EDUCATION . RESEARCH . SERVICE INFLUENCING FUTURE ... · Daring to Dream 35 Realising Dreams 36...

Annual Report 14 /15

INFLUENCING FUTURE

Annual Report 2014 /2015

INFLUENCING FUTURE

Transformative ScienceEDUCATION . RESEARCH . SERVICE

VISIONTo be among the world’s best in science education and research

MISSIONTo provide quality education, foster the spirit of enterprise and conduct

leading edge research to advance knowledge in Science and Technology for the benefit of Singapore and the global community

Annual Report 2014 / 2015

Dean's Message 02

Deanery Team 04

Year in Review 05

Grooming Future-ready Graduates 09

Attracting Talents 11

Making a Difference 13

Celebrating Student Achievements 14

Advancing the Frontiers of Science 17

Leading Transformative Research 18

Department Reports 20

Recognising Excellence 33

Making a Mark 34

Daring to Dream 35

Realising Dreams 36

Building Research Capabilities 37

Facts & Figures 38

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Year in Review

Celebrating Student Achievements

Facts & Figures

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Department Reports

The Faculty continued to make great strides in education and research in the last year. Our Transformative Science Education has done well to prepare future-ready graduates. Our cutting-edge research advances knowledge and benefits the way we live and work.

Transformative EducationThe Faculty celebrated Singapore’s Jubilee Year and the University’s 110th anniversary with a number of key achievements that affirmed our standing as a leading science faculty. We saw the inaugural cohort of graduates from the Bachelor of Environmental Studies (BES) programme and the NUS-Imperial College Joint Ph.D. programme. Both programmes are interdisciplinary in design and emphasise fieldwork and research that broaden students’ learning.

The Faculty was actively involved in the General Education (GE) curriculum review which connects discipline-based knowledge with the skills needed for lifelong learning. Several of our faculty colleagues were involved in the conceptualisation, content preparation and teaching of the new Quantitative Reasoning (QR) module which expects an intake of about 5,000 students each academic year. The module, offered in a blended manner, was launched in Semester 1 of AY2015/2016.

DEAN’S MESSAGE Transformative Science: Influencing the Future

Our curriculum is continually revamped to better prepare our students for the future. The Chemistry department now offers specialisations in Medicinal Chemistry, Materials Chemistry and Energy & Environment. The Pharmacy department enhanced its professional curriculum in response to Singapore’s evolving healthcare landscape, while the Physics department is actively developing educational programmes in medical physics, a strategically important area given Singapore’s demographics.

Through our multidisciplinary curriculum, internships with top companies as well as study abroad programmes, our students gain a holistic learning experience. We started two new Summer Programmes - the Seafood Supply Chains in Singapore and Japan jointly offered with Hokkaido University and the Ecology, Conservation and Management of Sri Lankan Ecosystems. Such experiential learning programmes extend students’ learning beyond the classroom.

Transformative ResearchAfter years of planning and construction, the Lee Kong Chian Natural History Museum (LKCNHM), Singapore’s only natural history museum, was launched in April 2015. The museum will educate the next generation of students and scientists and perform forefront research in biodiversity and bioconservation.

The Faculty is building up capabilities for a new multidisciplinary Data Science programme that will bring

Influencing the Future3

Generous SupportI am grateful for the support from our alumni and benefactors. Their generosity made it possible to establish the LKCNHM, a world-class museum of natural history. The Pharmacy department established its first bursary fund to commemorate its 110th anniversary. Our students also benefitted from a 10-fold increase in the value of Science Student Overseas Exposure Fund (SSOEF) funding awarded in AY2014/2015 year-on-year.

2016 and BeyondLooking at the year 2016 and beyond, the Faculty will continue to improve our programmes to stay ahead of continual change. In support of the SkillsFuture initiative, we will design programmes which enable our graduates to advance in their careers and develop their potential through lifelong learning. Our Transformative Science Education prepares graduates to enter diverse industries, respond during challenging times and play a key role in shaping Singapore’s future. Truly, our Transformative Science Education offers our graduates one degree with unlimited opportunities.

Prof SHEN ZuoweiTan Chin Tuan Centennial Professor Dean, Faculty of Science

together multi-party collaborations to grow this rapidly emerging research area. Part of a wider University effort, this programme will help advance Singapore’s Smart Nation vision.

Several new research programmes were also established in advanced materials, analytical sciences, biodiversity, immunotherapy and medicinal plants, often in partnership with industry and public agencies. Many of these are multi-domain and multi-institution collaborative efforts to transform innovations into solutions that benefit society and our economy.

AchievementsOur scientists continued to receive prestigious awards, reinforcing the Faculty’s reputation for excellence. Prof TAN Eng Chye was awarded the Public Administration Medal (Gold) 2014 in recognition of his outstanding service to the nation. Prof LOH Kian Ping received the President’s Science Award 2014, Prof GAN Wee Teck, the NUS Outstanding Researcher Award 2015, Prof Goki EDA, the NUS Young Researcher Award 2015 and Prof Alexandre CHAN, the Steven M. Grunberg Memorial Award.

We are very proud of our students. Not only have they excelled academically, they have also succeeded in sports and contributed to social and community work. Some of our graduates have set up successful businesses. Our growing entrepreneurial community is in line with Singapore’s efforts to encourage enterprise to drive the economy in the future.

DEANERY TEAM

From left to right:

CHEW Fook Tim [ Vice Dean - Undergraduate Studies and Student Life ] CHAN Woon Khiong [ Director - Alumni Relations]

GOH Say Song [ Vice Dean - Outreach and Admissions ] SHEN Zuowei [ Dean ]

Roger TAN [ Vice Dean - Education and Special Duties ] YU Hao [ Vice Dean - Graduate Studies ]

Susan TAN [ Director - Administration ] Peter HO [ Vice Dean - Research ]

As we look ahead into the next century, leaders will be those who empower others. ~ Bill Gates

New Summer Programmes Seafood Supply Chains in Singapore and JapanThis five-week programme is jointly offered by the Faculty and Hokkaido University (HU). Eight HU students and 11 NUS students participated in the inaugural run from 15 June to 16 July 2015. Students gained first-hand knowledge on capture fisheries and aquacultures, seafood sustainability, quality assurance, seafood processing technology and the impact of globalisation on seafood security. The module launch is timely as fishery products are one of the most traded food commodities worldwide.

Influencing the Future

The Faculty continues to review its existing programmes and to introduce new ones to enhance the training of future-ready graduates and to enable high- impact research. AY2014/2015 saw significant milestones that affirm our standing as a leading science faculty. The Faculty also launched new research centres and organised activities in celebration of NUS’ 110th anniversary and Singapore’s 50th birthday.

Inaugural Graduating Cohorts Bachelor of Environmental Studies (BES) ProgrammeThis year saw the graduation of the inaugural batch of 44 BES students. The programme is offered jointly by the Faculties of Science and Arts and Social Sciences with participation from the Faculty of Engineering, Faculty of Law, School of Design and Environment, Business School, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, Saw Swee Hock School of Public Health and the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy. It is a unique programme which adopts an interdisciplinary approach to address modern environmental issues.

NUS-Imperial College Joint Ph.D. ProgrammeDr Amrita SRIVATHSAN and Dr Valerie WONG were the first two students to complete the programme, where students have the opportunity to work on interdisciplinary collaborations in an international research context.

YEAR IN REVIEW

Ecology, Conservation and Management of Sri Lankan EcosystemsThe inaugural summer programme ran from 11 May to 19 June 2015 for 13 Life Sciences Major students. This six-week programme included a four-week field trip which provided students hands-on learning experience on the natural history and conservation of Sri Lanka’s protected natural habitats. Students gained experience in assessing conservation problems, managing natural resources and identifying Sri Lankan species.

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Faculty of Science’s 85th AnniversaryThe Faculty’s 85th anniversary celebrations culminated with a gala dinner on 8 November 2014. The event was graced by Dr Tony TAN, President of Singapore, NUS Board of Trustees Chairman Mr WONG Ngit Liong, NUS Deputy President (Academic Affairs) and Provost Prof TAN Eng Chye, with about 300 guests, alumni, faculty and students. Seventeen distinguished and outstanding alumni received the prestigious Alumni Awards, which recognises achievements in leadership, service and research excellence.

Surprising Science Fair 2015The Faculty collaborated with Dow Singapore to hold the inaugural NUS-Dow Surprising Science Fair on 21 March 2015. Under the guidance of staff and Dow’s industrial scientists, 120 undergraduates from 10 student clubs and academic societies designed booths featuring hands-on experiments. This event strengthened students’ science communication skills while promoting science in a fun and exciting way to youths. More than 150 secondary school and madrasah students, and beneficiaries from the Chinese Development Assistance Council (CDAC), Care Singapore, Beyond Social Services and Lakeside Family Centre attended.

Rag 2015 @ Marina Floating PlatformThe annual NUS Students’ Union (NUSSU) Rag Day was held on 7 August 2015 at the world’s largest floating stage, The Float@Marina Bay. Organised in collaboration with the National Day Parade and in conjunction with SG50 and NUS’ 110th anniversary, it was the biggest Rag Day outside campus. The NUS Students’ Science Club did the Faculty proud with a dazzling performance to the theme “Where I Belong”, which won the Gold Award.

Year in Review

Science & Technology 110 ExhibitionIn April 2015, the Faculty featured its researchers' innovations at the “Building Our Nation through Science and Technology” exhibition in celebration of NUS’ 110th anniversary. After the opening exhibition at NUS, the exhibition travelled to Great World City and VivoCity to bring the innovations to the public. Visitors interacted with the prototypes and displays, gaining a better appreciation of the impact of scientific innovations. The Faculty showcased exhibits in quantum technologies, plant genetics, food science, data science and biosensors.

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85th Anniversary video


Opening of Lee Kong Chian Natural History Museum (LKCNHM) Singapore’s first and only natural history museum was launched in April 2015 by Dr Tony TAN, President of Singapore. Also present were NUS President Prof TAN Chorh Chuan, NUS Board of Trustees Chairman Mr WONG Ngit Liong, Ambassador-at-Large at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) Prof Tommy KOH, Dean of Science Prof SHEN Zuowei, Director (Special Projects) at the Faculty Prof Leo TAN and Head, LKCNHM Prof Peter NG. The museum is housed in a seven-storey, 8,500 sqm building, and is home to over a million specimens from the region. The internationally renowned Zoological Reference Collection comprises one of the largest Southeast Asian fauna collections in the region. It is also a leading research-active natural history institution in the Asia-Pacific. The gallery features three iconic dinosaur fossils - the largest measuring 27 metres long.

