ADDRESS BY ASSOCIATE PROFESSOR BENJAMIN ONG, DIRECTOR OF MEDICAL SERVICES, MINISTRY OF HEALTH, AT THE OFFICIAL LAUNCH OF THE NUS-AGILENT HUB FOR TRANSLATION & CAPTURE HELD ON MONDAY 19 AUGUST 2019, 2:00 PM, NATIONAL UNIVERSITY OF SINGAPORE

Mr Mike McMullen, President and Chief Executive Officer, Agilent Technologies

Professor Tan Eng Chye, President, National University of Singapore

Associate Professor Eugene Liu, Chief Executive Officer, National University Hospital

Distinguished Guests

Ladies and Gentlemen

1     Good afternoon.  It is my pleasure to be here today to launch the National University of Singapore (NUS) – Agilent Hub for Translation & Capture.

Leveraging Research to Transform Healthcare in Singapore

2     Providing quality, affordable healthcare is the primary focus of the Ministry of Health (MOH) and our public healthcare institutions.  

Coupled with the current challenges faced by Singapore, with an ageing population and the rising burden of chronic diseases, there is a need to leverage research for solutions to transform healthcare in Singapore, through better treatment protocols, therapies, diagnostics, drugs and devices, and more innovative ways of care delivery.  

3     Since the launch of the National Technology Plan in 1991, the government’s investments in research and innovation have grown over the past 25 years.  Under the Research, Innovation & Enterprise (RIE) 2020 Plan, significant funding has been provided to support a strong core and pipeline of researchers, clinician-scientists and innovators.  These individuals work hand in hand with entrepreneurs, investors and industry partners to enable research to be successfully translated into products, processes and services that benefit Singaporeans.

NUS-Agilent Hub for Translation & Capture Supports HBMS Vision

4     The NUS-Agilent Hub for Translation & Capture that we are launching today is an example of public–private partnerships that we are nurturing in the local ecosystem.  With a total investment of $38 million, the NUS-Agilent Hub is the result of a long-standing collaboration between NUS and Agilent researchers and engineers, with funding support from the government as part of its commitment to research and innovation. 

5     NUS researchers have been studying small molecules that are of clinical significance using Agilent’s mass spectrometry technology.  Tapping on the clinical expertise at NUH, researchers and engineers at NUS and Agilent are now able to work towards translating some of the research output into mass-spectrometry-based clinical assays.  

6     Compared to the tests that are currently used, these mass-spectrometry-based assays have the potential to diagnose certain diseases, such as cardiovascular diseases and diabetes, more accurately and quickly.  Prior to the establishment of the Hub, NUS and Agilent have collaborated on a few projects, one of which involved the development of a novel analytical biochemistry testing standard for cardiovascular diseases that could potentially be used clinically.  

7     The NUS-Agilent Hub will also support Singapore’s precision medicine initiative.  Mass spectrometry technology enables a non-invasive approach to identify specific biomarkers indicative of the state of health and disease in different individuals.  This will potentially allow clinicians to choose more appropriate treatment.

8     Furthermore, the combination of analytical methodologies such as mass spectrometry, genomics and other “omics” technologies will enable a more in-depth understanding of pathophysiology of human disease. Such information will facilitate the discovery of novel interventions and targets that are valuable for health monitoring, prevention and treatment.

9     Another focus of the NUS-Agilent Hub is manpower training and development.  The NUS-Agilent Hub will train and equip a pool of researchers and students with skills and capabilities in areas such as mass spectrometry, data processing and analysis, and assay development.  These skills and capabilities are critical in supporting the development of mass-spectrometry-based clinical assays, and more broadly contribute to Singapore’s biomedical research and industry community at large.

Closing

10     MOH will continue to work with the community to embed research and innovation in our health system, as well as translate research outputs into health, social and economic outcomes that would benefit Singapore in the years to come.

11     In closing, I would like to congratulate NUS, Agilent and NUH on this collaborative partnership.  Thank you.