For his groundbreaking contributions to thyroid hormone research and its therapeutic potential in treating metabolic diseases, Professor Paul M Yen from Duke-NUS’ Cardiovascular and Metabolic Disorders Programme has been awarded the 2025 John B Stanbury Thyroid Pathophysiology Medal from the American Thyroid Association (ATA).
With more than 1,700 members across 70 countries, the ATA is a leading global authority in advancing thyroid health through science, clinical care, education and advocacy. The John B. Stanbury Thyroid Pathophysiology Medal is one of its highest honours, recognising individuals whose research significantly advanced the understanding of thyroid physiology or the pathophysiology of thyroid disease, and influenced the fields of research and clinical practice.
"I was very excited to receive this award,” said Prof Yen. “Most of my career has focused on thyroid hormone research, and this recognition reflects nearly 15 years of work done by our team at Duke-NUS. It’s especially meaningful that the entire body of work was done here.”
He added: “This award also belongs to my team. I’m deeply grateful to the members of my team who have dedicated their time and effort, especially Assistant Professor Brijesh Singh, Dr Madhulika Tripathi, Dr Zhou Jin, Dr Rohit Sinha, now in Lucknow, India, and Dr Eveline Bruinstroop, now in Amsterdam. It was a true team effort.”
A clinician-scientist specialising in endocrinology, Prof Yen has long been passionate about translating scientific discoveries into therapies that improve patient care. Prof Yen’s research into the effects of thyroid hormones on metabolic dysfunction-associated steatohepatitis (MASH)—a more severe form of MASLD that is linked to obesity and caused by damaging fat buildup in the liver—provided much of the preclinical and clinical evidence for the development of Resmetirom, a thyroid hormone-like drug, that in 2024 was the first drug approved by the FDA for the treatment of MASH.
Currently, Prof Yen’s laboratory uses molecular biological and genomic approaches to study hormonal regulation of transcription, autophagy, and metabolism; and investigates methods to improve the diagnosis and treatment of MASLD. But he isn’t finished with MASH yet—Prof Yen also is interested in studying the heart disease, heart failure with preserved ejection fraction, or HFpEF, that is associated with MASH. He is interested in developing low-cost, natural therapies for the treatment of MASH, HFpEF and other metabolic diseases.
Prof Yen is listed as a top 2% scientist worldwide by Stanford University and a leading World Expert on thyroid hormone by Expertscape. He has served as an Asia-Oceanic Thyroid Association (AOTA) Council Member and the AOTA delegate to the World Thyroid Foundation and Singapore Representative to the International Iodine Global Network, and was awarded the 2020 Nagataki-Fujifilm Prize for his contributions to basic and clinical thyroid hormone research in Asia by AOTA.
Adding his congratulations, Professor Wang Yibin, Director of the Cardiovascular and Metabolic Disorders Programme at Duke-NUS, said, “This is a well-deserved recognition for Paul. Through his dedication and vision, his work has made a tangible difference for patients with metabolic diseases and continues to open new therapeutic possibilities. He is truly a role model for many of our budding clinician-scientists who are also breaking new ground in their everyday work to help patients. Congratulations, Paul!"
Professor Patrick Tan, Senior Vice-Dean for Research, said, "My heartfelt congratulations to Paul, whose work exemplifies bold, purpose-driven science that not only expands our knowledge but translates directly into real-world solutions for millions affected by MASH. His achievement also highlights the strength of Duke-NUS’ research innovation ecosystem."