PhD graduates will leverage their skills and technical
expertise every day, particularly those heading into industry. “You should always ask
yourselves the “so what” question; meaning,
what is the relevancy or implications of your
work in improving the lives of the consumers
you serve.”
06
News
Telecommunications breakthrough
I2R JOINS FORCES WITH ST ELECTRONICS
Researchers from Singapore’s A*STAR Institute of
Microelectronics (IME) have pioneered technology for high
speed long-haul data transmission. In collaboration with Fujikura
Singapore's largest ICT research institute, the
Institute for Infocomm Research (I2R), announced a
collaboration with ST Electronics in May 2013, to
Ltd., the team developed the world’s first 40 to 60Gbps siliconbased optical modulators with advanced multilevel modulation
formats, which are significantly cheaper to fabricate.
Unlocking
evolutionary
secrets
Renal epithelium formed by human embryonic
stem cell-derived kidney cells in culture dish
Prehistoric fish linked to
evolution of land animals
IBN creates human
research
kidney cells New
has powerful
H
uman kidney cells have been successfully generated from human
embryonic stem cells in vitro by
researchers at the Institute of Bioengineering and Nanotechnology
(IBN) in Singapore.
Scientists produced the renal cells under
artificial conditions in the lab without using
animals or organs, something that has not
been possible until now.
According to IBN Executive Director,
Prof Jackie Y. Ying, this discovery could provide an alternative to animal testing.
“This has wide-reaching implications
for in vitro toxicology, drug screening, disease models and regenerative medicine,”
she said.
"In particular, we are interested in applying our technology to develop predictive
in vitro drug testing and renal toxicity models as alternatives to animal testing.”
implications for
drug screening and
toxicology models
research
IBN has received a grant from A*STAR joint
council office to further develop predictive in
vitro models for liver- and kidney-specific toxicity
R
esearchers from A*STAR’s Institute
of Molecular and Cell Biology (IMCB)
have joined forces with researchers
from around the world to crack a fish’s
genomic code.
The once-thought-to-be-extinct African
coelacanth resembles the fossilised skeletons of
their ancestors from more than 300-million years
ago. Findings from the study are providing new
insights into what may have helped aquatic animals to transition from water to land.
By comparing a coelacanth’s genes with
other vertebrate species, the researchers have uncovered valuable information on genetic changes
that may unlock evolutionary secrets.
The coelacanth’s most prominent feature is
its fleshy fins, which resemble the limbs of land
animals. Within this fish, the team found several important regions of the genome used in the
formation of limbs, which suggest that land animals adopted evolutionary sequences from coelacanths to help them form limbs.
Prof Byrappa Venkatesh, Research Director
IMCB, said: “By comparing the genomes of coelacanth, human and other vertebrates, our group
has been able to discover gene regulatory elements that played a key role in the development
of our limbs and fingers as well as our ability to
detect air-borne odorants.”
develop advanced Software Defined Communication
systems as well as train ST engineers in
conceptualisation and design.
News
07
a greener Singapore
A*STAR and Fujitsu pool resources to enhance urban sustainability through high
performance computing-enabled R&D technologies
A
*STAR and Fujitsu have joined forces to
address the challenges and demands
on infrastructure and energy usage
faced by both Singapore and Japan.
In early 2013, both parties signed
a Memorandum of Understanding to explore the
creation of the first Centre of Excellence (CoE) for
Computational Social Science and Engineering in
Singapore towards achieving this purpose.
The CoE will identify technology solutions and
opportunities for sustainable urban development
of Singapore in key areas such as transportation
management and energy efficiency with High Performance Computing (HPC)-enabled technologies
based on real-world data. Insights and outcomes
from the research may likely be applied to other big
cities in planning and implementing urban sustainability initiatives.
The collaborative effort is led by A*STAR’s Institute of High Performance Computing (IHPC), with
its HPC capabilities in analysis of real-world data
and knowledge of complex systems and social behaviour.
