2020-2021

Where Next? AAPS-NUS Career Sharing Webinar 2021

(26th August 2021)

It is perhaps no understatement to say that the emergence of the global COVID-19 pandemic greatly changed the world as we knew it; it had (and still is, at the point of this writing) caused massive disruptions to our daily lives. Furthermore, with schools, businesses and entire nations and economies constantly transforming the way they operate to keep up in the wake of pandemic developments, soon-to-be graduating students may feel lost or overwhelmed, not knowing what lies ahead for them after graduation.

In recognition of these feelings of uncertainty, the AAPS-NUS student chapter organized a career sharing webinar on the 26th August 2021. Titled “Where Next? Opportunities in the COVID-19 world”, the webinar was held online over Zoom from 10am – 12noon GMT+8. A panel of 4 NUS alumni from diverse industries were invited to share their personal experiences and career journeys, so as to inspire and expose students to potential career opportunities that could lie ahead for them after graduation.

 

The first speaker was Dr Kishore Pasikanti, who is currently Senior Director, drug metabolism and pharmacokinetics (DMPK) at the Grünenthal Boston Innovation Hub. In his talk, Dr Pasikanti shared about his PhD experience in the Department of Pharmacy at NUS and gave advice to both graduate and undergraduate students about how to make the most out of their studies as well as highlighted opportunities to gain exposure to the pharmaceutical industry. Filled with practical and actionable advice, Dr Pasikanti’s talk gave students clear steps they could take towards achieving successful and meaningful careers.

 

The second speaker was Dr Oh Ching Mien, who is Senior Manager (Healthcare Business Development & Operations) at ST Healthcare. In his talk, Dr Oh gave an introduction to supply chain and the current developments in shipping and maritime logistics in Singapore. He also shared his personal opinion on key technologies that are gaining traction where knowledge would be of value. Furthermore, he provided career advice based on his personal reflections. The talk proved to be eye-opening and informative, especially for students who did not have prior exposure to supply chain and logistics.

 

Next up, our third speaker was Dr Astrid Irwanto, Chief Operating Officer at Nalagenetics Pte Ltd and also an Adjunct Assistant Professor at the NUS Department of Pharmacy. In her talk, Dr Irwanto shared her personal academic and entrepreneurship journey, giving students insight into how Nalagenetics was born and what motivates her in her work. Students were inspired by her passion, and benefited from her unique perspective as a scientist-entrepreneur.

 

Last but not least, our fourth speaker was Dr Goh Cheong Hian, Deputy Director (Good Distribution Practice & Licensing Unit) of the Health Products Regulation Group at the Singapore Health Sciences Authority, who is also an Adjunct Assistant Professor at the NUS Department of Pharmacy. He gave his opinion on how the COVID-19 world presents a volatile, uncertain, complex and ambiguous (VUCA) environment but reassured students of the opportunities that lay ahead, drawing upon news articles to illustrate recent developments that reflect such opportunities. He also gave advice to students on how they can thrive in this new environment. His talk was not only motivating, but illuminated key trends in government initiatives and industries where graduates could eventually secure a job in.

Overall, the workshop was deeply insightful. The AAPS-NUS team would like to extend our gratitude to the speakers for taking valuable time off their busy schedules to give their respective talks. We would also like to thank the audience for their participation.

 

16th AAPS-NUS Student Chapter Executive Committee Signing Off … …

 
 

ExplainMyResearch e-Conference 2021

(20th April 2021)

The second iteration of the ExplainMyResearch Conference, themed “NUS Meets Industry 2021” was held on Tuesday, 20 April 2021. With a focus on translational dissolution and biopharmaceutical research, new drug delivery strategies, and industrial applications of nanotechnology research, the event drew an audience of more than 250 people.

The event was jointly organized by the Pharmaceutical Innovation & Research Centre (PIRC), Department of Pharmacy, National University of Singapore (NUS) and the AAPS-NUS Student Chapter, together with the scientific leadership of the Controlled Release Society (CRS), the Society for Pharmaceutical Dissolution Science (SPDS), and A*Star CoRE-Net (in partnership with Vifor Pharma, Sotax, Corbion, and Malvern Panalytical).

Featuring 23 eminent academic and industry speakers from 9 countries across the globe (i.e. Singapore, USA, UK, Germany, France, Switzerland, The Netherlands, Russia & India), the conference was held online via Zoom, with real-time presentation and Q&A sessions. This allowed interested participants from anywhere around the globe to attend, facilitating scientifically invigorating and insightful discussions unencumbered by geographical boundaries.

Professor Lee Chuen Neng (“CN”) from the Department of Surgery, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, NUS gave the opening address. The keynote lectures were delivered by Professor Jennifer Dressman, from the Fraunhofer Institute for Translational Medicine and Pharmacology, Germany, and Associate Professor Matthias G. Wacker from the Department of Pharmacy, NUS.

