Continued research, and the intelligent use of technologies such as AI, will be key to advancing how we understand neurodevelopmental and mental health conditions, such as autism, schizophrenia and depression. But as experts at the Bridging Minds 2026 symposium made clear, the challenge is no longer just about generating data, but about translating it into meaningful insights and real-world impact.
These themes emerged during a panel discussion at the symposium, jointly organised by Duke-NUS and Harvard Medical School, which brought together global leaders in neuroscience, genetics and public health.
Singapore’s Director-General of Health, Professor Kenneth Mak, underscored the growing importance of research in this space, noting its implications for healthcare planning and delivery.
“As we develop greater clarity, it allows us to decide how we should be mobilising resources to better support individuals who do have neurodevelopmental and mental health conditions,” said Prof Mak.
But more still needs to be done in terms of research, agreed the panel that was moderated by Acting Programme Director from the Duke-NUS Neuroscience & Behavioural Disorders (NBD) Programme Professor Wang Hongyan, and Assistant Professor of Paediatrics at Boston Children's Hospital Dong Kong.
“There’s a lot more that we need to understand in terms of how this presents in Asian populations, and whether the etiology in some way differs,” added Prof Mak, citing Singapore’s multi-phase National Precision Medicine programme that was administered by Precision Health Research, Singapore (PRECISE) to generate insights into the Asian population.
Duke-NUS Dean and Executive Director of PRECISE Professor Patrick Tan agreed, adding that Phase III of the programme, would provide an opportunity for researchers to characterise patient cases and compare them with the healthy population cohort.
Another challenge lies in interpreting the data and translating the insights gleaned into actionable strategy, noted neuroscientist and geneticist Professor Christopher Walsh from the Harvard Medical School.
“How do we figure out what (gene) variants are actionable? That's where we really need these research projects to figure out not just how to collect the information, but how to deal with it,” said Prof Walsh, who is also chief of genetics and genomics at the Boston’s Children's Hospital.
This is in addition to carrying out tests to confirm the function of identified genetic variants, noted Associate Professor Shawn Je, from the Duke-NUS NBD programme.
As more data is collected, leveraging AI tools for analysing large data sets and extracting insights becomes increasingly important, added Dr Shari Wiseman, chief editor of Nature Neuroscience.
She emphasised the importance of longitudinal data for understanding the biology of the disease and unlocking potential treatments. Equally important is the need to model interventions in supporting patients, she added.
Translating these goals into reality however requires a dedicated effort, a role that the current “Bridging Minds” symposium exemplifies by bringing together experts to bridge these gaps, noted Professor Shi Donghai, Dean of the Tsinghua University School of Life Sciences.
“I think that step by step, the progress we make will shed light on the disease in a very significant way,” said Prof Shi, who called for continued efforts in advancing the basic mechanisms underlying neurodevelopmental and mental health conditions. This goes hand in hand with empowering families with the knowledge needed for long-term care, he added.
Ultimately the future of the field depends on more than data, it requires a foundation of public trust and a responsible narrative that brings the community along with the science, stressed Prof Mak.
Held from 30 to 31 March, the Bridging Minds symposium welcomed more than 120 neuroscientists and researchers from around the world who converged at Duke-NUS to discuss advances in mental health and neurodevelopment.
A group photo to mark the insightful panel discussion (L-R): Assoc Prof Shawn Je; Programme advisor for the NUS Neurobiology Research Programme Professor Barry Halliwell; Dean Prof Patrick Tan, Prof Wang Hongyan, Interim Vice-Dean for Research Prof Lok Sheemei, Prof Kenneth Mak, Prof Christopher Walsh, Prof Shi Songhai and Asst Prof Dong Kong
“I hope this symposium serves as a platform to foster scientific exchange and collaboration. Because when experts such as basic scientists, clinician-scientists, and public health experts collaborate, we bridge scientific depth with clinical impact, bringing us a step closer to life-changing interventions,” concluded Prof Tan.
Prof Tan delivers the opening remarks on Day 1 of the Bridging Minds symposium