NEW
G
medicines for
emerging markets
lobal
pharmaceutical
giant
GlaxoSmithKline
(GSK) and A*STAR’s Institute of Chemical and Engineering Sciences (ICES)
have signed a five-year agreement to
develop new medicines designed specifically for emerging markets.
The new evidence based formulations (EBFs) are medicines that are
reformulated to provide additional patient benefit.
The collaboration leverages on
ICES’s expertise in synthesis, formulation and process development, as well
a GSK’s vast experience in drug candidates election, optimisation, and product development, to develop a pool of
local expertise in specialised formulation for pharmaceutical development.
Say
goodbye
to 3D glasses
M
obile device users
can now view 3D
content with the
naked eye thanks
to a plastic film developed in
Singapore.
The innovation from Temasek Polytechnic (TP) and
A*STAR’s Institute of Materials Research and Engineering (IMRE) is the first ever
glasses-free 3D accessory
measuring less than 0.1 mm.
It is made up of about half
a million perfectly shaped
nanometer-sized lenses engineered onto its surface.
Called EyeFly3D, the
film, which can be applied
onto smart phones, is being
marketed by start-up, Nanoveu Pte Ltd. Applications for
Apple iOS and Android have
also been developed, to allow users to play the 3D content, and convert 2D pictures
into 3D. A software development kit for 3D game developers is being researched.
The same technology can
also potentially be used as
next generation security tokens employed by banks and
corporations.
See page 2 for a chance
to win the film.
08
Education
Education
A Global
Education
EXPERIENCING SWEDEN
Shukri Bin Abdul Jalil is a final-year mechanical
engineering student at Nanyang Technological
University (NTU) on the A*STAR Undergraduate
Scholarship. He just completed a research attachment
at SIMTech and spent five months in Sweden in his
third year on an exchange programme
A scientific education can take you
around the world
I
an
International
EDUCATION
I
knew I wanted to study
science and I wanted to
do it in the best place in
the world. That, to me,
was Cambridge University
in the UK where I did an undergraduate degree in Natural
Sciences.
When I left Singapore I was
painfully shy and really found I
had to build up my confidence
in order to thrive abroad. After
three years, I came back home
to spend a year working at
IMCB as part of my bond with
A*STAR. During this time, I also
worked on my applications to
PhD schools in the US. I eventually went to the Massachusetts
Institute of Technology (MIT) to
study microRNAs and spent five
years on campus in Cambridge
– this time Cambridge, Massachusetts.
Doing a PhD in the US
takes much longer than doing
Dr Huili Guo is an
Independent Fellow
at A*STAR’s Institute
of Molecular and
Cell Biology (IMCB).
She undertook her
undergraduate and
post-graduate studies
overseas – in the UK
and the US respectively
– on A*STAR’s National
Science Scholarship (BSPhD) before returning to
Singapore in 2012
one in the UK or Singapore.
But in that time I learned a
new way of thinking, which I
believe is important for a scientific career. The US education
system encourages independent thinking and places emphasis on vocalising your opinions.
I would encourage anyone
to study wherever there is a
strong scientific community in
your preferred subject area,
whether that’s Singapore or
overseas. For my chosen field
– microRNA research – Cambridge, Massachusetts was the
best place to be.
Studying abroad exposed
me to so many new experiences, professionally and
personally, which help every
day in my current work. I’ve
also recently just won a Young
Investigator Grant to fund
my research interest, which
is great.
09
A PHD IN THE UK
Dr Leong Siang Huei is a senior scientist
with the Data Storage Institute of Singapore. He
studied engineering for both his undergraduate
and masters degrees at the National University
of Singapore (NUS) as one of the first A*STAR
scholars. Following this, he undertook his PhD in
the UK at the University of Cambridge
A
fter my Masters Degree in
Engineering at
NUS, I worked at
A*STAR’s
Data
Storage Institute (DSI). At
that time, DSI was exploring
some collaborative work with
a professor in Cambridge University in the UK, so I jumped
on the opportunity and pursued a PhD under that professor, specialising in Nanotechnology and Nano-optics.