New Research CentresSoutheast Asian Biodiversity Genomics (SEABIG) CentreThe SEABIG Centre was established in November 2014 to use next-generation-sequencing (NGS) tools to discover and understand the genetic diversity of plant and animal species unique to Southeast Asia. It will house genomic information and promote the use of NGS data in biodiversity research. Some projects study the population genomics and diet of endangered mammals and birds. Others contribute to our understanding of gene functions or species interactions.

First Regional SCIEX Centre of DistinctionThe opening of the Protein and Proteomics Centre at the Department of Biological Sciences in May 2015 marks a new phase of partnership with SCIEX, a global leader in analytical technologies, to advance translational research in life sciences. The centre will focus on the discovery and development of oncology biomarkers, using mass spectrometry techniques. This will pave the way for rapid cancer detection and screening applications.

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Year in Review

Industry Sharing Series The Industry Sharing Series is organised for students and staff to dialogue with industry practitioners, who share their insights on trends, challenges and opportunities in their respective sectors. This initiative develops students professionally, to prepare them for the workplace. It also serves as a networking platform to seed high-value partnerships. The inaugural session on 23 March 2015 featured talks by clean technology experts from GE Singapore, DNV GL, the Solar Energy Research Institute of Singapore (SERIS) and Veolia Water Technologies.

Science Careers HandbookA new Science Careers Handbook was launched in July 2015. It aims to increase understanding of the value of a science education amongst prospective students and to inspire them to consider undergraduate studies in Science at NUS. The handbook profiles the diversity of science careers as well as the success stories of young and established Science alumni. It also includes testimonials from industry leaders, which validate the calibre of NUS Science graduates in the workplace.

ThinkTank SeriesThis new initiative enables faculty members to get to know students better. Students from various levels and majors are invited to discuss topics such as the curriculum, exchange programmes, internships and student support, with their peers and faculty members. Three sessions were organised in the last semester, on coping in university, preparing for the workforce and how scholarship recipients can inspire others.

New Science Alumni GroupsThis year, two new Science alumni groups were officially registered with the Office of Alumni Relations. On 12 February 2015, more than 100 alumni, faculty members and students celebrated the inauguration of the Food Science & Technology (FST) Alumni Group, an important milestone for the FST programme that started in 1999. The NUS Forensic Science Alumni Group was launched on 28 February 2015 at a Lunar New Year gathering for more than 40 alumni. These groups organise professional and social activities, leveraging on their alumni’s expertise and experience to benefit members and students.

Inaugural Science Sports Games 2015The Science Sports Games by the NUS Students’ Science Club Sports Committee offers students more avenues to participate in sports and fosters bonds between students, staff and alumni. It also builds up anticipation to the Inter-Faculty Games (IFG). Held in February 2015, 111 students and 22 alumni participated in sports events like futsal and tchoukball. The Games ended on a high note with two matches between Team Alumni IFG and Team IFG in basketball and football. The alumni basketballers pushed their younger counterparts all the way to the fourth and final quarter only for Team IFG to nick the win by a mere six points. The alumni footballers defied all odds and snatched a dramatic win in the dying minutes, winning the game 1-0.

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Grooming Future-ready Graduates

Our flexible curriculum gives students myriad choices to enrich their learning experiences. We offer undergraduate research programmes, internships, special programmes and study abroad programmes which broaden students’ intellectual and personal development and enhance their global outlook. Our Transformative Science Education equips students to be future-ready through specialised domain expertise and transferable skills.

The NUS Overseas College (NOC) Programme immerses students in the culture of leading entrepreneurial hubs worldwide, sharpening their business and technology acumen. WANG Shenqi (pictured; front row, 3rd from right), a Year 4 Life Sciences (Hons) student, spent one semester at TransAlgae, a biotech start-up in Rehovot, Israel which develops algae-based oral delivery of protein-based drugs. Shenqi said, “I learnt first-hand how start-ups work. This opened another option for me to be an entrepreneur before my post-graduate studies.”

Chemistry student LOW Wen Yi was selected from top NUS students to participate in the prestigious Yale Visiting International Student Programme, which exposes students to science training coupled with a liberal arts education. This trains them to think critically and to communicate clearly. Wen Yi (pictured; in discussion with a professor) said, “I gained varied perspectives and engaged in interdisciplinary and collaborative work to bring ideas from the whiteboard to the real world.”

Study Abroad Programmes (SAP) at over 300 partner universities open the door to a global learning experience, grooming students to be resilient and culturally sensitive. Katherine NAY YAUNG (pictured; back row, 3rd from left), a Year 4 Life Sciences (Hons) student, spent one semester in Duke University. Students are exposed to a different pre-medical environment and read courses at one of the world’s

top private universities, thereby developing knowledge and skills to excel as clinician scientists. Katherine said,

“I forged many valuable friendships by mingling with local and international students and broadened my horizon through experiencing a different culture.”

Holistic Global Education


Grooming Future-ready Graduates

The Undergraduate Professional Internship Programme (UPIP), a structured internship programme, provides on-the-job training at renowned local and international organisations. Students acquire practical workplace skills and business etiquette by experiencing corporate life. In AY2014/2015, over 640 internships were offered. TAY Yu Xuan (pictured; 2nd from left) who graduated in 2014 in Statistics, said, “Internships are increasingly important to showcase work attitude and applicable skills. UPIP’s structured approach ensures that internships are purposeful.”

Experiential Learning

New Industry-Relevant ProgrammesThe Medical Physics minor was first offered in AY2014/2015, to train medical physicists in response to Singapore’s aging population and the rise in chronic and degenerative diseases. Medical physics covers radiation therapy techniques for cancer treatment and the advanced technologies used in healthcare today. Students can utilise the foundation imparted by the Minor to pursue the new Medical Physics graduate programme offered by the Department of Biomedical Engineering. Bryan LIM Jian Wei, a Year 2 Life Sciences student, said, “I am interested in science with human impact. Medical physics, which applies physics knowledge to healthcare, complements my studies.”

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Field trips enable students to apply classroom concepts to real-life situations. Bachelor of Environmental Studies (BES) students taking the ENV 3102 module (pictured) visited the Philippines’ Visayas region in May 2015 to study deforestation, marine biodiversity threats and wildlife conservation. Participant WONG Ting Yen said, “We helped the locals through our fieldwork instead of being given hypothetical problems.” In May/June 2015, students taking the Ecology, Conservation and Management of Sri Lankan Ecosystems programme underwent a four-week field trip, gaining exposure to the conservation of Sri Lanka’s protected natural habitats. Under the Biodiversity Summer Programme in July 2015, students went on a one-week field trip to Tioman Island where they learnt about tropical ecosystems under the guidance of experienced biologists.


Chinese Development Assistance Council (CDAC) - NUS Science In3 ProgrammeOn 14 February 2015, the Faculty was conferred the Outstanding Partner Award at the CDAC Partners Award Presentation Ceremony. This is the highest award given in recognition of the Faculty’s significant contributions to CDAC’s efforts in helping less-privileged students realise their potential through education since 2009. The programme comprises three phases - first, ‘Science Inspire’ where students participate in workshops; second, ‘Science Investigate’ where students experience short attachments to research laboratories; and third, ‘Science Inquire’ where a select group of students engage in research projects for half a year.

Mathematics WorkshopsBetween March and July 2015, our Mathematics department conducted four half-day events

for students from eight junior colleges and schools to give them a first-hand experience of studying Mathematics at NUS. This new initiative included an introductory talk on the Mathematics programmes and their applications in industry; enrichment talks on topics related to H2 Mathematics; and a computer laboratory session on Maple software and graph plotting.

Masterclass and Enrichment Talks Throughout the year, the Faculty gave talks to students at junior colleges (JCs) and institutions such as Anderson JC, Jurong JC, Nanyang JC, Ngee Ann Polytechnic and the NUS High School of Mathematics and Science. At Anderson JC, Prof Rudolf MEIER from the Department of Biological Sciences gave a Masterclass lecture on “Diversity and Evolution”. The lectures and enrichment talks were well-received by students and teachers.

The Faculty of Science, together with the Ministry of Education (MOE) and other partners, has run numerous pre-undergraduate research programmes, competitions, flagship events like the Faculty Open House and other outreach events for many years. These programmes aim to promote public awareness and interest in science education and to encourage students to read science at the Faculty. In AY2014/2015, we continued to hold workshops and enrichment programmes for junior college and secondary school students.

ATTRACTING TALENTS


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Dunman High School’s VisitOn 12 May 2015, students from Dunman High School visited the Faculty to understand more about science at NUS. A series of activities were specially designed to pique their interest, which included visits to departments, laboratories and research facilities. The success of this initial visit led to a second visit in July 2015.

Science ResearchProgramme (SRP)The Faculty co-organised with the Ministry of Education (MOE) a one-and-a-half-year- long SRP for Year 1 junior college students. Selected students handled research projects under the mentorship of NUS faculty and staff from other institutions. These students presented their research findings at the 27th Science Research Congress on 25 April 2015. Fourteen of the SRP projects went on to win one Gold, one Silver, six Bronze and six Merit Awards at the Singapore Science and Engineering Fair 2015. The gold award SRP project on sanitising fresh organic broccoli, mentored by our Food Science & Technology faculty, Prof YANG Hongshun, also won the first prize at the inaugural ASEAN Student Science Project Competition 2015 organised by the National Science Museum of Thailand.

Outreach at Science Centre SingaporeOn 29 May 2015, the Faculty organised an enrichment event for junior college students at the Science Centre Singapore. The Island Adventurer Exhibition, the tour highlight, was co-produced by the Faculty, and featured the expeditions of Alfred Russel WALLACE in Singapore and Southeast Asia, where he co-discovered with Charles DARWIN the theory of evolution by natural selection. The guest speaker, Prof Antonia MONTEIRO from the Department of Biological Sciences, gave a lecture on seasonal changes in butterflies’ sexual behaviours and wing patterns.

