OAM Spotlight - April 2026: Driving Excellence in Academic Medicine: The Impact of AM Named Donor Professorships

Published on 22 April 2026

The Academic Medicine (AM) Named Donor Professorships, made possible through philanthropy, serve not only to recognise outstanding faculty and mentors, but also to honour the legacy of medical luminaries and uphold a culture of excellence. These professorships celebrate academic and research preeminence, inspire faculty to pursue higher levels of achievement, and contribute to the recruitment and retention of top talent within the SingHealth Duke-NUS Academic Medical Centre (AMC).

Beyond recognition, the donations behind these professorships enable Distinguished Professors (DPs) and Faculty Professors (FPs) to drive impactful work in research, education, and clinical care by providing dedicated resources to advance strategic areas such as geriatric oncology, population health, and major disease research. The funding supports the development of programmes, mentorship of future talent, and multidisciplinary collaborations, allowing them to translate ideas into real-world outcomes like earlier diagnosis, better treatments, and improved care delivery.

Sustaining Commitment to AM Excellence

On 18 November 2025, the Joint Office of Academic Medicine-Academic Programmes Management Department (JOAM-APMD) hosted its annual AM Named Donor Professor Engagement Session at Duke-NUS. As the AMC’s highest academic honours spanning early, mid, and senior career stages, distinguished and faculty professorships recognise leading academic clinicians whose insights, shared at this session, reflect their roles as key drivers of research, education, and clinical care across the institution.

In his welcome address, then-Dean Prof Thomas Coffman underscored the nearly two-decade journey in building a world-class AMC grounded in the integration of education, research, and clinical care. He highlighted that this synergy has been key to driving better patient outcomes and cultivating a culture of curiosity and innovation.

Prof Coffman paid tribute to the AM Named Donor Professors, noting them to be “a veritable all-star team” whose excellence and leadership exemplify the very spirit of AM.

A Distinguished Professor’s Personal Reflections for the Next Generation

Prof Fong Kok Yong from Medicine ACP, who was conferred Seah Cheng Siang Professor in 2019, shared heartfelt anecdotes on his experience as a Distinguished Professor. A longstanding champion of AM, he has played a pivotal role in shaping the AMC, including serving as current Deputy Group Chief Executive Officer (Medical & Clinical Services), SingHealth and the first Academic Chair of Medicine ACP.

Reflecting on how the conferment can be used as a catalyst for positive change, he observed that the title carries weight and credibility.

He encouraged fellow AM Named Donor Professors to leverage this platform by rallying support or championing initiatives that may otherwise struggle to gain traction. While acknowledging the uncertainties that come with ambitious goals, he shared that momentum often builds once the first step is taken.

Beyond recognition, the true value of the DP/FP title lies in how it is used: to enable others, catalyse collective effort, and create lasting impact for the next generation.

Strengthening the Academic Talent Pipeline

(left to right) Prof Thomas Coffman, Assoc Prof Charles Chuah, Prof Fong Kok Yong

To date, Duke-NUS has active appointments of 19 DPs and 2 FPs, including two latest appointments on 1 April 2026 – Prof Derek Hausenloy’s new appointment as the Tanoto Foundation Professor in Cardiovascular Medicine, and Prof Leung Wing Hang’s re-appointment as Tan Cheng Lim – Children’s Cancer Foundation Professor in Paediatric Oncology – reflecting sustained momentum in recognising academic excellence.

DP/FP awardees will also receive enhanced support, including access to the Annual Spending Limit (ASL) of the Professorship and the Support for Professional and Academic Development (SPA), which provides supplementary funding support to cover costs related to their roles in academic sharing, thought leadership, mentorship and building the international reputation of our AMC.

Dialogue and Looking Ahead

The session concluded with an engaging Q&A and discussion segment, centred on the sharing of areas for improvement and forward-looking perspectives for 2026. DPs and FPs alike exchanged ideas on how the AM community can continue to strengthen its impact, drawing from their diverse experiences across research, education, and clinical care.

As the event drew to a close, it served as a timely reminder of the strength of the AMC’s academic community and the collective dedication to shaping the future of AM.