THE Biomedical Research Council (BMRC) and the National Medical Research Council are to spend $5 million on eight clinician scientists who can lead the way in bringing basic research to the bedside.
Yesterday, the two councils named the eight winners of the inaugural Clinician-Scientist Investigator award, which was set up to encourage medical practitioners to pursue dual-tracked careers in medicine and science.
'We hope that the award will pave the way for more doctors to pursue translational research, which seeks to bring the positive results from research laboratories to patients,' said BMRC's acting executive director, Associate Professor Lam Kong Peng. 'This pioneer batch of clinician-scientists will be the role models for future generations of doctors who aspire to be as comfortable in the clinic as they are in the laboratory.'
The award will pay a portion of the recipient's salary, in accordance with the share of the work time spent on research.
Each recipient will have to commit at least 60 per cent of his or her time on developing a research career, while remaining employed at their host institutions.
Of the eight recipients, three are senior clinician-scientists who are already actively involved in basic research and hold at least one grant.
The junior clinician scientists will also receive research funding support of up to $200,000 each.
The recognition was welcomed by the doctors, who said it can be a challenge finding the time and resources for research; much of their time is spent directly with patients.
'This is a very significant move on the part of the Singapore government, the Ministry of Health and A*Star because this is the first time there is formal recognition of this sort for the time clinicians spend on research,' said SingHealth cognitive neuroscience lab principal investigator Michael Chee, one of the recipients of the award.
'Medical school prepares you to be a doctor, but to be a competitive researcher in today's environment requires you to acquire skills, be able to organise the programme and also to have a niche area.'
Along with Dr Chee, the other recipients of the award are: (from the National University Hospital) senior consultant in haematology-oncology Goh Boon Cher, director of research Professor Yong Eu Leong, Children's Medical Institute consultants Lynette Shek and Allen Yeoh; (from SingHealth) endocrinology consultant Tai E Shyong, neurologist Tan Eng King; and (from the Singapore National Eye Centre) glaucoma service consultant Aung Tin.