Attracting Talents

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ALIVE! 2015 (Appreciating Lives, Initiating Volunteerism Everyday!)ALIVE! is the highlight event organised by the NUS Students’ Science Club - Science Volunteer Corps (SVC) annually. Into its 15th run, ALIVE! 2015 brought together children from Fei Yue Community Services, the elderly from the Caregiving Welfare Association, and student volunteers for a day of fun and learning. A mural wall, “Reach Out, [and] Share Your Love”, was created from 484 hand-painted tiles, which symbolise proactivity in spreading kindness. The mural is permanently displayed outside Lecture Theatre 25.

MAKING A DIFFERENCE

Project Angel The NUS Students’ Science Club organised two Overseas Service-Learning Projects this year. Sixteen students under Project Angel - Hearts & Hands headed to Phnom Penh, Cambodia in May 2015. They taught English to young children in Saang District - Widows’ Island, Kolap 4 Orphanage and the Community Education School. Project Angel - Kaleidoscope of Love (PA-KOL) participants went to Na’ Saat and Na’ Phong Village, Vientiane Province, Laos in May 2015. They taught children technology skills by providing the Darul Ihsan Orphanage tutorial videos and manuals in the Laotian language. They also tackled environmental and hygiene issues like head-lice and waste management that adversely affect the villagers’ living standards.

Our students continue to make a difference in non-academic fields. Through long-standing corporate social responsibility programmes like Project Angel, our students participate in outreach projects that help underprivileged communities overseas, whilst learning through service to others.

Know Your Medicines, Get It Right @ North WestThis collaboration between the Pharmaceutical Society of Singapore (PSS), NUS Pharmaceutical Society (NUSPS) and North West Community Development Council educates the elderly on proper medication use while promoting community awareness on the role of pharmacists in medication reviews. In AY2014/2015, NUS Pharmacy undergraduates and registered pharmacists worked with voluntary welfare and grassroots organisations to hold this event twice. This programme has benefitted more than 1,000 people since its inception.

Project Builder In July 2015, 50 students participated in Project Builder, a community programme organised by the Science Computer-Based Learning Centre (CBLC), in collaboration with the Archdiocesan Commission for the Pastoral Care of Migrants and Itinerant People (ACMI) and Westlite Mandai Dormitory. Project Builder aims to increase awareness of the plight of migrant workers in Singapore. It also encourages students to contribute back to society.

Rag & Flag 2015The NUS Students’ Union (NUSSU) Flag Day was held on 4 August 2015, where students ventured out across Singapore to seek donations. Flag Day integrates freshmen into the Science family while celebrating volunteerism. All donations went towards helping 19 Community Chest charities. The Faculty supports Lions Befrienders Service Association (Singapore), a non-profit organisation which cares for seniors, enabling them to enjoy meaningful lives.

CELEBRATING STUDENT ACHIEVEMENTS

The Faculty prides itself on developing well-rounded students. Our students have achieved excellence beyond the classroom through accomplishments in areas ranging from sports to community service. They have contributed in meaningful ways to the NUS community and society at large.

Environmental AdvocateZHANG Yuchen from the pioneer batch of Bachelor of Environmental Studies (BES) students who graduated in 2015 was involved in numerous projects in Singapore

and overseas. These included potable water and wastewater treatment in She De Village, China, sustainable living solutions for Pulau Hantu, and maintaining Kranji marshes. She said, “Conserving the environment is a complex interdisciplinary issue. I hope to find solutions that address the extinction of wildlife.” She is now pursuing her Ph.D. in Biological Sciences, focusing on sustainable agriculture.

Sports Achiever Lucas TEO, a Year 3 Life Sciences student and recipient of the Sports Excellence Scholarship 2015, participated in the 28th Southeast Asian (SEA) Games in June 2015 in Singapore. He achieved a new personal best record of 3 minutes 43.036 seconds to win the men’s canoe gold, the first for Singapore in SEA Games history. Lucas, who trains 13 times a week, said, “The drive to win is the key to my passion in canoeing. I also hope to impart the values of determination and conviction needed to be a sportsman.” Lucas has represented Singapore at numerous international competitions.

Young Researchers The Outstanding Undergraduate Researcher Prize (OURP) encourages undergraduates to develop the capacity for discovery through research. Three Science students won individual prizes in the annual university-wide competition for AY2014/2015. Life Sciences’ Elsie CHERUBA’s project on focal adhesions of stem cells will serve as a model to better understand the nature of pluripotent cells, with profound effects on the development of stem cell therapy. Chemistry’s Thomas FOO’s project used a commercially cheap indole catalyst to perform drug synthesis in more environmentally-friendly solvents. This could potentially lower high drug manufacturing costs. Food Science & Technology’s WANG Chenhui’s project will largely contribute to the development of H2S-donating functional constituents from sulfur-rich foods,

which can be used to treat and prevent multiple diseases. Chenhui said, “The real-life research experience and the well-designed coursework complement each other, laying a solid foundation for careers in scientific research.”


Community Champions Brandon CHUA and Michelle FONG, who both graduated with B.Sc. (Hons) in Pharmacy in 2015, actively served the community. Brandon was a pioneer member of the Community Health Angels Mentoring Programme (CHAMP), where he helped the elderly by reviewing their medications and educating them to care for themselves. They co-led the Dispense-A-Dream Youth Expedition Project (YEP) to Nepal in 2012, an overseas community project by the NUS Pharmaceutical Society (NUSPS) where participants learnt valuable life skills by helping local villagers. Brandon said, “Community work keeps me grounded. It doesn’t take much to support others or to make their day.” Michelle shared, “My YEP experience taught me empathy and compassion. This enables me to serve patients and others. Everyone can give back to society. It begins with us.” Both are undergoing pre-registration training at KK Women’s and Children’s Hospital.

Science Mentor Ernest TAN, who graduated with a B.Sc. (Hons) in Physics in 2015, is a head mentor of the Special Programme in Science (SPS) and a Young Educators in Science (YES) member. He gives demonstrations to promote science to the public. He also constructed an exhibit to reveal the spectra of everyday light sources using simple spectroscopes, which clinched the first prize at the Amazing Science-X Challenge competition in 2012. He said, “I hope to inspire others to appreciate the wonders of science and the importance of research for practical and intellectual purposes.” Ernest received the NUSS Medal for Outstanding Achievement AY2014/2015. He is now a Teaching Assistant at the Department of Physics.

Protecting Biodiversity Dr Luke GIBSON’s research on deforestation and land conversion and their impacts on tropical biodiversity earned him two top awards - the Wang Gungwu Medal, the first cross-disciplinary academic award for graduate students in NUS, and the World Future Foundation Medal and Prize in Environment and Sustainability, for excellence in doctoral-level environmental research. He also resurveyed forest islands to measure the rate of species loss in Chiew Larn Reservoir, Thailand. His thesis produced two papers in leading scientific journals Nature and Science. He said, “Forest loss harms biodiversity. But now we know what proportion of species is disappearing, and how quickly.” He is currently a Research Assistant Professor at the University of Hong Kong.

POST GRADUATE AWARDS

Own every decision“Our choices define us and allow us to live our lives without regrets. I would like to bring scientific thinking to people and to excite them on the primacy of science in improving society,” said Benedict TAN, a B.Sc. (Hons) graduate in Life Sciences.

Get angry at injustice “Anger motivated by compassion for the causes we care about gives us transformative power and energy. Let us find opportunities to translate this anger into ideas and actions for a better world,” said XUE Weijian, a Bachelor of Environmental Studies (Hons) graduate.

Don’t stop learning “New experiences and knowledge await us in our next phase in life. There will always be problems, so let us be effective and resourceful problem-solvers,” said Dr TOH Tai Chong, a Ph.D. graduate in Biological Sciences.

Find the rainbow, go ride it "Let us find meaning in our work and life. As a pharmacist, I find joy in making a difference in the lives of others through optimising medication use,” said LOH Guek Leng, a B.Sc. (Hons) graduate in Pharmacy.

Mould future generations “I hope to motivate students to pursue science education. It is our duty to ensure that our pioneers’ legacy will be enhanced by our contributions,” said Dr HENG Chiang Wee, a Ph.D. graduate in Statistics.

VALEDICTORIANS: GRADUATING CLASS OF 2015

Embrace challenges as opportunities“Challenges make us more resilient and propel our growth. We must believe in ourselves as the paths will become infinite, the results uncertain,” said FONG Li Ying, who graduated with a B.Sc. (Hons) in Chemistry.

Relish our future “Learn from yesterday, cherish today and relish tomorrow. With this in mind, I hope to contribute to the development of sustainable chemistry to minimise waste generation,” said Dr KEE Choon Wee, a Ph.D. graduate in Medicinal Chemistry.

Celebrating Student Achievements


Our programmes serve as an excellent springboard for the pursuit of further studies. Some of our graduates embark on postgraduate studies or careers in academia in top local and international universities and research institutes, further advancing science. We continually review our programmes to enable graduates to progress in their careers and to develop their potential through lifelong learning.

ADVANCING THE FRONTIERS OF SCIENCE

Master of Science (Science Communication) ProgrammeThe joint M.Sc. programme combines the expertise of the Faculty and the Australian National University (ANU). The programme trains

participants to be competent communicators to make science interesting to the general public. More than 80% of its graduates are employed as science educators from primary to tertiary levels. Ms CHIN Siew Mee, who graduated in 2015, said, “With rapid technological advances, we require skills to continually stay ahead of the latest science information. The course was not just about hard scientific facts but on the techniques applicable to science and how scientific knowledge impacts our lives.”

Master in Quantitative Finance Programme The programme was launched in 2009 and is designed for students with a strong background in mathematical sciences to further enhance their professional skills in quantitative finance at the postgraduate level. Mr ZOU Min, who graduated in 2010, provides quantitative modelling support and develops trading strategies for the commodity business at Noble Group Singapore, a Fortune 500 company which manages global supply chains for industrial and energy products. He said, “My course equipped me with the skills to solve many real-life problems in derivative modelling. I have also advanced in my career, from risk manager, to front-office quantitative analyst, commodity structurer and strategist.”