I was under a Research Institute Scholarship then, which
was converted to a National
Science Scholarship (PhD) in
2001.
Apart from the opportunity of working with the
professor in my area of interest, I also had a preference to
pursue my PhD in the UK, as
the minimum duration for a
PhD in UK universities is just
three years, compared to the
expected longer PhD candidature period in the US. Cambridge has a long history and
is one of the top universities
in the world; I not only benefitted from the high quality
of education, but also the
heritage of the place.
Following my PhD, I returned to Singapore to fulfil
my scholarship bond. I was
happy to return to my family and roots and excited to
further develop my career at
DSI. Today, my research focus
at DSI is in instrumentation
and metrology, and my department supports the data
storage hard disk drive industry. As one of the first few
A*STAR scholars to return
and work within the research
institutes, it was also a great
opportunity to contribute to
and grow alongside A*STAR.
A PHD BACK HOME
Xiong Jingwei Rachel is a second year NUS PhD
student doing research at the Institute of Medical
Biology (IMB). She’s studying in Singapore on an
A*STAR Graduate Scholarship (AGS) following
her undergraduate degree, where she studied
Molecular and Cell Biology in the US under
A*STAR’s National Science Scholarship (BS)
B
y the time I signed
up to the A*STAR
scholarship, I had
my sights set on being a scientist. I did
my undergraduate degree at
the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (UIUC), and
conducted my undergraduate
research at The Beckman Institute. The mental and psychological freedom afforded
from a liberal arts education
in the US was a breath of fresh
air. There, we were allowed to
design our own course curriculum, and I enjoyed a variety of
other topics ranging from Astronomy to Literature to Music,
on top of the bulk of biology
courses.
Despite having the opportunity to continue with a PhD
overseas, I am pleased with my
decision to stay in Singapore
for my PhD work. I currently
work on rare genetic diseases with Dr Bruno Reversade at
IMB. Science here is progressively evolving and improving,
especially with the diverse mix
of scientists from all over the
world. Working with people
from different cultures and
backgrounds is great, as everyone takes different approaches
when solving the same questions.
In the R&D landscape, Singapore maintains its competitive edge by rapidly renewing
its focus. Being back home, I
get to watch all the action happening live here, and not to
mention enjoy the comforts of
home at the same time.
was always interested in
design and technology
and since I was a kid I’ve
wanted to understand
how things work.
I eventually decided
to pursue an undergraduate
degree in mechanical engineering at NTU. While most of my
education to date has been in
Singapore, I did get the chance
to study in Linköping, Sweden
for five months on an exchange
programme. Sweden is often
ranked as one of the top few
most innovative countries in
the world, and I saw that they
focused very much on academic research, while Singapore
universities tended to have an
equal focus on academic and
applied research to support industry.
After returning to Singapore, I did a research attach-
ment at the Singapore Institute
of Manufacturing Technology
(SIMTech) and really enjoyed
learning from so many experts.
When you first start out it’s all
very overwhelming, but gradually you come to understand
things from your mentors, and
that’s really satisfying. Some of
my NTU professors even visited
SIMTech to collaborate on certain projects.
As for where I will eventually pursue my PhD, I am still deciding between Singapore, the
UK, or Sweden. Right now, I’m
leaning more towards pursuing
it locally, mainly because Singapore’s position as a scientific
leader is attractive. As we all
know, Singapore doesn’t have
many natural resources, and
engineers are constantly forced
to come up with innovative
new solutions.
