The SingHealth Duke-NUS Gala Dinner 2023 was a wonderful way for the Academic Medical Centre (AMC) and partners to mark a new year, new beginnings and a ‘new dawn’, which was the theme of this year’s event.

After a hiatus of three years due to COVID-19, this biennial signature fundraising event welcomed more than 650 donors, clinicians, researchers, educators and healthcare professionals in support of medical research, education and innovation. The Guest of Honour was Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Finance, Mr Lawrence Wong.

Professor Ivy Ng, Group Chief Executive Officer, SingHealth and Professor Thomas Coffman, Dean, Duke-NUS Medical School thanked donors for their generosity and steadfast support for Academic Medicine, especially throughout the COVID-19 pandemic.

Prof Ng noted that right from the first inkling of this infection, the Academic Medical Centre was able to successfully leverage the strong academic foundation that has been laid, to push the boundaries of science and research and join the global race to uncover the unknowns surrounding this novel coronavirus.

This included the characterisation of the fluctuating immune response in patients and also become among the first in the world to successfully culture this new virus.

The gala dinner also saw the announcement of three transformational gifts, including a $50 million gift from the Lee Foundation. The gift will also boost the AMC’s efforts to design and strengthen frameworks to hasten advancements in healthcare innovation, seed the potential for discovery and innovation through funding and pilot grants, and push the boundaries of medicine through novel research programmes.

Two other gifts in support of dementia and neuroscience totaling $14 million were also presented onstage. These were most timely as the AMC embarks on Healthier SG and harness the potential of research, education and innovation to better anticipate the needs of our changing demography and deliver health solutions to meet the needs of Singaporeans at every life stage.

Other highlights that evening were a silent auction, performances by aerial hoop dancers Aerial Lollipop and a four-song medley by students from Duke-NUS Medical School.

A big thank you to all our sponsors, donors and friends for your generosity of heart and spirit!

Philanthropic support from our donors and partners is a pivotal enabler of our ambitious plans to define tomorrow's medicine and to unleash its potential to give hope and transform lives. To find out how you can make a difference, email giving@singhealth.com.sg