Doctor of Pharmacy Programme The two-year programme provides an in-depth focus on advance pharmacotherapy and clinical skills. The curriculum also hones literature evaluation, statistical and pharmacoeconomics analysis skills, so that students can assess clinical literature critically and translate the applicability of findings to patient care. Dr Christina TAN Jiun Yu, who graduated in 2015, said, “The broad-based exposure to clinical pharmacy practice in different institutions and clinical areas equipped me with soft skills and a structured approach to patient care. Extensive clinical work

increased my confidence in developing pharmacotherapy plans and monitoring complex patient cases.” Dr Tan, a senior pharmacist at Tan Tock Seng Hospital, provides in-patient palliative care and studies opioid prescription trends for pain and symptom management.

NUS-Imperial College Joint Ph.D. Programme Dr Amrita SRIVATHSAN and Dr Valerie WONG Hui Lin were the first students to complete the programme, which was launched in 2010. Students have the opportunity to work on interdisciplinary collaborations in an international research context. Dr Srivathsan said, “The collaborative project allowed me to tap on the research expertise of two leading universities. This improved my scientific thinking.” Dr Wong said, “My joint Ph.D. experience gave me the opportunity to experience teaching and research in an overseas lab and to attend conferences in Europe. I learnt to be more independent and open-minded.” Dr Wong and Dr Srivathsan are Research Fellows at NTU's Division of Chemistry and Biological Chemistry, and NUS' Department of Biological Sciences, respectively.

Enhancing the immune system to fight cancerThe Biotechnology research group led by Prof WANG Shu, Department of Biological Sciences has secured a research partnership with a Singapore biotechnology company Tessa Therapeutics, to develop next-generation cancer immunotherapy. Cancer immunotherapy seeks to enhance the activities of patients’ immune cells to provide a natural response to destroy cancerous cells. This can produce improvements in cancer patients who fail to respond to conventional treatments like chemotherapy and radiation therapy.

Analysing complex bio-samples The Analytical Chemistry research group led by Prof Sam LI, Department of Chemistry has initiated a new research programme with global biotechnology product giant, Thermo Fisher Scientific to extend the capabilities of Capillary Electrophoresis (CE) technology to analyse carbohydrates and protein modifications. CE is a separation technique that uses the influence of an electric field to separate the molecular components in a liquid sample. This research programme will identify optimal methods for analysing complex samples, creating new applications for CE technology.

Leading Transformative Research

The Faculty conducts research to advance knowledge, industry and society. Our researchers continue to successfully secure competitive public sector funding. They also engage with leading researchers in universities worldwide, Government agencies and industry to develop high-value, high-impact partnerships to transform scientific innovations into solutions.

Harnessing medicinal plants for healthcare needs The Medicinal Plants research group led by Prof KOH Hwee Ling, Department of Pharmacy, in collaboration with Leeward Pacific Pte Ltd, has secured an additional round of funding to study medicinal plants which can be harnessed to treat inflammation, malaria and cancer. Medicinal plants have unique therapeutic properties which can be developed into useful pharmaceutical products. This research programme will study selected medicinal plants in Singapore for their anti-inflammatory effects, anti-malarial effects and immunogenic effects to develop novel therapeutics and provide more treatment options.


Developing next generation molecular materialsThe Advanced Materials research group led by Prof WU Jishan has won a large Ministry of Education (MOE) grant to study a class of molecular materials with unpaired electrons. These materials display magnetic behaviour different from other molecular materials. The research programme will study the chemical synthesis, physical properties and device fabrication of the new material. This opens up new possibilities to exploit magnetic properties together with optical and electronic properties for the development of high performance devices.

Studying the resilience of local seagrass meadows The Experimental Marine Ecology research group led by Prof Peter TODD, Department of Biological Sciences has started a joint research project with the National Parks Board (NParks) and global water consultancy, DHI Water and Environment to study the management and conservation of seagrass in Southeast Asia. Seagrasses are important habitat-building marine plants for many fish and crustaceans. Southeast Asia has the highest number of seagrass species in the world, with half of these present in Singapore waters. Towards restoring depleted populations in the future, this research programme will study the resilience of local seagrasses under environmental disturbances and low light conditions.

The Freshwater and Invasion Biology research group led by Prof Darren YEO, Department of Biological Sciences has secured a research collaboration with the Public Utilities Board (PUB), to study the ecological impact of floating solar panels at Tengah Reservoir on aquatic biodiversity. This is part of a pilot project to study the potential for solar power generation over reservoir waters. The ecological knowledge from this study will contribute towards the conservation of reservoir faunal and floral communities.

Assessing impact of solar panels on biodiversity

Discovering gene regulatory relationshipsThe Computational Biology research group led by Prof ZHANG Louxin, Department of Mathematics and Prof CHOI Kwok Pui1, Department of Statistics and Applied Probability has won a large Ministry of Education (MOE) grant to study the regulatory relationships between Transcription Factors (TFs) and genes in humans using a powerful mathematical technique for big data, the graph sparsification theory. Each of the TF proteins activates the expression process of certain genes and hence controls the production of specific proteins in cells.

AWARDS & ACCOLADES

DEPARTMENT OF BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES

Executive Summary The Department of Biological Sciences is home to education and research programmes in Life Sciences.

The Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology groups study fundamental mechanisms of disease and development processes in fish and plant models, to improve food resources and human health. The Biophysical Sciences group anchored by the Research Centre of Excellence in Mechanobiology and the NUS Centre for BioImaging

Sciences (CBIS) are at the forefront of developing state-of-the-art methods to manipulate, measure and detect forces at the molecular and cellular level. They are also pushing electron microscopy in a new direction, to capture the dynamics of molecules. Our world-renowned Ecology and Biodiversity research groups are leaders in studies on biodiversity and conservation in Southeast Asia in the face of climate change.

New Research Centres and Core FacilitiesIn the past year, the department significantly improved its research capabilities through renovation and renewal in technology-leading core facilities.

Southeast Asian Biodiversity Genomics Centre In 2014, the Southeast Asian Biodiversity Genomics (SEABIG) Centre (see p. 7) led by Prof Rudolf MEIER, Prof Greg TUCKER-KELLOGG and Prof Antonia MONTEIRO was established to study the enormous species diversity in Southeast Asia. Their focus on regional biodiversity genomics further strengthens NUS’ global leadership in tropical biodiversity.

First Regional SCIEX Centre of Distinction at the Protein and Proteomics Centre The Protein and Proteomics Centre (PPC) (see p. 7) moved into a new core facility lab which houses state-of-the-art mass spectrometers. SCIEX, a global leader in life science analytical technologies, and the PPC under the department, signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to promote joint research and development activities in oncology biomarker discovery and development.

State-of-the-Art InsectaryThe department has a new state-of-the-art insectary for keeping exotic insects and spider species from all over the world, to support a diverse group of biologists who works on insects. It has multiple environmentally controlled walk-in chambers for customised rearing conditions.

Prof Michael SHEETZ (pictured), Director of the Mechanobiology Institute (MBI) was the 2014 recipient of the Porter Lecture Award, an annual award to an outstanding cell biologist by the American Society for Cell Biology (ASCB). Prof Sheetz is a pioneer in the emerging field of mechanobiology and was instrumental in the discovery of a novel family of motor proteins called kinesins.

Prof Markus WENK won the National Research Foundation (NRF) Investigatorship Award in 2015 for his research in lipid metabolism.

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SHOEBOX modulates root meristem size in rice through dose-dependent effects of gibberellins on cell elongation and proliferation Prof XU Jian discovered a novel gibberellins (GA)-dependent cell size control mechanism in the rice root meristem. SHOEBOX (SHB), a novel AP2/ERF transcription factor, controls the extent of cell elongation in the root meristem without altering the rate of cell proliferation. Meristems, like organs, are able to adjust their final size independent of cell number. This phenomenon was not previously reported in plants. The paper was published in PLOS Genetics.

Prof Paul MATSUDAIRA

Head, Department of

Biological Sciences

An artist’s illustration of Muscicapa sodhii (Original painting by TEO Nam Siang)

New flycatcher discovered in Indonesia Prof Frank E RHEINDT formally described a new species of flycatcher from the forest canopy of Sulawesi Island, and named it Sulawesi Streaked Flycatcher (Muscicapa sodhii). The name honours the late Prof Navjot SODHI, one of the most illustrious biologists in NUS history. Prof Rheindt’s article was published in PLOS ONE.

Deterministic restriction on pluripotent state dissolution by cell-cycle pathways Prof LIOU Yih Cherng and his team described a very important concept that controls stem cell’s ability to differentiate into different tissues (pluripotency), which is hardwired to the cell-cycle dependent machinery. They demonstrated that the S and G2 phases of the cell cycle possess an intrinsic propensity toward the pluripotent state that is independent of G1 phase. This study was published in Cell.

Isthmin (ISM) targets cell-surface GRP78 and triggers apoptosis via induction of mitochondrial dysfunction In an article published in Cell Death & Differentiation, Prof GE Ruowen and her team revealed a novel ISM-GRP78 apoptosis pathway and demonstrates the potential of ISM as a cancer-specific and dual-targeting anticancer agent. ISM is a secreted 60-kDa protein that potently induces apoptosis in cancer cells and cancer blood vessel endothelial cells, but not in normal tissue. ISM thus potently suppresses cancer growth without obvious side effects in mouse tumour models.

Dimerisation of VirD2 binding protein (VBP) essential for agrobacterium-induced tumour formation in plants Prof J SIVARAMAN’s 2014 paper in PLOS Pathogen described a key step used by most Gram-negative bacteria to infect host cells. Their studies of the substrate recruiting function of VBP on the substrate recruiting mechanism of type 4 secretion system (T4SS) showed how tumour-inducing DNA (Ti-DNA) transferred into the host (plant) by T4SS causes tumours.

RESEARCH COMMENTARIES

Executive Summary The Department of Chemistry continues to excel as one of the most research-productive departments in NUS. The 2015 Quacquarelli Symonds (QS) World University Rankings placed NUS Chemistry seventh globally and top in Asia.

The department's strategic research foci include Catalysis, Environmental Chemistry, Materials Chemistry and Medicinal Chemistry. The Environmental Chemistry cluster received strong funding from Singapore Peking Oxford Research and Enterprise (SPORE) and the NUS Environmental Research Institute (NERI). The department's graphene chemists continued to lead commercialisation and high-impact publication efforts.