10
PhD careers
PhD careers
CHARTING DIFFERENT
CAREERS IN SCIENCE
In today’s Singapore, where Research,
Innovation, and Enterprise are
cornerstones of the economy, a
PhD opens doors to many different
pathways. Seven talented PhD
graduates, with very different jobs,
open up about their career choices
Dr
jonathan
loh
Senior Scientist, Technology
Platform Specialists
Clinician Scientist
Academia,
Educator,
Science
Communication
Principal
Investigator
Dr Jonathan Loh Yuin-Han is a
Principal Investigator at the Institute
of Molecular and Cell Biology
(IMCB). He is also an Assistant
Professor with the Department of
Biological Sciences at the National
University of Singapore (NUS)
E
Industry R&D,
Business Development
Technopreneur
Patent
Examiner
"We help doctors
solve real problems
in real life situations
using our knowledge”
11
ver since he was a small boy, Dr Loh had a passion
for science.
“Even as far back as primary school I would
focus all my energy on research. I really enjoyed
working across disciplines,” he said.
Eventually, he settled on biological research
and pursued a diploma in Biotechnology at Singapore Polytechnic.
Driven by his passion for the life sciences sector, Jonathan
moved on to carry out his PhD research at the Genome Institute of Singapore under the A*STAR Graduate Scholarship.
He also carried out post-doctoral work at Harvard Medical
School in the US, on the A*STAR Post-Doctoral Fellowship.
There, he was first in the world to successfully reprogramme
human blood cells to pluripotent stem cells.
“Doing my post-doc in the US was great both culturally
and academically. It really expanded my network, which is vital in this field.”
Against international competition, Jonathan won a prestigious A*STAR Investigatorship Award and returned to Singapore in 2011 to set up his lab.
As a principal investigator at IMCB today, Jonathan specialises in stem cell research and his laboratory is interested
in cell fate changes. “We help doctors solve real problems in
real life situations using our knowledge,” he said. His research
could potentially benefit patients who require replacement
cells and tissues.
In recognition of his outstanding work, he won the Singapore Youth Award in 2010, and was featured on MIT's 2012
TR35@Singapore list, which recognises the top 35 innovators
under 35 from Southeast Asia to Australia.
He credits A*STAR for allowing him to pursue his career
in his home country.
“Without a place like Biopolis I’d have to go overseas.
Singapore isn’t yet a world leader but we’re doing everything
right. We’re grooming our own talent, there’s plenty of funding and we’re encouraging great research collaborations. The
framework is right.”
Jonathan sits on the executive committee of the Stem
Cell Society Singapore and is the first Singaporean elected Fellow of the World Technology Network.
12
PhD careers
PhD careers
Dr
Seah
Kwang
Hwee
Dr
Gary
Ng
Microfluidics research
is making waves in the
medical industry and
Dr Gary Ng is one of
the scientists behind
the technologies in
development
S
olving real world problems with science has kept Dr Gary
Ng at SIMTech for the past 14 years.
As a Mechanical Engineering graduate, he joined
SIMTech in 1999 and spent two years learning the ropes
before taking on a PhD on an A*STAR scholarship at the
Georgia Institute of Technology in the US. Four years later, he returned to Singapore to continue his work at SIMTech and he
remains there today.
Focusing on microfluidics and its manufacturing, Gary and his
team of researchers are furthering technologies that could facilitate
huge medical advancements in the not so distant future. Microfluidics research is the study of how fluids behave at the micro scale.
It involves the manipulation and precise control of fluids, which is
important in the development of lab-on-a-chip platforms to detect
“In ten or 20 years time this
could be the kind of diagnostic
device you can use at home,
it’s the next generation of
healthcare”
Patent
Examiner
Singapore’s aspirations to be a
leading IP hub makes it an exciting
place to be a Patent Examiner. Dr
Seah Kwang Hwee explains why he
enjoys solving ‘intellectual puzzles'
I
Scientist
certain conditions with a tiny amount of fluid – as little as a pinprick.
This could potentially eliminate the need to visit a doctor for
some diagnostics, which may be able to detect various conditions,
from tropical disease to cancer. While such diagnostics are still in the
research stage, the ramifications for the medical industry could be
huge, given the pressure of ageing populations and the rising costs
of healthcare.
