Being a population health scientist, my research interest and expertise is in unravelling the epidemiology of chronic diseases of importance to Singapore and the world at large, such as cancer, cardio-metabolic, musculoskeletal and neurodegenerative diseases. Being medically qualified in Singapore, and having had PhD training in experimental research and postdoctoral training in epidemiology, I seek to integrate biology, medicine and epidemiology in etiological studies of the aforementioned chronic diseases. My research incorporates my knowledge in clinical medicine and training in laboratory science with epidemiologic methods to unravel putative mechanistic pathways in disease etiology. Beyond establishing associations between exposures and risk of disease, my research uses molecular and genetic tools to identify modifiable factors (such as lifestyle factors) that could be applicable to disease prevention, or biomarkers (including but not limited to genetic markers) that could be developed for early detection or screening of disease. In addition to bringing benefit to the scientific community, I also aim to translate my research into public health outcomes by providing evidence for the foundation of public health education and policy in Singapore.

I am currently the Principal Investigator of the Singapore Chinese Health Study, a 63,257-strong cohort of middle-aged and elderly Chinese Singaporeans established for the long-term study of dietary and environmental determinants of chronic diseases common among Singaporeans. The Singapore Chinese Health Study is an example of world-class epidemiologic study that integrates rigorous prospective study design with cutting-edge biochemical measures that provide better information for causal inference. The study represents a unique constellation of strengths highlighting the importance of Singapore as a hub for biomedical research: a well-defined motivated study population leading to low non-response and nearly complete follow-up, strong expertise in epidemiology and biochemical measurements, and an Asian setting that importantly complements studies conducted in western countries. Together with my team of collaborators, I am committed to putting our country on the world map of epidemiologic research through The Singapore Chinese Health Study.

I have co-authored over 420 scientific papers on diet, lifestyle and genes in relation to risk of diseases such as cancer, cardiovascular diseases, diabetes, gout, osteoporosis, osteoarthritis and tuberculosis disease. I have received over $20 million dollars in research funding from NIH (USA) and NMRC (Singapore), and is a recipient of the Ministry of Health NMRC Clinician Scientist Award (Senior Investigator), and the National Day Public Administration Medal (Bronze).