FundingThe department continued to secure competitive research funding. This included Ministry of Education (MOE) Tier 3 grants of close to $10 million, several Tier 2 grants approximating $6 million, a National Research Foundation (NRF) mid-career grant of $2.8 million and external grants from the Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR) and other organisations of close to $5 million. Through the National University of Singapore (Suzhou) Research Institute (NUSSRI), the department secured National Science Foundation of China (NSFC) research grants of over 2 million RMB and industry funding of 2 million RMB.

DEPARTMENT OF CHEMISTRY

EducationAs advocates of integrating technology to enhance students' learning experiences, the department introduced innovations in content delivery and adaptive learning. The B.Sc. (Hons) in Chemistry programme was accredited by the Royal Society of Chemistry in December 2014. To keep abreast with the latest developments, the revamped programme offers three specialisations - Medicinal Chemistry, Materials Chemistry and Energy & Environment. Practical training now includes the latest chemical techniques and instrumentation. Pre-laboratory training videos were recorded for students to use technology to enhance their laboratory learning. In addition, Levels 1 to 3 practical modules now feature safety training.

PublicationsFor AY2014/2015, more than 370 international journal articles were published, garnering close to 2,000 citations. A significant number of our works were reported in top journals. These included eight papers in Nature sister journals, including Nature Chemistry, Nature Communications, Nature Nanotechnology and Nature Materials. A total of 17 papers were published in the Journal of the American Chemical Society and nine papers in Angewandte Chemie International Edition.

Events8th Singapore International Chemistry Conference (SICC-8)SICC-8 was held on 14 to 17 December 2014 and attracted close to 400

participants, including 180 foreign delegates. The conference was jointly organised by the department and the Singapore National Institute of Chemistry (SNIC). There were over 150 oral presentations, including six plenary and 16 keynote presentations by established scientists, 200 poster presentations and a high level of scientific discourse.

Singapore Inorganic Chemistry Symposium 2015 (SICS2015)The inaugural SICS2015 was held on 29 July 2015 and featured researchers from over 13 inorganic-based research groups from the NUS Department of Chemistry and the NTU Division of Chemistry and Biological Chemistry. A wide range of inorganic research was showcased by 11 speakers, from medicinal chemistry to catalysis and fundamental main group chemistry.

International Chemistry Olympiad (IChO)The 47th IChO was held in Baku, Azerbaijan on 20 to 29 July 2015, with 75 participating countries and 292 students. The Singapore team was trained and led by Head Mentor Dr ZHANG Sheng and Deputy Mentor Dr XU Hairuo. The Singapore team came in eighth and won a gold medal and three silver medals.


Prof LOH Kian Ping

Head, Department of Chemistry

The department made several notable research breakthroughs in AY2014/2015. Prof CHANG Young-Tae developed NeuO, a neuron-selective fluorogenic probe capable of staining live neurons selectively over other cells in the brain. NeuO enables isolation and imaging of neurons in vivo across many animal species with no observable toxicity. Visualisation of neurons is achieved by injecting NeuO through the tail vein for mice or immersion in dye solution for zebrafish embryos. NeuO is easily used in various neuronal targeting applications.

Prof Christian NIJHUIS developed diodes the size of a molecule. These showed the best performance to date, allowing them to be used in electronic circuitry to perform logic operations or to rectify currents. Prof Nijhuis’ group studied the operating mechanism of these diodes in detail and optimised their chemical and electronic structure to maximise efficiency. Currently they are working on strategies to up-scale the fabrication process.

Several faculty members won prestigious awards in AY2014/2015. Prof LOH Kian Ping won the President’s Science Award 2014 and the National Research Foundation (NRF) Investigatorship Award in 2015 for his research on graphene chemistry. Prof Goki EDA won the NUS Young Researcher Award 2015 for his research on the fundamental properties of two-dimensional (2D) materials.

Prof LIU Xiaogang’s team achieved a novel method, based on non-steady-state upconversion, for full-colour emission generated by using lanthanide-doped core-shell nanocrystals that are sensitive to the pulse width and intensity of near-infrared laser excitations. The nanocrystals emit three primary

colours (red, green, blue; RGB) with any desired ratios and intensities. The ability of these newly designed upconversion nanomaterials to emit variable emission colours on demand allows for full-colour volumetric three-dimensional (3D) displays with high spatial resolution. This work represents a major step forward towards the precise control of colour emission. It offers potential in many applications, such as 3D displays, optical memory, multiplexed bio-sensing and anti-counterfeiting.

Note: Prof WONG Ming Wah, Richard was appointed Head, Department of Chemistry on 1 November 2015

AWARDS & ACCOLADES


of Excellence in Mathematics, to supplement three existing awards for top Honours students, namely the Singapore Mathematical Society Medal and Prize, Leong Teng Kiang Memorial Prize in Mathematics, and the Ven Dr. D. D. Chelliah Gold Medal.

The department also continued to finetune the Honours curriculum. In the past year, two new modules in data science at the Honours level - Data Modelling and Computation, and Mathematical Tools for Data Science - were developed. This significantly strengthened our offerings for the Mathematical Modelling and Data Analytics specialisation.

Synergism with Institute for Mathematical SciencesThe department has a strong working relationship with the Institute for Mathematical Sciences. Faculty members are actively involved in organising programmes, workshops and summer schools at the institute. Leading mathematicians and scientists from around the world visit the department and the institute to exchange research knowledge. This has contributed to the continuing expansion and vibrancy of mathematical research, and to training the next generation of mathematicians in Singapore.

New Initiatives As part of international outreach efforts, the department started various new programmes. These include the Oppenheim Lectures with Prof NGO Bao Chau of the University of Chicago delivering the inaugural lecture in January 2015. The ASEAN Mathematician Visit Programme encourages collaboration and supports growth in mathematical research in the ASEAN region.

Executive Summary The Department of Mathematics has made significant progress in its core mission of delivering quality education and research in recent years. In AY2014/2015, we strengthened our educational offerings and our staff continued to shine in the international research community. We also introduced several new programmes, including a distinguished lecture series and a visit programme for regional mathematicians.

The 2015 Quacquarelli Symonds (QS) World University Rankings placed Mathematics at NUS 12th in the world and top in Asia. Collectively, these

DEPARTMENT OF MATHEMATICS

achievements enhance our reputation as one of the leading mathematics departments in the Asia Pacific.

Education The Special Programme in Mathematics (SPM), designed for students with passion and aptitude for mathematical sciences, has produced good results. Some of our top Honours students from SPM have gone on to excellent graduate schools such as Princeton and Harvard. Our Ph.D. graduates have also done well. Many of them are post-doctoral researchers in excellent universities or hold faculty positions in research universities.

The Honours programme continued to expand in the last decade, with its cohort now exceeding 100. The department now offers a new undergraduate award, the Medal

Faculty members have been producing ground-breaking research across various sub-disciplines. More of our staff are recognised in Singapore and in the international mathematical community. Among other accolades, Prof GAN Wee Teck received the NUS

Outstanding Researcher Award 2015 for his ground-breaking work in number theory and representation theory. Prof

REN Weiqing received the Feng Kang Prize of Scientific Computing 2015 by the Chinese Academy of Sciences

for his contributions in numerical methods for the study of rare events, multi-scale modelling and simulation.

AWARDS & ACCOLADES


The department made several notable research breakthroughs in the past year, contributing to fundamental advances in pure and applied mathematics.

Connecting spatial statistics with asset pricing models in finance Instead of studying prices of houses and apartments that are illiquid and difficult to be sold short, Prof Steven KOU and his co-authors studied the risk and return of real estate securities that are liquid, such as futures contracts on the Standard & Poor’s (S&P)/Case-Shiller Home Price Indices (CSI Indices). They connected spatial statistics emphasising the statistical modelling of spatial interaction, with classical asset pricing models including the capital asset pricing model (CAPM) and the arbitrage pricing theory (APT), which characterise the risk-return relationship of financial assets that can be freely traded. Through rigorous econometric analysis of the models, they derived asymptotic properties of the estimators and test statistics needed for implementing the models. Finally, empirical studies based on European stock indices and S&P/CSI Indices show that the spatial effects are significant.

Prof ZHU Cheng Bo

Head, Department of Mathematics

Symmetric Gauss-Seidel decomposition theorem Prof SUN Defeng, Prof TOH Kim Chuan and their student LI Xudong discovered the theorem for solving multi-block convex composite (MBCC) quadratic programming problems whose objectives also contain a nonsmooth term in the first block. The theorem can be applied in various optimisation algorithms to efficiently solve linearly constrained MBCC quadratic conic programming problems and beyond. In particular, this theorem allows them to successfully resolve two difficult issues: to design a highly efficient inexact semi-proximal alternating direction method of multipliers for solving large-scale MBCC conic programming with convergent guarantee; and to design an inexact accelerated block coordinate descent (ABCD) method. Both are powerful tools for solving optimisation models in machine learning, statistics, and beyond.

Solving a long-standing open problem in complex geometry In complex geometry, one folklore problem is to decide whether the moduli space of canonically polarised manifolds of dimension n≥2 admits a metric of negative curvature. When n=1, a classical result of Ahlfors in 1961 concluded that the Weil-Petersson metric on the moduli space of compact Riemann surfaces of genus ≥2 is of negative holomorphic

sectional curvature. In 1986, Prof Yum-Tong SIU of Harvard University computed the curvature tensor of Weil-Petersson metric on the moduli space of canonically polarised manifolds, but his curvature formula did not yield a similar conclusion when n≥2. This led to the open problem for almost 30 years. Recently, Prof TO Wing Keung and Prof Sai-Kee YEUNG of Purdue University solved this problem. By modifying the Weil-Petersson metric, they constructed on such moduli space a Finsler metric of holomorphic sectional curvature bounded above by a negative constant.

This model shows the real estate futures returns for cities in the United States. A higher number shows a better fitting model.


Executive SummaryThe year 2015 marks 110 years of achievements in pharmacy education and research for the Department of Pharmacy at NUS. Today, the department remains as the only provider of tertiary pharmacy education in Singapore. Its mission is to develop human capital for the healthcare and pharmaceutical sectors that will make a difference in human health.

Unique and Enhanced CurriculumIn response to the Healthcare 2020 Masterplan, in AY2014/2015 the department implemented an enhanced professional curriculum that prepares graduates for the challenges

DEPARTMENT OF PHARMACY

of Singapore’s evolving pharmacy landscape.

