Population/Global Health

Director: John CHAMBERS
Co-Director: LIM Tock Han

Our research aims to understand the behavioural, social, environmental and molecular factors that influence health and disease in Asian populations, and to then translate these insights into effective, population and community-based approaches that promote well-being.

Our researchers comprise experts from the fields of population and global health, including genetics and genomics, molecular and environmental epidemiology, data science, digital health, community medicine, and precision medicine. We coordinate large-scale, population-based studies in Singapore (HELIOS-SG100K) and elsewhere in Asia. We use the rich phenotypic and molecular data to generate new insights into disease aetiology, and as a springboard for efficient, pragmatic, population-based clinical trials. Our primary focus is on the major chronic diseases: cardiometabolic disorders, cognition and mental health, and cancer.

We host the unique HELIOS prospective population study, The Academic Initiative for Respiratory Health (TARIPH), the Centre for Global Health, the Health Screening Centre, the Centre for Population Health Sciences (CePHAS) and the WHO Collaborating Centre for Digital Health & Health Education.

We work closely with leading investigators and key institutions, nationally and internationally. We have a strong partnership with the National Healthcare Group, LKCMedicine's primary clinical partner. We contribute strongly to the Singapore National Precision Medicine programme and work closely with other leading researchers at Duke-NUS, NUS, NUH, Saw Swee Hock School of Public Health and National Cancer Centre of Singapore.

We have developed complementary partnerships in key domains, with Imperial College London, University of British Columbia, University of Cambridge and University of Edinburgh.