Duke-NUS Dean's Celebration 2026: Recognising Research Excellence, Mentorship, and the CRAFTS Initiative

The NMRC awardees share a photo with AMC key leaders and Duke-NUS Dean Prof Patrick Tan.

On 5 February 2026, the Duke-NUS Dean’s Celebration event organised by CCS⁺D recognised 34 clinician-scientists and clinician-innovators for their achievement in securing prestigious NMRC awards – milestones that reflect both individual excellence and the collective strength of the AMC. Our new Dean, Professor Patrick Tan, delivered an inspiring opening address, describing CCS⁺D as “more than a support unit”, highlighting its pivotal role in architecting a strong clinician-scientist pipeline across the AMC.

To reinforce collaborative efforts, award recipients in attendance were invited to the stage to introduce their research, share their experiences and advice. For clinician-scientists, defined as much by their research prowess as by their perseverance, having a supportive network of peers with shared experiences is essential. That was the resounding message at the celebratory.

Beyond recognising past and current achievements, the event also served to reinforce the foundation essential to the success and growth of the AMC’s research endeavours. A heart-warming segment took place to honour 17 CCS⁺D faculty mentors, emphasising that mentorship is the lifecycle of our success, with a call for awardees to ‘pay it forward’ to the next generation.

The team of CCS⁺D faculty were also recognised for their contributions.

Another key highlight was the inaugural award ceremony for the new Clinician Researcher Advancement Funding Talent Scheme (CRAFTS), presented by Duke-NUS Vice-Dean for Academic Medicine, Professor Lim Soon Thye. CRAFTS is a new initiative designed to sustain the momentum of high-potential, mid-career researchers as they scale toward national-level excellence.

Presenting the 2025 CRAFTS recipients, together with the review committee members in attendance including Prof Ooi Eng Eong (first from left), Prof Tan Eng King (second from left) and Centre director and principal lead mentor for the Clinician-Scientist Development Programme Prof Darren Lim (first from right)

The Duke-NUS Dean’s Celebration was more than a formal recognition; it was a testament to the vibrant, interconnected community driving our AMC forward. With the continued support of CCS⁺D and the dedication of our faculty mentors, Duke-NUS & SingHealth can look forward to seeing these awardees lead the next wave of medical and healthcare innovations in Singapore and beyond.

For more details on the event of the Dean Celebration Dinner with NMRC Awardees, please visit Powered by people, sustained by purpose: Celebrating the AMC’s NMRC awardees

CCS⁺D is a Centre under the Office of Academic Medicine at Duke-NUS. For more information on the programmes, please visit About Clinician-Scientist Development (CCSD) | Duke-NUS