6 February 2007

CeLS: Magnet to attract R&D talent

OFFICIAL OPENING: From left: Prof Hew Choy Leong, Director, Office of Life Sciences; Prof Tan Chorh Chuan, Provost and Deputy President; Mr Wong Ngit Liong, Chairman, NUS Board of Trustees; Dr Tony Tan (guest-of-honour), Chairman, National Research Foundation; Prof Shih Choon Fong, NUS President; and Prof John Wong, Vice President (Life Sciences).

The new Centre for Life Sciences (CeLS) will provide even greater synergy between diverse talents from across disciplines. Under the wings of the Office of Life Sciences (OLS), it will be a major centre for attracting research in the University, a fledgling programme for NUS to push life science agenda, said Prof Hew Choy Leong, Director, OLS. It is the new home for some 450 researchers in life sciences programmes in Cancer, Cardiovascular Biology, Immunology as well as Neurobiology and Ageing.

	FACILITIES UNDER ONE ROOF: Dr Tony Tan (centre) touring the labs at CeLS. He is with Prof John Wong (extreme left) and leading cancer expert Prof Yoshiaki Ito.

Speaking at the official opening (5 Feb) of the $40 million research complex, Dr Tony Tan, Chairman, National Research Foundation, said that research organisations such as universities, polytechnics, research institutes and hospitals have key roles to play in R&D to build the foundation for long-term competitiveness. "Our universities such as NUS need to grow their research activity and become magnets to nurture and train our local talent as well as attract and root R&D talent from all over the world," he said.

NUS President Prof Shih Choon Fong said that the opening of CeLS marks a significant milestone in the University's quest for research excellence and high quality education in life sciences. A key emphasis for the Centre over the next few years, he said, would be to initiate and spur translational and clinical research and education.

LIFE SCIENCE CONFERENCE: Prof Susumu Tonegawa, 1987 Nobel Prize winner, speaking at the two-day conference held in conjunction with the official opening of CeLS.

OLS established in 2001, has initiated and is overseeing 12 research programmes, in collaboration with the School of Computing, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, Faculties of Dentistry, Engineering and Science. Prof John Wong, Vice President (Life Sciences) said that these programmes have done well. He said that competitive peer review funding increased from $27.6 million in 2002 to $44 million in 2006. About 200 publications with high Impact Factor have been generated by OLS programmes.