Gary explained that SIMTech works on industry requests to further R&D in areas of demand, to help develop and improve products
for the market.
“In 10 or 20 years time this could be the kind of diagnostic device you can use at home, it’s the next generation of healthcare,”
said Gary.
Working with industry partners keeps Gary abreast of product
innovation: “There’s a lot of collaboration with outside teams from
manufacturers to medics to chemists. It helps us know what the industry needs and stops us developing something commercially useless,” he said.
In addition, he said the wider opportunities at SIMTech have
kept him on board for so many years: “It’s not just the science and
research, there are travel opportunities, and attachment students,
from pre-university to graduate level, we get to train, who in turn
contribute to our research.”
”Patent examination
is challenging. Each
application is an
intellectual puzzle“
13
ntellectual Property (IP) forms the cornerstone of Research & Development (R&D) in many nations, and
none more so than in Singapore.
Singapore is already recognised by international
surveys, such as the World Economic Forum’s Global Competitiveness Report, Political & Economic Risk
Consultancy Report, and the International Property Rights
Index, as having one of the best IP regimes in the world. The
vision of the Intellectual Property Office of Singapore (IPOS)
is to build Singapore into an IP Hub of Asia, and key to this
is creating a conducive and progressive environment, and
building capabilities through a skilled IP workforce.
Dr Seah Kwang Hwee obtained his PhD in electrical engineering from Imperial College London under the A*STAR
Graduate Scholarship. Prior to this, he attained a bachelor’s
degree at Nanyang Technological University (NTU) in Singapore. Kwang Hwee is part of the pioneer group of 18 patent
examiners at IPOS, 16 of whom have PhDs.
“Patent examination is challenging. Each patent application is an intellectual puzzle,” he said.
Although Kwang Hwee opted out of an academic career path, he likened the role of a patent examiner to that
of a reviewer of academic literature. “With a literature review, you conduct an extensive literature search to identify
potential knowledge gaps that can be exploited. Similarly,
in patent examination, you perform an extensive search to
assess the patentability of each application.”
Before joining IPOS, Dr Seah spent a year working as a
Digital Integrated Circuit Designer at Infineon Technologies,
followed by another eight years at A*STAR’s Institute for
Infocomm Research (I2R), where he pursued his doctoral and
post-doctoral training.
Leveraging on this technical background, his role at
IPOS allows him to remain at the forefront of cutting edge
technology, handling applications from very diverse technical fields. “The first patent application that I examined was
on bio-medical devices, while my second patent application
dealt with image processing,” he said.
In a collegiate environment, he described everyone as
‘intellectually curious and inquisitive’.
“It’s amazing that I can simply walk over to the next
cubicle and strike up a conversation with domain experts on
areas including info-communication technology, nanotechnology, chemistry and materials engineering,” he added.
14
PhD careers
PhD careers
Dr
yar
kar peo
DR
karen
crasta
After following an
industry career path,
Dr Yar Kar Peo now
works at the forefront
of the nation’s defence
communications as a
Principal Engineer with
ST Electronics
M
oving out of a research institute and into industry
may strike many as a risky move, but Dr Yar Kar Peo
is happy he took the leap.
“I had been in academia and public sector research for almost a decade, so I felt like it was time
to move on to something else and gain some real
world experience while I was still young,” he said.
He studied Electrical Engineering at the National University of
Singapore (NUS), before pursuing his PhD at the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, in wireless communication, supported by A*STAR’s
National Science Scholarship (PhD).
“I feel that the older you get, the less inclined you are to take
on new challenges.”
As a Principal Engineer at ST Electronics today, he is responsible
for developing cutting edge defence communication technology. He
feels an enormous sense of pride in developing technology that may
be used to protect the country.
Kar Peo credits his prior work experience at A*STAR’s Institute
“I love that I can use
everything I learnt
throughout my education in
real life situations”
for Infocomm Research (I2R), where he worked on the smart grids
project, which involved heavy collaboration with industry. This had
helped him prepare for his career in ST Electronics.