Students are introduced to topics related to drug discovery, health product development, patient and disease management, health promotion, regulatory science, good practices and more. The multidisciplinary curriculum helps students achieve the competencies for pharmaceutical internship, pre-employment clinical training and final year research projects. Students also undertake service-oriented undergraduate learning (SOUL) that equips them with soft skills to manage patients. They also get to learn together with, and from students from other healthcare programmes such as Medicine, Nursing, Dentistry and Social Work. Such interprofessional education prepares students to be collaborative-practice ready.

Our professors have adopted new teaching approaches and technologies. Blended learning is used in some modules. Besides

Some of our students and staff received accolades and awards in recognition of their contributions to science and the community.

Ph.D. student Miss YOONG Sia Lee won the Tien Te Lee Biomedical Foundation–Excellent Scientific Paper Award in 2014 for achievements in quality and originality in the research project. Prof Giorgia PASTORIN and Miss Yoong co-authored the winning manuscript “Enhanced cytotoxicity to cancer cells by mitochondria-targeting MWCNTs containing platinum(IV) prodrug of cisplatin”, which was published in Biomaterials.

Prof Joyce LEE received the 150th Anniversary Alumni Excellence Award from the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF) in May 2015. She was one of 150 awardees selected amongst 800 candidates from the four UCSF professional schools.

The Steven M. Grunberg Memorial Award was conferred on Prof Alexandre CHAN during the Multinational Association of Supportive Care in Cancer (MASCC) Annual Conference in June 2015 in Denmark. His graduate student, Mr Terence NG, was awarded the Outstanding Young Investigator Award. Mr Ng’s abstract was ranked number one amongst over 700 abstracts received.

The American Association of Pharmaceutical Scientists (AAPS)-NUS Student Chapter (ANSC) was established in the Department of Pharmacy in 2005. Among 91 AAPS Student Chapters around the world in 2014, the ANSC was named the second most Outstanding Student Chapter.

lectures, students undertake self-directed reading or watch educational videos. In class, they learn to solve problems in small groups. Students are also exposed to experiential learning through workplace attachments.

International Exposure for Students In December 2014, the department organised its first Study Trips for Engagement and EnRichment (STEER) programme for 23 Year 1 to 3 undergraduates, who spent two weeks in the Yangtze River Economic Belt. In Wuhan, they visited Tongji Medical College of Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Tongji Hospital and WuXi AppTec. Thereafter, they continued to Nanjing and visited China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing Municipal Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) Hospital and GenScript. They had first-hand interactions with Chinese students and professors, and gained a better understanding of the economic, political and socio-cultural aspects of Wuhan and Nanjing.

AWARDS & ACCOLADES


Prof CHUI Wai Keung

Head, Department of Pharmacy

The department has been actively engaged in multidisciplinary research to enhance healthcare and to improve the quality of life for patients.

Controlling blood sugar levels during Ramadan fasting Prof Joyce LEE’s team conducted a first ever study on 153 diabetic Muslim patients, demonstrating that their sugar levels can be better controlled during Ramadan. The study showed that the rate of hypoglycemia was minimal in those whose antidiabetic medications were adjusted. This significant finding shows that diabetic patients can practise safer fasting by consulting their pharmacists or physicians.

Documenting the prevalence of drug resistant epilepsy (DRE)Prof Paul HO and Prof LIM Shih-Hui of Duke-NUS Graduate Medical School Singapore embarked on a retrospective study on 557 epileptic adults to evaluate the prevalence of DRE. The data collected included demographics,

characteristics of seizure and epilepsy, blood biochemistry levels, electroencephalogram and brain imaging findings, and medication histories. From multivariate analysis, patients with structural-metabolic etiology, mental retardation, psychiatric illnesses and pre-treatment seizure frequency of more than once monthly were found to be more likely to have DRE. The study results may assist policy-makers in designing treatment guidelines and allocating resources for epileptic patients, which constitute about one in every five patients.

Orally disintegrating tablets for better complianceA team led by Prof Celine LIEW, in collaboration with Prof Paul HENG at GEA-NUS Pharmaceutical Processing Research Laboratory, investigated the effects of disintegrant combinations on breaking up tablets by a Quality by


Design approach. The new approach shows promise for producing quality yet cost-effective orally dissolving tablets using conventional tableting technologies. This could lead to the manufacture of orally disintegrated tablets which are useful for children and the elderly who find it difficult to swallow whole tablets.

Executive SummaryThe Department of Physics provides students with a solid foundation to understand nature through mathematics and basic concepts such as space, time, energy, force, particles and fields. The department also undertakes cutting-edge research, and is associated with the Centre for Quantum Technologies and Centre for Advanced 2D Materials. Our research strengths are in condensed matter physics (nano-systems and functional materials), optics and atomic physics, computational and theoretical physics, including first-principle calculations, as well as astrophysics, general relativity and string theory.

The department is actively developing expertise and educational programmes in medical physics, which heavily involves our Centre for Ion Beam Applications (CIBA). This is an area of strategic importance, given Singapore's aging population. Another area of strategic importance is energy, where the department conducts active research in solar cells and batteries, as well as thermoelectric physics.

EventsThe department organised several major events and conferences. The International Conference on Materials for Advanced Technologies (ICMAT) 2015 was chaired by Prof CHOWDARI. The 9th International Conference on Computational Physics (ICCP) in January 2015 was chaired by Prof

DEPARTMENT OF PHYSICS

FENG Yuan Ping. The conference was a platform for computational physicists, mathematicians, materials scientists and engineers to exchange ideas on recent developments in theory and numerical methods as well as applications in computational physics. The 22nd International Conference for Laser Spectroscopy (ICOLS) held from 28 June to 3 July 2015 was chaired by Prof Kai DIECKMANN. It featured the latest developments in laser

Several faculty members won prestigious awards in AY2014/2015. Prof Goki EDA received the NUS Young Researcher Award 2015. Prof Berthold-Georg ENGLERT, Prof OH Choo Hiap and Prof YAN Jie were elected as Fellows of the American Physical Society for their contributions to physics research and for promoting the international aspect of physics. Prof Bernard TAN and Adjunct Prof PHUA Kok Khoo were named in a list of Singapore scientific pioneers in a commemorative book about the country’s science and technology efforts.

“Seeing Without Looking,” a 15-minute movie by Prof Dagomir KASZLIKOWSKI, won one of the top three prizes worth US$10,000 in the “Show Me the Physics!” video contest, organised by the Foundational Questions Institute in the United States. The film was selected from more than 100 entries.

spectroscopy and related topics in atomic, molecular, optical physics and other disciplines.

On 9 May 2015, Ph.D. student TAN Peng Kian presented his work published in Astrophysics Letters on the observation of photon bunching measurements for stellar spectroscopy at the ArtScience Museum in a series of afternoon talks about “Visualising the Universe”.

AWARDS & ACCOLADES


Prediction and discovery of the first Weyl semi-metalHermann WEYL (1929) proposed a certain massless fermionic particle as an elementary particle, but such a particle has never been observed. However, condensed matter analogue of such systems, known as Weyl semi-metal, was experimentally found in 2015. Prof LIN Hsin was involved in the computational prediction and experimental discovery of Weyl semi-metal in Tantalum Arsenide (TaAs) recently. A Weyl semi-metal provides a new topological phase beyond insulators, hosts exotic Fermi arc surface states and supports unusual transport phenomena, allowing flow of electricity without dissipation. For these reasons, Weyl semi-metals have sparked intense interest as the next big thing in materials after graphene and topological insulators.

Fundamental advances in magnetism could increase the world’s capacity for big data Oxides are on the opposite spectrum of electron transport. Normally they are insulators. However, two different oxides may trap electrons at the interface and form two-dimensional (2D) electron gas. Prof Venky VENKATESAN, Prof ARIANDO and their colleagues contributed significantly in this area by growing perfect interfaces with precise specifications using pulsed laser deposition. The electronic and magnetic properties of these interfaces can be used for next generation memory and computing devices.

Strong light-matter interaction in two-dimensional (2D) materialsProf Goki EDA's breakthrough research in optical and other fundamental properties of 2D materials highlight the possibility of realising novel electronic and optoelectronic devices based on unconventional materials.

Prof SOW Chorng Haur

Head, Department of Physics

Prediction of TaAs as a Weyl semi-metal, followed by its experimental verification, is widely recognised as an exciting recent development in science

Control of magnetism in manganese oxide with one atomic layer precision


DEPARTMENT OF STATISTICS & APPLIED PROBABILITY

Executive Summary The 2015 Quacquarelli Symonds (QS) World University Rankings placed NUS Statistics and Operational Research 11th in the world and top in Asia. Our faculty members contributed to impactful research in bioinformatics, high-dimensional statistics, dimension reduction, quality control, computational statistics, diagnostic tests and probability theory.

Our research findings have been published or accepted in top-notch journals. The department’s prestige is also reflected in its editorial memberships.

Looking forward, the department will maintain its strengths in the advancement of statistical theory and in multidisciplinary research, as well as expand its involvement in data science.

Events Through its Centre for Statistical Science, the department organised several events this past year to promote awareness of statistical science amongst the general public, and its applications amongst researchers in Singapore.

A workshop in February 2015 was designed to give participants a comprehensive overview of the design of a case-cohort study within a large cohort study, statistical features of different models and data analysis

arising from such designs. Participants included academics and public health and epidemiology professionals.

The 5th Singapore Conference on Statistical Science in April 2015 covered topics in statistical methodologies, applied probability and statistical applications. The conference underscored the importance of statistical techniques as tools providing insights into problems and real-life issues.

Two outreach events were organised to promote statistics appreciation amongst youths. At the 10th Statistics Enrichment Camp in June 2015, participants learnt about statistics and statistical reasoning through the use of real-life data. The 12th Singapore Statistics Poster Competition was held in July 2015. Both events generated keen interest amongst secondary school, junior college and polytechnic students.

Achievements Our Ph.D. students and undergraduates have made important research contributions, and have been hired or secured postdoctoral fellowships and Ph.D. scholarships in the United States and United Kingdom. These include Ms ZHANG Sanqian at Harvard University, Dr JIANG Binyan at Carnegie Mellon University, Dr WANG Tianhao at University of Pennsylvania, Dr LI Xiang at Columbia University, Dr Linda TAN at University College London and Dr WANG Chen at Cambridge University.

