Awardee of Professorship in Cardiovascular Medicine

Professor Derek John Hausenloy is the Academic Vice Chair (Research) at the SingHealth Duke-NUS Cardiovascular Sciences Academic Clinical Programme, and Director of the National Heart Research Institute Singapore (NHRIS) at the National Heart Centre Singapore (NHCS). 

A leading clinician scientist, Prof Hausenloy has served as Principal Investigator on more than 40 research grants totalling over $40 million. He has authored more than 400 scientific papers and has been recognised as a Highly Cited Researcher, placing him among the top 0.1% of researchers worldwide in multiple years. In 2019, he received the Duke-NUS Dean’s Excellence Award in Research for his outstanding research contributions.

Prof Hausenloy has been instrumental in advancing cardiovascular research across NHCS and the SingHealth Duke-NUS Academic Medicine Centre. His work focuses on cardioprotection and translating scientific discoveries into clinical care. As a Professor in the Cardiovascular & Metabolic Disorders Programme at Duke-NUS Medical School, he bridges laboratory discoveries with patient care, developing innovative strategies to strengthen the heart’s resilience during heart surgery and procedures.

He has also played a key role in fostering global research partnerships. The first-in-Asia ‘Heart-in-a-jar’ initiative, developed in collaboration with Novoheart, combines NHCS’s expertise in beating heart cells research with Novoheart’s proprietary platforms to test drugs tailored for patients with heart failure. Another pioneering collaboration with Paratus Sciences examines the unique physiology of bats’ hearts, seeking insights that may reveal mechanisms to better protect the human heart and improve clinical outcomes.

At the national level, Prof Hausenloy leads multi-agency efforts to advance cardiovascular care through cross-institutional collaboration. A key initiative is CADENCE (Cardiovascular Diseases National Collaborative Enterprise), a national clinical translational programme that integrates cardiovascular research, technology and clinical care across Singapore. With a focus on data science, early phase mechanistic clinical trials, digital health and artificial intelligence for heart disease prevention, CADENCE has built strong national partnerships and academic collaborations, developed shared platforms and infrastructure, and begun shaping local clinical practice and standards.

Beyond scientific achievements, Prof Hausenloy is a dedicated colleague and mentor within our academic community. His grounded approach to medicine and unwavering commitment to placing patients at the centre of his research continues to inspire and guide the next generation of clinicians and scientists.