"At I2R, I had a chance to work as part of a team on many large
scale projects, which involve many different departments. It helped
to set the foundation for working in industry with many people and
it developed my project management skills."
He said the opportunity to study overseas has benefited him
both personally and professionally.
“I love that I can use everything that I’ve learnt throughout my
education in real life situations,” he said.
scientist
Cancer research specialist Dr Karen
Crasta is doing what she enjoys most
and has won accolades worldwide
for her pioneering work. Today, she’s
leading a team in Singapore
E
Engineer
“It’s great to be able to dictate
what you do, asking questions
you want to answer, and
working with people who
share the same vision"
15
very budding research scientist dreams of leading their own research group. For Dr Karen Crasta, this dream recently came true and she’s busy
recruiting PhD students and post-doctoral scientists for her new laboratory at the Lee Kong Chian School of Medicine in Nanyang Technological
University (NTU).
Karen was awarded the two-year A*STAR International Fellowship (AIF) to carry out her post-doctoral training at
Harvard Medical School, USA. Winning acclaim for her research, which has been cited widely, she said the AIF experience changed her life: “My overseas training was key to
getting a lab here in Singapore.” Prior to her post-doctoral
stint, Karen studied Microbiology as an undergraduate at
NUS and did her PhD research at A*STAR’s Institute of Molecular and Cell Biology (IMCB) in Singapore.
Karen has always had a passion for research. Specialising in genomic instability, mitosis and cancers, she enjoys lab
work and couldn’t imagine another career. “It’s great to be
able to dictate what you do, asking questions you want to
answer, and working with people who share the same vision.
“Few governments in the world invest so much into building state-of-the art-facilities and solid research infrastructure.
I can’t do what I’m doing now as easily anywhere else.”
Karen’s research is funded by her prestigious National
Research Foundation (NRF) Fellowship award. She and two
other Singaporeans won the grant, which attracted strong
international competition. As an Associate Professor at NTU,
Karen will also mentor PhD students and teach as part of her
tenure-track position. She is also thrilled that she will soon
hold a joint appointment with her alma mater, IMCB.
“I’ve always had a soft spot for teaching. I had a fantastic mentor at IMCB who greatly inspired me – Prof Uttam
Surana – and I hope to contribute back to society in a similar
way.”
It’s the ability to address research questions with global implications that drives Dr Crasta’s passion for lab work:
“Working at the Dana Farber Cancer Institute in Harvard
taught me to pursue science with a sense of purpose. I gained
immense knowledge about the disease and perspective of a
patient, My group will be addressing two major problems in
the field, toxicity and resistance of chemotherapy drugs, so I
really feel I’m doing something worthwhile.”
Karen would eventually like to focus on improving efficacy of treatment against breast and ovarian cancers. With
continued collaboration with A*STAR, she hopes to be part
of the future of R&D in Singapore.
16
PhD careers
Dr
Cheryl
Koh
17
young
Investigator
Post-doctoral research fellow Cheryl
Koh is part of a large team of
cancer research specialists at IMCB,
where she said collaboration is key
to success
W
Dr
davy
cheong
Technopreneur
Last year, Dr Davy Cheong
ith an undergraduate degree in biology
and a PhD in Pathobiology, Dr Cheryl
Koh returned to Singapore in 2011 to
join the Institute of Molecular and Cell
Biology (IMCB), where she currently
works in the division of cancer genetics
and therapeutics.
The international exposure she gained from eight years
in the USA on the A*STAR National Science Scholarship (NSS)
helped her to mentor her own junior college and undergraduate students in the lab today: “My scientific mentors
have been key in my training” she said. “I try to give back to
my students in the same way.”
Cheryl’s interest in science research was sparked at junior college where she worked at a lab in the Botanic Gardens
as part of the Science Research Program. There, she studied
different culture conditions for germinating orchid seeds,
and discovered that the seeds germinated much better and
faster when grown in a symbiotic culture with a fungus. “It’s
fun to ask questions and then devise ways to answer them.
