Fractional Faculty from Duke

Joint Appointments for Duke Faculty with ACPs

The Academic Clinical Programme (ACP) joint appointments scheme recognises Duke faculty who possess critical skills and expertise that complement our ACPs and provide mentoring support for our clinician-researchers in the AMC, made possible through partial FTE funding of Duke faculty by the Office of Academic Medicine.

Professor Walter Lee
Biography |

Chief of Staff, Head and Neck Surgery and Communication Sciences Department

Joint appointment from 1 July 2024

Affiliated ACP:

Professor Walter Lee has strengthened the Surgery Academic Clinical Programme’s global footprint through sustained Duke–SingHealth collaboration and his vast Southeast Asian research network. He established regular research meetings between Duke University’s Otolaryngology Team and SingHealth Duke-NUS Surgical teams, and has bi-monthly engagements for the development of the Global Surgery Programme for Surgery In Rural and Austere Environments Course (SIRAEC). Professor Lee has advanced professional growth through structured coaching, including fully subscribed sessions during his February 2025 visit, and co-presented two talks with Professor Christopher Cheng. During his visits, he also dedicated time to coaching and mentoring junior faculty, generously sharing insights from his own journey as surgeon plus to support their professional development. In addition, he has connected Surgery ACP members to the Duke Surgery Annual Research Day 2024, expanding networks and inspiring innovation in surgical leadership.

Professor Lejla Vajzovic
Biography |

Professor of Ophthalmology
Adult and Pediatric Vitreoretinal Surgery and Disease

Joint appointment from 1 January 2025

Affiliated ACP:

Professor Lejla was involved in organising the inaugural Duke-NUS Retina Fellow Course in November 2024, aimed at fostering international education and knowledge exchange in retinal diseases. She has closely collaborated with Associate Professor Gavin Tan and Associate Professor Daniel Ting on both educational and research initiatives; notably, both were invited faculty at the Duke Fellows Advanced Vitreous Surgery course held in Durham, North Carolina, USA, in May 2025. As part of this collaboration, she had also hosted Duke-NUS retina fellows for a short observership at the Duke Eye Center, further strengthening cross-institutional ties. She also supported Associate Professor Daniel Ting on a review manuscript exploring artificial intelligence (AI) applications in paediatric ophthalmology. Additionally, she initiated a joint research effort focused on paediatric fundus imaging, which aims to integrate data from both American and Singaporean paediatric populations to develop AI algorithms for myopia screening, leveraging widefield Optos fundus imaging.

Associate Professor Majda Hadziahmetovic
Biography |

Associate Professor of Ophthalmology

Joint appointment from 1 January 2025

Affiliated ACP:

Associate Professor Hadziahmetovic contributes actively to several academic and collaborative initiatives. She works on two manuscripts in partnership with Associate Professor Daniel Ting, and leads an international diabetic retinopathy screening initiative alongside Associate Professor Gavin Tan, with support from Topcon and Digital Diagnostics. She has co-presented an instruction course at the American Academy of Ophthalmology with Professor Gemmy Cheung, contributing to professional research education at this international forum. Additionally, she serves as an external reviewer for the initiative "Comparing USA and Singapore Populations Using Novel Technologies and Strategies," which aims to advance cross-national insights through innovative methodologies.

Professor Simon Gregory
Biography |

Margaret Harris and David Silverman Distinguished Professor,
Professor in Neurosurgery & Neurology,
Vice Chair for Research, Department of Neurology
Joint appointment from 1 March 2025

Affiliated ACP:

To foster deeper collaboration between SingHealth, Duke-NUS and Duke Durham, Professor Simon Gregory will strengthen cross-institutional engagement, establish mutual access to resources, and build meaningful connections amongst stakeholders from Neuroscience ACP, Duke-NUS Neuroscience and Behavioural Disorders Programme and the relevant Duke Durham departments. This includes development of joint research initiatives, aimed at collaborative grant applications, publications, and shared public engagement, especially for Neuro-oncology, Neuroimmunology, Dementia & Neurogenetic research programmes. He will play a key role in mentoring junior faculty and nurturing talent within the neuroscience faculty. This partnership underscores our commitment to research excellence and long-term capability building through impactful, cross-institutional collaboration.

Assistant Professor Neil Surana
Biography |

Department of Paediatrics (Infectious Diseases)
Molecular Genetics and Microbiology, and Immunology

Joint appointment from 1 March 2025

Affiliated ACPs:

As joint faculty with Medicine and Paediatrics ACPs, Assistant Professor Neil Surana has established strong collaborative ties across specialties to advance interdisciplinary research. In Medicine ACP, he engaged teams in Metabolic Medicine, Hepatology, Rheumatology, and Inflammatory Bowel Disease, and mentors Internal Medicine resident Dr Tan Chin Yee to support his development in both clinical practice and research methodology. In Paediatrics ACP, he co-leads the innovative "Microbiome, Milk and Growth in Infant Consortium (M2agic)" grant proposal, supports microbiome research, and mentors two promising scholars under the Duke Pediatric Research Scholars+ (DPRS+) programme: Senior Resident, Dr Sarah Yao and Dr Kam Kai-Qian, Consultant, Paediatrics Infectious Disease, KKH. He also fosters academic exchanges with the Duke Microbiome Center. His October 2024 visit deepened these ties, reflecting his commitment to translational research and nurturing clinician-scientists across both ACPs.

Fractional Faculty from Duke

Previous Joint Appointment Holders