Milestones

October 2012:

Eight Duke-NUS faculty received Singapore Translational Research (STaR) Investigator Awards, Clinician-Scientist Awards and Transition Awards.

July 2012:
The Class of 2012 graduated during the NUS Commencement Ceremony on July 7.

August 2011:
The Class of 2015 entered Duke-NUS and commenced with M.D. training.

July 2011:
The inaugural class of M.D. students take part in the NUS Commencement Ceremonies and received joint Duke and NUS M.D degrees.

May 2011:
The inaugural class of M.D. students complete four years of medical training. The students embark on their residency training in hospitals and national institutes.

April 2011:
Duke-NUS received a S$2 million donation from Kwan Im Thong Hood Cho Temple for scholarships.

February 2011:
Associate Professor Ooi Eng Eong received the Clinician Scientist Award (CSA) to further Emerging Infectious Diseases research.

December 2010:
Dr Melissa Fullwood, Lee Kuan Yew Post-Doctoral Fellow at Duke-NUS, became the first Singaporean to win one of four Regional General Electric (GE) & Science Prizes for Young Life Scientists.

November 2010:
Duke University and NUS officially signed the second phase of collaboration in medical education and research.

August 2010:
Fourth Duke-NUS class of 56 M.D. students began lessons. The inaugural PhD program in “Integrated Biology and Medicine” commenced with 12 students.

June 2010:
Three Duke-NUS cancer scientists received the Clinician Scientist Awards: Assistant Professor Mei Wang, Assistant Professor Charles Chuah and Associate Professor Pierce Chow.

January 2010:
Associate Professor Lee Sang Hyun was awarded the National Research Foundation Research Fellowship for his research in Cancer and Stem Cell Biology.

November 2009:
Prof. David Matchar was presented the prestigious Singapore Translational Research (STaR) award.

December 2009:
Duke-NUS received a S$3 million donation from Ngee Ann Kongsi for scholarships.

September 2009:
Singapore’s Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong officially opened Duke-NUS Graduate Medical School and inaugurated the Khoo Teck Puat Building.

August 2009:
Third Duke-NUS class of 56 M.D. students began lessons.

July 2009:
Prof. Michael Chee was named National Outstanding Clinical Scientist. Duke-NUS’ research project, “Adult and Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells for Neurological Disorders and CNS Repair,” under the lead of Prof George Augustine and team, received a S$10 million grant award from the Competitive Research Programme Funding Scheme of the National Research Foundation.

May 2009:
Students, faculty and staff start operating from the new Duke-NUS campus.

January 2009:
Two Duke-NUS young scientists (Drs. Wang Hongyan and Lok Shee Mei) were awarded Singapore National Research Foundation (NRF) Fellowship grants worth US$3 million.

October 2008:
Prof. Ranga Krishnan, Dean of Duke-NUS, received the C. Charles Burlingame Award, given in recognition of his outstanding leadership and lifetime achievement in psychiatric research and education.

August 2008:
Second Duke-NUS class of 48 M.D. students began lessons. Duke-NUS faculty garnered Young Scientist Award 2008 (Dr. Wang Hongyan).

July 2008:
Duke-NUS named Ranga Krishnan, MB ChB, as Dean. Duke-NUS marked the topping-up of the Khoo Teck Puat Building, bringing the school a step closer towards the opening of its new campus.

May 2008:
Three Duke-NUS researchers (Drs. David Virshup, Michael Chee and Ong Sin Tiong) garnered nation's highest research awards, under the government’s twin initiatives to build a strong team of clinician-scientists and translational researchers in Singapore.

March 2008:
Lien Foundation and Duke-NUS launched the Lien Centre for Palliative Care with a S$7.5 million commitment from the Lien Foundation.

December 2007:
Goh Foundation endowed Duke-NUS with S$6 million to establish the Goh Foundation Scholars Programme.

August 2007:
First Duke-NUS M.D. class enrolled 26 students.

June 2007:
Shaw Foundation donated S$5 million to establish the Shaw Foundation Scholars Programme at Duke-NUS.

January 2007:
Duke-NUS received first gift of S$80 million from the Estate of the late Tan Sri Khoo Teck Puat, to grow Duke-NUS’ biomedical research initiatives. Duke-NUS announced that graduates of the four-year M.D. program will be conferred a joint Duke and NUS M.D. degree.

September 2006:
Construction of new permanent Duke-NUS facilities began.

August 2005:
Prof. R. Sanders Williams, M.D, Dean of the Duke University School of Medicine, was officially named Founding Dean of Duke-NUS. Patrick J Casey, Ph.D. relocated from Duke University as Senior Vice Dean of Research to lead the development of the School. Duke-NUS commenced operations from an Interim Campus on a site adjacent to Singapore General Hospital. Staff recruitment commenced.

April 2005:
Duke University and NUS formalised the first phase of a partnership to establish the new graduate medical school which is named Duke-NUS Graduate Medical School Singapore (Duke-NUS).

2003:
Duke University and NUS signed a Memorandum of Understanding to establish Singapore’s first graduate medical school.

2002:
Singapore's then Deputy Prime Minister Dr Tony Tan, Minister for Manpower Dr Ng Eng Hen and NUS President Professor Shih Choon Fong visited Duke University to discuss a partnership to establish the school.

2001:
A Ministry of Education-appointed Medical Education Review Panel recommended that Singapore establishes a graduate medical school to produce highly-trained physician-scientists to support the Biomedical Sciences Initiative.

2000:
Singapore launched a S$3-billion Biomedical Sciences Initiative designed to make the country Asia’s biomedical hub.