And there are always unanswered questions in science.”
Today, Cheryl works on identifying novel targets for
cancer therapy, by investigating their involvement in cancer
pathways. For one of her projects, she studies the function of
MYC, one of the most commonly over-expressed oncogenes
in human cancers. She is also exploring the potential clinical
utility of a newly-described class of RNAs as diagnostic and
prognostic markers of cancer.
Her research is supported by two grants she recently
won: "With A*STAR there are various funding opportunities, even for young researchers. The grants give me more
flexibility to explore my scientific interests at this early stage
in my career."
While science can be an extremely competitive field, she
said Singapore fosters collaboration: “The A*STAR institutes
bring together researchers with diverse interests and expertise, and there are many opportunities for inter-disciplinary
research. We’re encouraged to maintain ties with our overseas network.”
"My scientific mentors have
been key in my training. I try to
give back to my students in the
same way”
realised a dream with the launch
of Sofshell Pte Ltd, a company
producing an innovative flexible
composite material. He explains
why Singapore is ripe for budding
technopreneurs
F
“I've always wanted to bring
something to market. This
really is a dream come true,
to bring a product to life”
or technopreneur Dr Davy Cheong, his Eureka moment came a few years ago while playing with a
tub of cornflour.
“It all began in 2009, while I was working at
A*STAR’s Institute of Materials Research and Engineering (IMRE). We took a tub of corn flour to
Xperiment! – a three-day science carnival – and showed how
it could be stirred easily, but somehow resisted impact force
effectively. Children started asking questions like ‘can it stop
a bullet?’ he laughed.
“We realised no one had seriously tested this substance
before. We played around, integrated it with fabrics to make
it stronger and eventually came up with a prototype flexible
composite material that is really strong.”
Today, along with business partner Mr Elgin Yap, Davy
heads up Sofshell Pte Ltd. Using technology licensed from
A*STAR, Sofshell’s flexible composite material is now being
used in protective gear for contact sports, from rugby to
fencing and hip pads for the elderly.
The mechanical engineering undergraduate undertook
a PhD in Sydney, followed by a post doctorate, before applying for a position at IMRE, where he spent seven years working as a materials scientist on the theoretical characterisation
of materials behavior.
After two-and-a-half years testing his product – a process which involved firing ball bearings and dropping spikes
on to it – Davy and Mr Yap licensed the technology they
needed from A*STAR to launch Sofshell.
“Without A*STAR, this wouldn’t have been possible. Before, it was just an idea, but they helped us to commercialise
it,” he said.
With a background in engineering and materials testing, Davy said he was always set on a more entrepreneurial
career path: “I’m a very technical person. I’ve always wanted
to bring something to market. This really is a dream come
true, to bring a product to life.”
He said Singapore is the perfect place for a company
like Sofshell: “There’s lots of opportunities and support for
startups in Singapore. Even blue-sky ideas can be brought to
life and there’s help available for early stage entrepreneurs.
“It’s win win for the individual and the country. Singapore needs entrepreneurs to support the economy.”
18
Research at A*STAR
Research at A*STAR
Subscribe to ou
rn
www.research ewsfeed at
.a-s
for latest A*STA tar.edu.sg
R research
highlights
A*STAR oversees 20 biomedical sciences, physical sciences and engineering research entities, located
within the Biopolis and Fusionopolis research complexes and their vicinity. These two bustling R&D
hubs house a diverse community of local and international research scientists and engineers from
A*STAR’s research centres as well as a growing number of corporate laboratories
Institute of
Materials Research
& Engineering
(IMRE) 1996
Institute of
Molecular &
Cell Biology
(IMCB) 1987
Bioinformatics
Institute (BII) 2001
Singapore Immunology
Network (SIgN) 2006
Institute of
Bioengineering
& Nanotechnology
(IBN) 2003
Institute of
Microelectronics
(IME) 1991
Fusionopolis
Phase I
(2008)
Experimental Therapeutics
Centre (ETC) 2008
19
expert advice
Dr Sydney Brenner, a 2002
Nobel Prize in Physiology/
Medicine Laureate and Scientific
Advisor at A*STAR , shares his
candid views on pursuing a
PhD, choosing and getting into
the lab you seek, and also sheds
some light on the rare breed of
scientists he is interested in
What is a PhD?
