"I consider myself very fortunate to be able to do both clinical and laboratory work in my position.  In both settings, it has been the excitement and importance of making the correct diagnoses and unexpected discoveries that motivate me to go the extra mile.

Despite the myriad technological advances in health care, the human touch remains paramount at the point of delivery.  Unlike clinicians or scientists, patients don't care so much about how discoveries or new medicines come about, all they want are treatments which improve their lives and doctors who deliver care with compassion and thoughtfulness.  I appreciate being able to work at both bench and bedside to continuously improve patients' lives.

My current work involves understanding mechanisms of resistance to cancer-targeted therapies.  The majority of cancer patients continue to die of drug resistance.  It is important to understand the underlying mechanisms precisely, in order to develop rational approaches to overcome it.  Each step forward in overcoming cancer drug resistance can lead to better treatments and improved patient survival."

Assoc Prof Ong Sin Tiong
Cancer & Stem Cell Biology Programme,
Duke-NUS Medical School

Tags: Doctor, Research