Signature Programmes

	Herbal Biodiversity and Medicine This programme aims to discover and understand local and regional herbal plants beneficial to human health and well-being. By leveraging the advancements in molecular biology, BD-MED hopes to identify molecular pathways and novel phytochemicals to accelerate drug discovery and provide alternative therapeutic and nutritional options. It also seeks strategic partnerships with healthcare practitioners, institutions and regulatory bodies to initiate appropriate clinical studies to ensure their safe and effective clinical use.
	Food Biodiversity and Nutrition Factors such as rapid urbanisation and improved quality of life are set to double the world population by the year 2039, putting increased pressure on food sources, sustainability and security. This programme aims to generate new knowledge and technologies in plant-based food biodiversity, contributing to food sufficiency and security in the country and region. It also hopes to enhance health and nutritional values of fruits and vegetables through discovering and manipulating their biology (e.g. plant metabolic pathways). The understanding of the importance of these biological properties will also guide novel cultivation techniques to select for their desired traits.
	Urban Biodiversity and Wellness This programme aims to study how natural flora and their biodiversity can enhance our living environment and promote wellness. It will look into the biology underlying their appearance, colour, smell, etc., and examine how they may affect our mental health. By customisation, one can select the appropriate flora for specific environments to maximise their positive impact on our emotions and moods. This programme also aligns with Singapore’s National Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan (NBSAP) launched by NParks in 2009 to integrate living and breathing green spaces into our urbanised settings to safeguard our biodiversity.

Signature Programmes

Prof Ivy Ng

SingHealth GCEO