EditorshipProf LOH Wei-Liem and Prof XIA Yingcun are Associate Editors of the Annals of Statistics. Prof Loh is also an Editor of the Journal of Statistical Planning & Inference.


Prof CHAN Hock Peng

Head, Department of Statistics &

Applied Probability

Robust and adaptive sufficient dimension reductionSufficient dimension reduction (SDR) is an important paradigm used in statistical modelling. SDR reduces the number of independent variables, retains information and improves the prediction. Prof XIA Yingcun and his collaborator pioneered a new composite quantile approach to SDR. It is robust against outliers, and is structure-adaptive, and is therefore more efficient. This was published in the Annals of Statistics (2014). The figure below shows an application in risk management at different levels of quantiles.

Properties of sample covariance matricesProf ZHOU Wang and his co-authors derived the universality of the largest eigenvalue of sample covariance matrices of the form S=∑1/2 XX*∑1/2, where X=(xij)M,N is an M × N random matrix consisting of independent entries xij with mean zero and variance 1/N assuming that N and M are large. For a class of general positive-definite M × M matrices ∑, under some assumptions on the distribution of xij, they showed that the limiting behaviour of the largest eigenvalue of S is universal, via pursuing a Green function comparison strategy.

Monte Carlo algorithmsMonte Carlo algorithms use random numbers to solve complex problems and are now used in diverse areas like quantitative finance, weather forecasting or genomics. With the avalanche of data and the sophistication of statistical models, standard computational methods are not adapted anymore. With collaborators in the United States and the United Kingdom, we have developed and analysed new Monte Carlo strategies to cope with new statistical challenges.


The building of the museum is a significant milestone as it reinforces NUS’ stature as a world-class teaching and research institute and

a leader in regional biodiversity studies. The museum was established through public donations and a substantial

endowment, which included $25 million from the Lee Foundation. The museum was therefore named

in honour of the late philanthropist LEE Kong Chian.

Situated in a music and sports hub next to University Town, the museum provides heritage value and is a key teaching and

research resource for academics and students, both at the undergraduate and graduate levels. The public gallery is a tertiary teaching resource as well as a national educational facility for biodiversity knowledge of Southeast Asia and Singapore.

The museum’s long-term vision remains clear - to ensure that scientific treasures are well-curated and used by scientists around the world, to be a centre of excellence for Southeast Asian biodiversity research, and to train the next generation of young scientists for Singapore and the region.

Active Outreach A dedicated outreach and educational unit provides value-added educational modules for schools, members of the public and corporations. In the coming year, the museum will start a major research programme with Sarawak on its terrestrial biodiversity as well as helm key museum-cum-biodiversity centric modules.

Research Commentaries The museum has remained active on several fronts in the last two years, in spite of its shutdown in preparation for the move, the enormous challenges associated with the construction of the new

building and the moving of specimens and staff.

Two major research outcomes have resulted from the collective outputs of the staff involved in two key exercises - the Comprehensive Marine Biodiversity Survey of Singapore, undertaken in collaboration with the Tropical Marine Science Institute (TMSI) and the National Parks Board (NParks), and the Christmas Island Expeditions, together with the Australian Parks Service. The results were published as two major supplements in the museum’s Science Citation Index (SCI) research journal, The Raffles Bulletin of Zoology.

The highlight of the year was the opening of the new facility, the Lee Kong Chian Natural History Museum in April 2015. This represents the resurrection of a research and heritage entity, the Raffles Museum of Biodiversity Research, that dates back to 1878, making it the oldest such institution in the region.

LEE KONG CHIAN NATURAL HISTORY MUSEUM


Our faculty members are widely recognised by their peers for their research achievements and enjoy high international standing. Our reputation for excellence was reinforced with various prestigious awards received in recognition of our faculty members' exceptional contributions to science and research.

RECOGNISING EXCELLENCE

NUS Outstanding Researcher Award 2015 Prof GAN Wee Teck, Department of Mathematics, was awarded the NUS Outstanding Researcher Award 2015 for his contributions to the Gan-Gross-Prasad conjectures (see p. 24). A 10-day

summer school and conference exclusively devoted to the “Gan-Gross-Prasad conjectures” was held at Paris 7 (Paris Diderot University) in June 2014. His research firmly established NUS as one of the world’s important centres in number theory and representation theory.

NUS Young Researcher Award 2015 Prof Goki EDA, Departments of Chemistry and Physics, was awarded the NUS Young Researcher Award 2015 for his interdisciplinary research on the physical and chemical properties of

two-dimensional (2D) materials (see p. 23 & 28). 2D materials are sheet-like, ultrathin materials consisting of a single layer or a few layers of atoms. His research led to the discovery that some 2D materials are able to absorb incident light more strongly, which may open new photovoltaic applications.

UniversityAwards

National Awards

Steven M. Grunberg Memorial Award Prof Alexandre CHAN, Department of Pharmacy, was awarded the Steven M. Grunberg Memorial Award by the Multinational Association of Supportive Care in Cancer in recognition of scientific excellence, leadership and mentoring in the field of supportive care in cancer (see p. 26). His research found that Asian sarcoma cancer patients tend

to suffer from associated symptoms such as pain, breathlessness, insomnia and poor appetite that are often undertreated. With better intervention, these patients can potentially reduce the impact of the disease on their quality of life.

International Awards

Public Administration Medal (Gold) Prof TAN Eng Chye, Deputy President (Academic Affairs) and Provost at NUS was honoured with the Public Administration Medal (Gold) during Singapore’s 2014 National Day

celebrations in recognition of his outstanding service to the nation. This award is given by the Prime Minister’s Office of Singapore. He is also a faculty member of the Department of Mathematics.

President’s Science Award 2014 Prof LOH Kian Ping, Department of Chemistry, won the President’s Science Award 2014, Singapore’s highest honour for science achievements (see p. 23). Prof Loh is renowned worldwide for

his outstanding research on graphene chemistry. His research group pioneered fundamental breakthroughs over the past decade on the growth, processing and application of diamond, graphene and other two-dimensional (2D) materials.

MAKING A MARK

Our alumni work in diverse professions and sectors. This year, we feature alumni who are employed in various high-growth or emerging industries, such as data science and forensic science. These industries will impact Singapore’s economy and society in the future, while enhancing competitiveness and scientific innovation.

Mr James TOI graduated in 1985 with a B.Sc. in Chemistry and Biology. He is the Chief Operating Officer (Ambulatory) at the Singapore General Hospital (SGH). Mr Toi leverages on his science background and business experience to bring about better public healthcare for Singaporeans. Mr Toi is also a strong advocate of innovation and transformation, by harnessing technology to achieve seamless delivery of patient care. SingHealth’s mobile application enables patients to

manage their appointments electronically, using mobile devices, anytime and anywhere without having to call the hospitals. After 20 years in healthcare, Mr Toi continues to make significant contributions by transforming ambulatory care to meet the needs of the changing healthcare landscape.

Dr Zenton GOH obtained a B.Sc. (Hons) in Mathematics in 1992 and a Ph.D. in Physics in 2000 from NUS. He is the CEO and co-founder of Cadi Scientific Pte Ltd, which specialises in wireless sensing and tracking devices for the healthcare sector. The company’s award-winning flagship product, SmartSense™, uses radio frequency identification (RFID) technology for real-time location tracking of patients, hospital equipment, infant-mother matching and contact tracing. This enhances productivity and patient care. Since the company’s inception in 2003, more than one million patients have used SmartSense™. It is deployed in Singapore’s largest hospitals and healthcare institutions throughout Asia.

Dr LOKE Chok Kang graduated in 2012 with a Ph.D. in Statistics from NUS. As an Assistant Director (Human Resource Intelligence & Sense-making) in the Public Service Division (PSD), he conducts critical analysis on issues relevant to the public sector, particularly organisational development and human resource matters from a data-driven perspective. He also develops manpower metrics and model prototypes to support strategy and policy development. As more business decisions are moving towards an evidence-driven approach, Dr Loke believes that statisticians play a crucial role in helping organisations to make the best use of data. This facilitates decision-making in the face of uncertainty and enhances business competitiveness.

Mr Shawn FOO graduated in 2013 with a B.Sc. (Hons) in Chemistry. As a Senior Crime Scene Specialist with the Singapore Police Force (SPF), he works in the exciting niche field of forensic science, which involves applying science to law enforcement. His work includes recovery of forensic evidence at crime scenes to aid investigations and court cases, preserving evidence for laboratory analysis and using emerging technologies to improve forensic capabilities. Mr Foo's work keeps Singapore crime-free by enabling swift prosecution of criminals and deterring potential criminal acts.


DARING TO DREAM

Sypher Labs Pte Ltd Mr Shamir RAHIM graduated with a B.Sc. (Hons) in Life Sciences and from the University Scholars Programme (USP). Drawing on his NOC experience from the University of Pennsylvania, Mr Rahim founded Sypher Labs in 2012. Its flagship product VersaFleet™ revolutionises logistics with cloud technologies. This empowers any business with quicker and more reliable order fulfilment, with real-time visibility. VersaFleet™ has tripled its user base and the start-up has raised more than $600,000 to expand in ASEAN and globally, and for building advanced business analytics.

Soyato Foods International Pte Ltd B.Appl.Sc. (Hons) in Food Science & Technology (FST) graduate Ms Verleen GOH co-founded Soyato Foods International in 2009 to provide premium non-dairy ice cream as a healthy alternative to ice cream. Ms Goh created Soyato 100kcal non-dairy ice cream at the FST laboratory. It took half a year to formulate the recipe, after which she experimented with over 100 flavours. Her concoctions proved a hit. Soyato now retails in supermarkets, is exported to France and has a new online store providing home delivery for exclusive healthy artisanal flavours.

PigeonLab Pte Ltd Mr HEW Joon Yeng and Mr Lyon LIM, both B.Sc. Life Sciences graduates, created Pigeonhole Live in 2010. This application enhances interaction between event speakers and live audiences by simplifying question-and-answer (Q&A) sessions. Attendees can use any mobile device to pose questions online. Pigeonhole Live has made a global impact in more than 40 countries and at prestigious events like the United Nations’ World Humanitarian Summit. The company plans to expand its reach geographically and to broaden the scope of applications for its flagship product in one-to-many information sharing settings.

