PhD Program

A Message from our Director, Associate Professor David Silver

Dear Prospective Students,

    Asia is quickly emerging as a centre for biomedical research. To keep pace with the increasing advances in biomedical sciences, PhD programs with innovative training in translational science and advanced technologies are becoming increasingly valuable.  The PhD program at Duke-NUS embraces this essential need. Duke-NUS has become a centre of excellence for training PhD scientists of the future – scientists that are multidisciplinary and are skilled in developing new technologies with the goal to translate basic scientific discoveries into useful therapies for patients. The PhD at Duke-NUS is unique in that it offers a degree in “Integrated Biology and Medicine” rather than in the traditional disciplines, such as biochemistry or cell biology. The advantage of the Duke-NUS PhD program over traditional PhD programs is that our core curriculum focuses on the primary literature and teaches the latest technologies required for students to develop into translational scientists. Such technologies include proteomics, genomics, metabolomics, molecular imaging, and bioinformatics. Students will complete their coursework within their first year, allowing for the student to spend more time in the pursuit of research. This unique program is possible because we do not have traditional science departments, but rather students will have the choice of conducting their thesis research from five Signature Research Programs (SRP) that specialize in five broad areas of human disease or health outcomes, namely Cancer & Stem Cell Biology, Cardiovascular & Metabolic Disorders, Emerging Infectious Diseases, Neuroscience & Behavioral Disorders, and Health Services & Systems Research. Each of these Signature Research Programs are driven by world-renowned scientists that aim to understand and treat human diseases through basic, translational and clinical research.

    Duke-NUS offers students the tools and knowledge required to make vital discoveries for, as our mission states, “Transforming medicine, improving lives.”

    I hope you will explore our webpages to learn more about our PhD program and research opportunities, and consider applying for the Duke-NUS PhD program.

Best wishes,

A/Prof. David L. Silver, Ph.D.
Director of Graduate Studies

For more information on the program, view the following links :

• Curriculum
• Specialty Tracks
• Thesis Mentors
• Tuition, Fees & Fellowships
• How to Apply
• English Language
• Submission of Transcripts
• Contact Address
• Frequently Asked Questions
• For More Information