Director's message

Prof. Daniel G. Tenen Saw Swee Hock Centennial Professor in Medical Sciences Director, Cancer Science Institute of Singapore, NUS Professor of Medicine, NUS

Welcome to the Cancer Science Institute of Singapore.

Cancer is emerging as among the most important world-wide health care problems. In Singapore alone, cancer is a leading cause of death, with 1 in 3 Singaporeans afflicted with this devastating disease during their lifetime.

The Cancer Science Institute of Singapore (CSI Singapore) at NUS, supported and funded by The Ministry of Education (MOE) and the National Research Foundation (NRF), provides an opportunity for Singapore to take a leading role in the world-wide charge against cancer with the most technologically advanced strategies, and to firmly position Singapore as one of the major centers for cancer biology and treatment in the Asian community and the world.

The vision of CSI Singapore is to become one of the top cancer research centers in the world. CSI Singapore will conduct a multifaceted and coordinated approach to cancer research extending from basic mechanistic studies leading all the way to experimental therapeutics. It will link unique resources in Singapore to develop new approaches to understand and treat this complex disease.

Synergizing existing research and clinical programmes, CSI Singapore will provide a quantum boost in basic and translational cancer research efforts. With research that spans the spectrum from laboratory bench to patients’ bedside, we aim towards earlier detection of cancer and more effective treatment regimes and potential cures for cancer patients in Singapore and the region. In doing so, we expect CSI Singapore to be one of the world’s leading centres for translational cancer research.

Recognizing the importance of talents, we have recruited world class investigators from abroad to revolutionize research capability as well as attracted a number of International Partnerships, consisting of renowned researchers who will conduct part of their research effort in Singapore, in collaboration with others in the programme who are in Singapore full-time. CSI Singapore offers an unprecedented opportunity for a world class team of international faculty to work alongside NUS’ own faculty to better understand and develop new insights into the diagnosis and treatment of this major disease, as well as to inspire and mentor a whole new generation of students.