The Immunology and Structural Biology and Proteomics Research Programmes are organising a joint meeting on Monday 25th February 2008 at the DBS Conference Room (S3, Level 5). [READ MORE]

The NUH-Tissue Repository will be organizing an oncology training course on “Principles of Oncology for Cancer Registry Professional” from 10 to 14 Mar 2008 at the Centre for Life Sciences. [READ MORE]

The CeLS Safety Committee has applied for the NUS Annual Safety & Health Performance Awards (ASHPA) 2007 organized by the Office of Safety, Health and Environment (OSHE). This is an annual exercise where awards are given out to recognize and reward Departments, Research Institutes and Corporate Offices which have put in place an office safety programme. [READ MORE]

Visit by NRF Research Fellowship Applicants

OLS hosted a visit by 5 NRF Research Fellowship Applicants from the Life Sciences Group on 29 January 2008. They were taken on a tour of laboratory facilities in the Neurobiology and Immunology Programmes.

Dr Sashi Kesavapany, Neurobiology Programme, briefing
the visitors during the tour.
  

OLS Young Investigator Seminar Series

1st Speaker:

“Studies of DNA Compaction and DNA Micromechanics Using Single-Molecule Biophysical Methods”

Dr Yan Jie
Assistant Professor
Department of Physics, NUS

2nd Speaker:

“Multiscale Models of the Gastrointestinal Tract”

Dr Martin L. Buist
Assistant Professor
Division of Bioengineering, NUS

Date:   Thursday, 21 Feb 2008
Time:   4pm – 5pm
Venue: CeLS Auditorium, Level 1       
 
 
 
 

Editorial Team

Lim Chwee Teck
Ellice Lim
Siti Haryanti
Aziz Salim

2nd Medicinal Chemistry Symposium 2008

The 2nd Medicinal Chemistry Symposium was held on the 23 January 2008 at LT31, National University of Singapore. This one-day symposium focused on the theme “Advances in Medicinal Chemistry and Chemical Biology”.

This symposium was a major initiative of the Medicinal Chemistry Programme. It served as a platform to develop and sustain our academic and research relationships with our counterparts in the relevant field.

Participants at the symposium.

The invited speakers were Prof. Dr. Herbert Waldman (Max Planck Institute of Molecular Physiology, Dormont, Germany), Dr. Sung-Kee Chung (POSTECH, Korea), Dr. Motonari Uesugi (Kyoto University, Japan), Dr. Seung Bum Park (Seoul National University, Korea), Dr. Jan Jiricek (Novartis Institute for Tropical Diseases, Singapore), Dr. Neil D. Miller (GlaxoSmithKline), Prof. Yao Shao Qin (MCP, Department of Chemistry, NUS) and Prof. Li Tianhu (MCP, Department of Chemistry, NUS).
 
The symposium received an overwhelming response with close to a hundred participants from three departments. It had brought together several invited international investigators and a selection of national and local investigators with diverse backgrounds to present their latest research advances in the medicinal chemistry research.

1^st International Singapore Symposium of Immunology 2008

The Immunology Programme organized the 1^st International Singapore Symposium of Immunology on 14-16 Jan 2008 at Biopolis. 

Immunology Symposium participants.
 

It was a very successful symposium which was attended by 350 delegates. The event incorporated the inauguration of the Singapore Immunology Network (SIgN) laboratories at Immunos and the launch of the Singaporean Society for immunology (SSI). There were 16 leading overseas and 8 local scientists speaking in 5 sessions with a keynote lecture delivered by a Nobel Laureate, Professor Rolf Zinkernagel.

The principal objectives of SSI are: to advance the science of Immunology in Singapore; to promote co-operation in Immunology amongst the various Universities, Research Institutes and Hospitals in Singapore; and to serve as a local contact point for the other International learned societies.

This Symposium of Immunology is the first of what will be an annual event that will expand to include multiple themes and workshops serving all members of the Immunology community in Singapore.

