Year in Review 2024: Fostering partnerships for health

07 DEC 2024

This has been a momentous year for CRIS and our programmes.

Join us as we take a look at the key highlights in 2024 in fostering partnerships for health.

STCC signed a collaborative agreement with Victorian Cancer Biobank

STCC signed a collaborative agreement with the Victorian Cancer Biobank in May 2024 to bolster the biobanking and cancer research capabilities of Victoria and Singapore.

The partnership will establish a catalogue where authorised researchers from Victoria and Singapore can co-list and co-access vital and anonymised biospecimens for their cancer research projects. This partnership with VCB expands access and diversity to this vital resource, ensuring that research discoveries translate into real-world impact for our patients.

View highlights here.

PRECISE-IHCC Conference - From Cohorts to Clinics: The New Landscape of Global Healthcare

PRECISE, in collaboration with the International Health Cohorts Consortium (IHCC), jointly organised a conference, a first of this scale in Southeast Asia, held in Singapore from 21 to 23 August 2024.

Themed “From Cohorts to Clinics: The New Landscape of Global Healthcare”, the conference is highly relevant in the fast-growing era of large-scale genomics and population-based programmes. The conference garnered over 700+ attendees and over 50+ local and international speakers and panellists, drawing a successful turnout which sparked meaningful conversations on 17 thematic topics on precision medicine.

The conference provided a platform to spotlight Singapore’s and the international community’s advancements in precision medicine and sharing of insights over the three days, gathering thought leaders, clinicians, scientists and industry experts from around the world who are at the forefront of precision medicine research, implementation and innovation.

Building the future of cardiology: CADENCE at the heart of ESC Congress 2024

In September 2024, CADENCE participated in the European Society of Cardiology (ESC) Congress in London, joining over 40,000 participants to network and explore the latest advancements in cardiology.

The congress featured many more outstanding presentations that showcased the cutting-edge research and development that is shaping the future of Cardiology. Highlights included an insightful session chaired by Prof Derek Hausenloy, Executive Director, CADENCE, on Cardiomyopathies, and another session by A/Prof Doreen Su-Yin Tan, co-lead of CADENCE’s Platform 3: ‘Artificial Intelligence, Digital Health, and Human Potential’ Platform, who presented on the latest developments in tailoring therapies and leveraging pharmacogenomics to improve patient outcomes.

Find out more here.

CRIS shines at SWITCH 2024: Showcasing healthtech innovation

CRIS and its programmes were thrilled to return as a content and exhibiting partner at the Singapore Week of Innovation and Technology (SWITCH), held from 28 to 30 October 2024.

Highlights included NHIC and its clinical partners (National Healthcare Group, National University Health System and SingHealth) at the SWITCH booth, together with portfolio companies and their latest healthtech/medtech prototypes and products, as well being featured at the BEYOND panels, with one curated by our programme PRECISE and another which NHIC participated in at SWITCH BEYOND.

This event, organised by Enterprise SG and supported by the National Research Foundation, provided an opportunity for CRIS and its programmes to network, collaborate and exchange knowledge with our ecosystem partners.

Check out the event highlights here:

The action at the SWITCH Booth on Day 1, Day 2 and Day 3.

Senior Minister Teo Chee Hean visits ACTRIS and engages in strategic dialogue on advancing cell and gene therapy

ACTRIS was privileged to host Senior Minister Teo Chee Hean, Coordinating Minister for National Security and Special Advisor to the National Research Foundation Singapore, at our cell therapy facility in September 2024.

SM Teo engaged in a strategic discussion with CRIS CEO and ACTRIS Interim Executive Director A/Prof Danny Soon, and Dr Andre Choo, Deputy Executive Director from A*STAR’s Bioprocessing Technology Institute (BTI), on advancing cell and gene therapies (CGT) in Singapore. They discussed how Singapore can facilitate more public-private partnerships with companies looking to develop their CGT products in Singapore. The conversation also touched on strategies for enhancing capabilities to meet the growing demand for cell therapy development and manufacturing for cancer treatments and regenerative medicine, so that Singapore can continue to be relevant in this fast-evolving biomedical field.