 

This was then followed by three parallel sessions on Dissolution, Drug Delivery and Nanoencapsulation respectively, with speakers sharing their exciting research in their respective domain areas.

 

In line with the AAPS-NUS Student Chapter’s aims of promoting and facilitating pharmaceutical science education as well as providing pharmaceutical science students with opportunities for professional advancement, the conference also featured student speakers in each parallel session. Mr. Shakti Nagpal, a PhD student from the Department of Pharmacy, NUS shared about his research in the Nanoencapsulation session, with a talk titled “High-Throughput Nanoformulation Development, A QbD-based Approach”. Students from Institute of Chemical Technology, India and Birla Institute of Technology and Science (Hyderabad), India also had opportunities to present their research work in the other sessions.

 

At the end of the event, the participants reconvened for closing remarks delivered by Professor Thorsten Wohland, the Vice Dean for Research at the Faculty of Science (FoS), NUS.

 

Our heartfelt gratitude and appreciation goes out to all organizing partners and participants for making this conference a success. We hope that all participants found the event fruitful and we look forward to another fulfilling conference next year.

 

16th AAPS-NUS Student Chapter Executive Committee Signing Off … …

 

2019-2020

AAPS-NUS and AAPS-Monash Joint Virtual Symposium 2020

NUS and Monash University

(23rd Sept 2020)

Group photo of organizers and participants at the Virtual Symposium 2020

The AAPS Student Chapter from National University of Singapore and Monash University, Melbourne successfully organized the first NUS-Monash joint virtual symposium on 23^rd Sept 2020. The theme of the symposium was “Advances in Interdisciplinary Pharmaceutical Research” focusing on recent discovery and development in pharmaceutics. With nearly 100 attendees from both NUS and Monash side, the symposium was held via zoom session. The total number of abstracts submitted was 28 among which 4 students from each university were selected for the presentation. Besides, 2 keynote speakers from each university shared their insights and experiences on respective field of expertise.

The day began with a welcome message from Ms. Jamie Lam, Vice-president of AAPS-Monash University and a welcome address from Prof Christina Chai, Head of Department, Department of Pharmacy, NUS and A/Prof Joseph Nicolazzo, Associate Dean of Graduate Research, Monash University. A/Prof Erica Sloan was the first speaker of the day. Her presentation on the effect of the sympathetic nervous system on cancer progression gave a kick-off start to the symposium. In her presentation, she shared how stress and beta-adrenergic signaling regulated metastasis. Her insights on the beta-blockers in preventing malignancy in breast cancer was the major highlight of the event. Following her, were two post-graduate student presenters, Tran Thi Ngoc Quy (NUS) and Cassandra J Hatzipantelis (Monash) who presented on their research experience on novel inflammatory drugs and ex vivo behavioral testing on pharmacological methods respectively. Their assorted expertise attracted diverse participants in the symposium. A/Prof Mattias Wacker from NUS was the second keynote speaker of the day. His insights and expertise in pharmacokinetics and nanomedicine warmed up the session welcoming 100 curious attendees for the morning session. 2 postgraduates, Mugilarasi Purushothamam (NUS) and Hajira Bilal (Monash) presented their understandings on Tolypamide, a prenylated cynobactin and optimization of antibiotic administration, respectively. The wide distribution of expertise from modeling to clinical trials and hands-on experiments maintained the enthusiasm among the participants.

Dr. Angus Johnston from Monash University was the first keynote speaker of afternoon session who presented on Nanoescapology. His presentation on drug delivery and engineered molecular sensors for trafficking nanoparticles in the cells made quite an impression to 70 energetic attendees. Prof. Eric Chan from NUS was the fourth keynote speaker of the day. Through his presentation, he shared with us his expertise on physiologically based pharmacokinetic modeling, drug-drug-disease interactions of Rivaroxaban. His presentation welcomed the most curious minds maintaining the enthusiasm among the participants.  2 students from each university presented for the afternoon session. Tang Wei Tat Lloyd, Amali Gappaththi Guruge, Serena Teo and Mohua Das presented on mechanism-based inactivation of cytochrome P450 3A4, aqueous phase behavior of lipid-based formulations, cytosolic delivery of endosomal escape peptides and multiprotein dynamic combinatorial chemistry respectively. The diversity on the field was maintained throughout the session welcoming all brilliant mind in this one-day affair.

The event was concluded by a closing address delivered by Mr. Yub Raj Neupane, president of AAPS-NUS along with feedback from the faculty and administration. Overall, it was a successful event with a joint effort from NUS and Monash University.

We would like to extend our gratitude to all the speakers and participants for joining us in the adventure despite the pandemic. Special mention to Dr. Ong Pei Shi, faculty advisor, AAPS-NUS student chapter for the support and guidance throughout the planning and plotting of the symposium.