SSI is thankful to all the speakers who have travelled from North America, Japan, Australia and Europe to contribute to this landmark event as well as our three founder sponsors : Biomed Diagnostics, SPD Scientific and Miltenyi Biotec for their generosity and support.

OLS Distinguished Lecture Series

“Cryo-EM of Biological Nano-Machine and Cell”

Prof Wah Chiu
Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Baylor College of Medicine, USA

Date:   Monday, 18 Feb 2008
Time:   4pm – 5pm
Venue: CeLS Auditorium, Level 1

Seminar By Neurobiology Programme

Dr Marc Laurent Fivaz
Graduate Medical School

Date:  Wednesday, 20 Feb 2008
Time:  12pm – 1pm
Venue:CeLS Seminar Room 1

Prof Bob Campenot
Department of Cell Biology
University of Alberta

Date:   Friday, 29 Feb 2008
Time:   12pm – 1pm
Venue: CeLS Seminar Room 1

Seminar By Cancer Programme

“Pharmacogenetics for the Clinic: Where Does Validation Start and Hypothesis End?”

Professor Mark J. Ratain
Professor of Medicine, Section of Hematology/Oncology, The University of Chicago;
Editor of Pharmacogenetics and Pharmacogenomics (Journal)

Date:   Friday, 1 Feb 2008
Time:   12pm – 1pm
Venue: CeLS Auditorium, Level 1

Seminar By Structural Biology and Proteomics Programme

“A Sliding Docking Interaction is Essential for Sequential and Processive Phosphorylation of an SR Protein by SRPK1″

Dr Chi Ki Ngo, Jacky
Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center
Harvard Medical School   

Date:    Friday, 1 Feb 2008
Time:    2pm
Venue: DBS Conference Room, Blk S3, Level 5

His doctoral research was conducted at the Institute of Molecular and Cell Biology and was conferred the PhD by the National University of Singapore. [READ MORE]

Visit by President of the Military Medical University, Vietnam

OLS hosted the visit of General Nguyen Tien Binh, President of the Military Medical University, Vietnam on 24 Jan 2008.

Prof Ong Choon Nam presenting a gift
to General Binh.
  

 OLS Distinguished Lecture Series

Two lectures were held in the month of January 2008 at CeLS Auditorium. On 14 Jan 2008, Professor Rajesh Agarwal (Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, School of Pharmacy, University of Colorado Health Sciences Center, USA) delivered a lecture on “Chemoprevention of Prostate Cancer by Silibinin: Bench to Bedside”.

Prof Rajesh Agarwal delivering his lecture. 

Professor Abraham P Lee (Professor and Associate Chair for Graduate Studies, Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of California, Irvine) delivered a lecture on “Medicine on a Chip – Digital Microfluidics for Synthesis and Analysis of Biomolecules and Cells” on 22 Jan 2008.

Prof Abraham P Lee giving his talk.

Prof Hew Choy Leong has stepped down from the OLS Directorship with effect from 1 January 2008. However, he will continue to serve OLS as a member of the OLS Executive Committee.

In appreciation for his services rendered as Director of the Office of Life Sciences, NUS President, Prof Shih Choon Fong, hosted a dinner on 17 Jan 2008 at the Tower Club. The dinner was attended by NUS Senior Management and the Programme Leaders of the OLS Programmes. [READ MORE]

Prof Ong Choon Nam has taken over the OLS Directorship with effect from 1 January 2008. He will be assisted by Deputy Directors Assoc Prof Lim Chwee Teck (Division of Bioengineering & Department of Mechanical Engineering) and Assoc Prof Low Boon Chuan (Department of Biological Sciences). He first joined the OLS Executive Committee as Deputy Director in March 2006.

He was then responsible for overseeing the move to the new CeLS building, its maintenance and building matters. He also assisted in the recruitment of potential PIs and faculty, and HODs for the University.

Prof Ong is with the Department of Community, Occupational & Family Medicine and is also Programme Leader for the Toxicology Programme.

You may read more about Choon Nam’s background in the November issue of the OLS Enews where he was featured as Toxicology Programme Leader. Click here for details.