SM Teo also toured the translational laboratories for a deeper understanding of the manufacturing process of at the facility for patients’ access in our local hospitals.

Check out highlights from the visit here.

Strengthening collaboration: NHIC and DxD Hub signed MOU to propel innovations in in vitro diagnostics (IVDs) and digital healthcare

2024 marks a significant milestone for the NHIC and the Diagnostics Development Hub (DxD Hub) as both organisations celebrate ten years of enabling healthcare impact through innovation and productisation. To commemorate this important anniversary, an MOU was signed this year to formalise and strengthen the ongoing collaboration between NHIC and DxD Hub. This partnership highlights a mutual commitment to advancing in vitro diagnostics (IVDs), including point-of-care devices, next-generation sequencing, and innovative digital health solutions.

SCRI Roundtable draws clinical research professionals from across Singapore to discuss the progress and future of clinical trials in Singapore

SCRI hosted a roundtable which gathered 150 professionals from the clinical research community to discuss the progress and future of clinical trials in Singapore. These meetings play an integral role in creating opportunities for collaboration to advance clinical trial research in Singapore that is relevant to the needs of patients for improved outcomes.

Key topics and strategies discussed ranged from how to further drive innovation in clinical trials, increase patient involvement in clinical trials and potential strategies that can improve the recruitment of participants for clinical trials.

Celebrating excellence in medical research and showcasing innovation at the National Medical Research Council (NMRC) awards ceremony and research symposium 2024

During the NMRC awards ceremony and research symposium held on 23 and 24 May 2024, CADENCE and STCC presented key insights:

Prof Derek Hausenloy, Executive Director, CADENCE, shared about how CADENCE is translating cardiovascular disease research into preventive and public health outcomes, particularly through AI and digital imaging technologies aimed at enhancing heart failure therapies.
A/Prof Daniel SW Tan, who leads the Cancer Clinical Trials and Investigational Medicine Units platform at STCC, discussed strategies to bolster oncology drug development networks in Asia.

A/Prof Danny Soon, CEO, CRIS and Executive Director, SCRI, highlighted how collaboration among programmes across CRIS can build synergies and value-add to the healthcare system.

CRIS, together with our programmes, SCRI and NHIC, as well as NHIC's portfolio/partner companies, Rebee Health and Mindsigns Health also exhibited at the symposium.

View highlights here and here .

As part of the event, talent awards were distributed to recognise outstanding clinician scientists and researchers for their achievements and contributions to better healthcare outcomes. We wish all awardees a heartiest congratulations, with a special shout-out to:

Singapore Translational Research (STAR) Investigator Award

Prof Chng Wee Joo, Executive Director, STCC

Transition Award (TA)

Dr Ching-Hui Sia, National University Heart Centre Singapore

Singapore-Sweden dialogue: Empowering innovation in healthcare

On 20 November 2024, PRECISE and NHIC participated in the Singapore-Sweden Healthcare Symposium. Prof Patrick Tan, Executive Director, PRECISE, shared how PRECISE engages with stakeholders and ecosystem partners to advance research and translation of precision medicine in Singapore. He also moderated a panel discussion 'Precision health and healthy ageing: How can we transform healthcare?'

Dr Pauline Tay, Director, NHIC, shared valuable insights as a panellist on the topic of empowering innovation in healthcare. The panel also discussed the integration of AI and digital health solutions and the role of innovation agencies and governments in accelerating the clinical innovation journey to market.

On 22 November 2024, ACTRIS hosted the Swedish delegates during their state visit to Singapore. ACTRIS’s staff introduced ACTRIS's role as a national facility for clinical-scale manufacturing of cell therapy products in meeting the demand for both clinical trials and essential clinical services, as well as to spearhead the growth of Singapore's cell and gene therapy (CGT) ecosystem through workforce training and regulatory facilitation. The delegates toured our translational laboratories and engaged in insightful conversations discussing the CGT manufacturing landscape in Singapore and Sweden.

The informative sharing during the symposium and ACTRIS visit reflected the value of mutual learning as well as the importance of innovation and collaboration between both nations, to pave the way for resilient, future-ready healthcare systems.

Next: Building strong foundations through learning and engagement

[Return to main]