A PhD is part of training you need in the Scientific Method. You learn
to ask questions, to see problems and formulate them, and also learn
many advanced skills in instruments, statistics, it’s very broad. It is an
apprenticeship, a form of self-education. It’s not a course and you can’t
expect things to be handed out.
Why is there a need to pursue PhD studies?
We can give a very romantic view of what it is, world fame and Nobel
prizes... But that’s for just a tiny group of people. Today, a PhD is an ‘entry
fee’. It’s a necessary qualification to participate in modern Science and
Technology. Whether you want a research job in academia to do research
and teach, work in a research institute, in industry, or hospitals, you will need
a PhD. And increasingly, people will hire at higher and higher levels.
Institute for Infocomm
Research (I2R) 2002
What should you consider before you decide to pursue a PhD?
There are two things you should consider. First, are you interested in any
aspect of Science and Technology? And second, what are the opportunities
for a career after PhD?
1987
1990
Singapore Institute
of Manufacturing
Technology
(SIMTech) 1989
2000
Data Storage
Institute (DSI)
1992
Institute of High
Performance
Computing
(IHPC) 1998
Genome
Institute of
Singapore (GIS)
2000
2005
Institute for Chemical
& Engineering Sciences
(ICES) 2002
Bioprocessing
Technology
Institute (BTI) 2003
Biopolis
Phase I
(2003)
>
>
industry projects a year
papers published a year
>
>
A*STAR 2012 performance
patents filed a year
licenses a year
Singapore
Bioimaging
Consortium
(SBIC) 2005
2008
Singapore
Institute for Clinical
Sciences (SICS) 2006
National Metrology
Centre (NMC) 2008
Institute of Medical
Biology (IMB) 2007
Biopolis
Phase II
(2006)
A*STAR research scientists
& engineers
What are some of the things to look out for when choosing a PhD lab/topic/
supervisor?
Well, the very important thing is to make sure the PhD supervisor chooses
you. He will be looking out for certain things, so it’s not a direct thing. You
have to come to an agreement, first of all on the area of study. Sometimes
that is constrained by what you’ve already studied.
See if the lab is doing something you are interested in. Also, talk to the
PhD students working there to find out what the lab culture is like. Is the
supervisor a good mentor? Is he a slave driver? The best way is of course to
do an internship in the lab you are interested in.
You mentioned that the most important thing is to have the supervisor
choose you. What do you look out for in a PhD student?
What I’m interested in is found only in a very small number of people. They
have to have certain characteristics which are hard to find because they are
contradictory. They have to have an open mind, be very creative and think of
new things. But when the time comes, they have to go straight through brick
walls. I’ve seen many young people who are great at the first but useless at
the second, and also people who have no ideas of their own but are very
well organised. To get all these things into one person is very difficult. Most
can follow and deliver, but they may not have too many original ideas.
Research is doing something new and originality in thought and practice is
the source of good science.
opening doors to your future in science, engineering and medical research
Take that first step to a rewarding career in Science by visiting our website to find out more about A*STAR scholarships.
• National Science Scholarship (BS)
• A*STAR Undergraduate Scholarship
• National Science Scholarship (MBBS-PhD)
• National Science Scholarship (MD-PhD)
• National Science Scholarship (PhD)
• A*STAR Graduate Scholarship
• A*STAR International Fellowship
For more info, please visit www.a-star.edu.sg/scholarships Jumpstart your future with us!