Fuzzie Pte Ltd Mr Farhan NOOR, a B.Sc. in Life Sciences graduate, launched Fuzzie, a mobile gifting application in 2015. Fuzzie makes gifting fun and easy through reward programmes and promotions for gifts ranging from cards to retail vouchers and products from local and international brands. Venture capitalists and big corporations have expressed interest and Fuzzie has secured several hundred thousand dollars in sponsorships from more than 40 brands. Mr Noor plans to expand in Asia, where the concept of gift cards is new.

Some of our graduates have ventured into the unknown by starting up their own businesses. Initiatives such as the NUS Overseas College (NOC) programme provide international exposure for aspiring entrepreneurs. Through hard work and conviction, our graduates have overcome challenges and successfully translated their ideas into compelling products or technologies.

Lee Kong Chian Natural History Museum (LKCNHM)LKCNHM was built on donations from individuals and corporations. Their generosity made it possible to establish a world-class museum of natural history that will be a lasting educational legacy. The museum received many gifts in the past year, from the Lee Foundation, ExxonMobil, Mandai Rainforest Safari Park, OUE, HSBC, Mitsubishi and Expand Construction. The Lee Foundation pledged $1,250,000 to support LKCNHM’s role as the International Commission of Zoological Nomenclature. LKCNHM continues to actively engage prospective donors to build an endowment for expanding its research, outreach and educational programmes.

Pharmacy 110th Anniversary Endowed Bursary Fund The Department of Pharmacy established its first endowed bursary fund in July 2015 to commemorate its 110th anniversary. Alumni, staff, students and friends supported the fund-raising drive and $150,000 was raised within a month. The department will continue to grow the fund to help its financially needy students. The fund marks an important milestone in the department’s 110 years of history and achievements in pharmacy education and service to the public.

The Faculty established the Science Student Overseas Exposure Fund (SSOEF) in 2006 to encourage financially needy students to gain international exposure. The Science Student Fund (SSF) was set up in 2008 to financially assist students from low-income families. The generous support of our alumni, corporate donors and staff ensures deserving students benefit from our well-rounded education and enables the Faculty to invest in key projects.

“I can complete my studies with peace of mind and without burdening my family.” - TAN Hui Lin, Year 4 Chemistry (Hons), SSF recipient

“I am inspired by our donors’ big-heartedness. With their generosity, I had the freedom to enjoy an enriching experience overseas.” - KONG Xin Ni, Year 3 Life Sciences, SSOEF recipient

Tan Ean Kiam Graduate Fellowship in ScienceThis is amongst the University’s most prestigious scholarships for graduate students. The late Mr TAN Ean Kiam was known for his passion in grooming youths into future leaders of society. The Tan Ean Kiam Foundation supports organisations’ efforts to promote education. Chemistry alumna WONG Ling Rong, the scholarship’s first recipient, said, “The scholarship gives me flexibility to focus on my research and alleviates my family’s financial anxiety arising from my decision to pursue a Doctor of Philosophy degree.”

REALISING DREAMS

$33850080 SSF BURSARIES

SSOEF SUPPORTED 37 STUDENTS WITH

$11700010

fold INCREASE IN VALUE OF SSOEF FUNDING

AWARDED IN AY2014 /2015

YEAR-ON-YEAR


Research grant income from FY2010 to FY2014This chart shows the funding sources for research grants which our researchers have won over the past five years. As research projects typically run for three to five years, the research grant income from FY2010 to FY2014 gives a snapshot of the research intensity at the Faculty. While the public sector grant agencies together remain as the largest grantor for our research programmes, the Faculty has been developing significant funded partnerships with companies and statutory boards. These will increase the impact of our research work on industry and society.

* Public (Open) includes the Ministry of Education (MOE), National Research Foundation (NRF) and Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR) open grant calls administered by the Government of Singapore

+ Industry includes funding from licensing agreements

$305 million in research income

BUILDING RESEARCH CAPABILITIES

Research scholarship funding from FY2011 to FY2014This chart shows the funding sources for Ph.D. students enrolled in our programmes over the past four years. A typical Ph.D. scholarship lasts four years. This chart provides a snapshot of the funding support for students with us in the review year. While the Ministry of Education (MOE) still provides the bulk of support for our Ph.D. students, the Faculty has started to diversify the sources of funding through research grants and partnerships with the industry and Government agencies.

Public (Open)*

89.8

%

Statutory Board 4.3%

Charity 1%

Industry+

4.9%

Self Finance

11.8%

Research Grants 10.5%

Others 0.5%

Min

istr

y of

Educ

ation Scholarship 77.2%


FACTS & FIGURES Figures at a glance

150B.Sc.(Pharmacy) &

B.Sc.(Pharmacy) (Hons) graduates

26B. ENV. Studies (Hons) in

Environmental Biology graduates

9Double Degree

(Hons) graduates**

** Includes graduates from Applied Mathematics-Computer Science, Mathematics-Computing, Physics-Materials Science, Life Sciences-Law, Quantitative Finance-Computing, Quantitative Finance-Business Administration, Applied Mathematics-Economics, Chemistry-Japanese Studies

^ Refers to B.Sc. (Hons) & M.Sc. from NUS and Diplôme d'ingénieur from French Grandes Écoles* Includes B.Sc. (Hons) & M.Sc.

3 C

ompu

tati

onal

Bio

log

y

26 M

athe

mat

ics

25 Q

uant

itat

ive

Fina

nce

123

App

lied

Mat

hem

atic

s

200

Che

mis

try

389

Life

Sci

ence

s

135

Stat

isti

cs

63 P

hysi

cs

16 A

ppli

ed C

hem

istr

y

37 F

ood

Scie

nce

& T

echn

olog

y

5092Undergraduate

Students

39 Undergraduate

Programmes

16Minors

7French Double

Degree Programmes^

3Concurrent

Degree Programmes*

17M.Sc. / Pharm.D.

Programmes

6 Ph.D.

Programmes

5 Joint Ph.D.

Programmes

2Joint M.Sc.

Programmes

Graduating Class of 2015 - Undergraduate Studies

B.Sc., B.Sc. B.Appl.Sc., B.Appl.Sc. (Hons) (Hons)

Total no: 964 Total no: 53

Number of Graduates Number of Graduates

1503Postgraduate

Students


4 M.Sc. (Physics)

10 M.Sc. (Applied Physics)

13 M.Sc. (Science Communication)

14 M.Sc. (Pharmaceutical Sciences and Technology)

17 M.Sc. (Mathematics)

25 M.Sc. (Industrial Chemistry)

51 M.Sc. (Chemistry)

53 M.Sc. (Quantitative Finance)

82 M.Sc. (Statistics)

106 M.Sc. (Financial Engineering)

7 Doctor of Pharmacy

Graduate Coursework Programmes

Number of Graduates

Graduate Research Programmes

Number of Graduates

Stat

isti

cs &

App

lied

Pro

babi

lity

0

Phar

mac

y

2

Mat

hem

atic

s

2

Phys

ics

13

Biol

ogic

al S

cien

ces

5

Che

mis

try

30

M.Sc.

Ph.D.

Graduating Class of 2015 - Graduate Studies Research Output & Recognition

1st in Asia^ : Biological SciencesChemistry Environmental SciencesMaterials Science#

MathematicsStatistics & Operational Research

2nd in Asia^ : Pharmacy & Pharmacology

In top 20 globally^ :Biological SciencesChemistry Environmental SciencesMaterials Science#

MathematicsPharmacy & PharmacologyStatistics & Operational Research

1

2

1398Research articles published

(Source: Web of Science)

58944Citations received(Source: Web of Science)

41 New patent families filed

36 Research collaborations with industry

20Research collaborations with statutory boards

4Patents licensed or covered

by licensing agreements

^ Research subject ranking Source : QS World University Ranking by Subject 2015

# Includes contributions from materials physics and materials chemistry

Budget Administered by Faculty Staff Population

Total budget: $108,629,122 Total staff population: 1,042

Manpower $68,472,0

00 (6

3%)

Others*** $5,103,660 (4.7%)

Faculty-administered Research Scholarships**

$15,842,462 (14.6%)

Faculty-administered Research Grants* $7,540,000

(6.9%)

New Equipment $4,302,000

(4%)

Utilities$7,369,000

(6.8%)

Research Staff 383 (37%)

Academic and Teaching Staff*

374 (36%)

Executive and Professional Staff

109 (10%)

* MOE Tier-1 Academic Research Fund

** MOE Research Scholarship Block

*** Other Operating Expenditure and Strategic Budget for Undergraduate Overseas Initiatives

* Includes Professors, Associate Professors, Assistant Professors, Senior Lecturers, Lecturers, Instructors and Teaching Assistants

Space Administered By Faculty

Non-Academic Staff

176 (17%)

Facts & Figures

* Includes core facilities, storage, safety, utilities and other spaces

** The total gross floor area is presented as a hypothetical graphic specifying the number of levels allocated per facility category. Each level has an area of 5,000 m2, 4 times the size of an Olympic swimming pool.

232015

10No

of le

vels

10% Lecture Facilities | 25% Offices | 24% Support Spaces* | 41% Laboratories

Total Gross Floor Area**:

115,000m2

If you would like to make a donation to support our mission, please contact [email protected] Please send your feedback to [email protected]

EditorJanice QUAH

Editorial TeamClarissa FONGTAY Ket Ling

ContributorsCHEONG Pey LingPerry HEEKOH Wei KeeONG Chye SunSyam PRABHAKARANSOH Kok HoeTEH Wei FongTEO Chwee HoonYONG Lai Cheng Department Heads

DesignerAngela LIM

PhotographerJames WEE

AdvisorsGOH Say SongPeter HORoger TANSusan TAN

Faculty of ScienceAnnual Report 2014/2015

DEAN’S OFFICE Faculty of Science Block S16, Level 9,

6 Science Drive 2, Singapore 117546

UNDERGRADUATE MATTERSTel: (65) 6516 8471

GRADUATE MATTERS Tel: (65) 6516 8780

RESEARCH MATTERS Tel: (65) 6516 2833

OUTREACH MATTERSTel: (65) 6516 8750

ALUMNI MATTERS Tel: (65) 6516 7641

Fax: (65) 6777 4279

www.science.nus.edu.sg

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