It is a privilege to serve as Director of the Cancer and Stem Cell Biology (CSCB) Programme at Duke-NUS Medical School. CSCB plays an important role in Duke-NUS’s mission to advance academic medicine through discovery, education, and close partnership with the healthcare system.
Our programme is rooted in strong, curiosity-driven science. CSCB researchers investigate fundamental questions in cancer and stem cell biology, including cancer resistance, immunotherapy response, metabolic alteration, cellular plasticity, stem cell regulation, and interactions with the tumour microenvironment. We place a strong emphasis on rigorous experimentation, novel discovery, and the application of emerging technologies, while keeping clinical relevance firmly in view.
A key motivation for our research stems from the potential for discovery science to improve patient care. Advances in understanding cancer biology can inform how diseases are detected, classified, and treated. This can lead to more precise and effective therapeutic strategies. Through close interactions with clinician-scientists and healthcare partners, we strive to ensure that insights from the laboratory are translated into approaches that can ultimately improve patient outcomes, while clinical challenges continue to shape our research priorities.
Collaboration is central to how we function. CSCB brings together basic scientists and clinician-scientists across Duke-NUS, SingHealth, and partner institutions. These collaborations enable team science that spans fundamental discovery, translational research, drug discovery and clinical investigation, and help bridge the gap between biological underpinnings and patient-oriented research.
Training and mentorship are priorities of the programme. We commit to providing a supportive and intellectually stimulating culture for early-career researchers, graduate students, postdoctoral fellows, research associates, and trainees across all levels. Our goal is to nurture scientists who think critically, work independently, and collaborate effectively, while gaining an appreciation of how research can influence clinical decision-making and patient care.
As CSCB moves forward, we will continue to strengthen interdisciplinary and clinical collaborations, support innovative research, and contribute to the broader educational and research mission of Duke-NUS. We welcome your interest, and we encourage you to learn more about the research and training opportunities offered by our program
A/Prof Tam Wai Leong
Director, Programme in Cancer & Stem Cell Biology
Duke-NUS Medical School