Lastly, we would like to extend our sincere gratitude to the AAPS-Monash family for their cooperation and collaboration to make this event possible despite the pandemic.

 

 

2018-2019

2019 UNM-Biomed/AAPS-NUS PharmSci@Asia Symposium

University of Nottingham Malaysia

(24^th – 25^th July 2019)

Group photo of delegates at the UNM-Biomed/AAPS-NUS PharmSci@Asia Symposium 2019

A team of NUS faculty members, post-graduate and exchange students from the department of pharmacy attended a two-day program of oral & poster presentations as well as industrial visit at the UNM-Biomed/AAPS-NUS PharmSci@Asia Symposium 2019. The symposium, co-hosted by AAPS-NUS student chapter committee and UNM’s counterparts, took place from 24th to 25th of July in the University of Nottingham Malaysia. With nearly 100 attendees, this year’s conference was our grandest yet. Abstracts received originated from a wide of study disciplines; namely biomedical, bioelectronics, pharmaceutical chemistry, pharmaceutical technology and pharmacy practice.

Group photo during the industrial visit to Duopharma Manufacturing (Bangi) Sdn. Bhd

The highlight of the first day was an eye-opening visit to Duopharma Manufacturing (Bangi) Sdn. Bhd. The manufacturing site was built in 1976 in Bangi, Selangor and was acquired by CCM Berhad in 1995 which subsequently became a wholly-owned subsidiary. After a series of consolidation, merger and de-merger, the site now focuses on manufacturing a wide range of pharmaceutical products. Being the second largest company in Malaysia in terms of sales, emphasis was placed highly on quality assurance and quality control (QA/QC). A peek at their manufacturing process gave substantial insight on how the state-of-the-art Intermediate Bulk Container (IBC) manufacturing format has enabled the manufacture of 1-ton batches for efficient production of tablets, capsules and mini-tablets in capsules.

On day 2, the symposium was jointly opened by Professor Deborah Hall, Vice-Provost (Research and Knowledge Exchange), UNM as well as Professor Christina Chai, Head of Department of Pharmacy, Faculty of Science, NUS. Our visiting faculty members, A/Prof Ho Han Kiat and A/Prof Rachel Ee also gave insightful keynote speeches during the conference.

 

 

The symposium continued with a set of oral and poster presentations on biomedical and pharmaceutical research, describing new and exciting initiatives by participating universities on solving healthcare-related issues in today’s evolving research landscape. The symposium concluded with a gift exchange between the two organizing universities and, an award ceremony to all outstanding presenters. Congratulations to all award winners!

 

Special thanks to Dr Ong Pei Shi and Dr New Siu Yee, respective faculty advisors for AAPS-NUS and UNM biomed student committees, for their unwavering supporting and prudent guidance along both the planning and execution phases of the symposium. The student committees deeply appreciate their help, without which this symposium would not have been such success. The committee members have also benefited greatly by learning the modus operandi for a joint symposium to work. Once again, for all the big and small things you’ve contributed, thank you!

Lastly but, most importantly, the participating students appreciate the hospitality shown by UNM. Our short stint at UNM has turned into a pleasant and long-lasting experience!

For all of us, it had been an invaluable milestone in our career to present our research work on an international platform. We would like to express our most heartfelt gratitude for this opportunity.

 

Expanding boundaries- Industrial Visit to ST Healthcare

AAPS-NUS Student Chapter 2019 arranged an industrial visit to ST Healthcare, Singapore on 22nd Feb 2019. ST Healthcare is healthcare solution service provider, whose primary mission statement is to bring value to healthcare institutions and companies by improving healthcare supply chain processes, and to be an enabler to healthier living.

The purpose of the visit was to provide the post graduate students a good exposure to various opportunities in the healthcare supply chain sector.

Graduate students from the Department of Pharmacy, National University of Singapore accompanied by our Faculty advisor, Dr. Ong Pei Shi, received a warm welcome from Dr Oh Ching Mien at the ST Healthcare office. He gave us an overall view about the services offered by ST Healthcare to provide focussed delivery of services into the healthcare arena, in the health screenings processes to review overall health status to detect undiagnosed diseases or conditions that may cause disability and death and in the field of aviation medicine services.

As Pharmacy post-graduate students, it was helpful to interact with the staff at ST healthcare, many of whom are alumni of our department. The career advisory session introduced us to various potential career paths in healthcare sector upon graduation.

This was followed by a tour of the ST healthcare offices and their warehouse. We were amazed by their state-of-the-art dedicated warehouse in-house technologies and equipments, that not only helped maximize operational efficiency but also ensured the integrity of stocks with utmost diligence.

Overall, it was a very successful and informative day for the graduate students, who engaged in a healthy interaction with the industrial mentors to have a better understanding on the pharmaceutical industry and the broad spectrum of career options open for us upon graduation.

2017-2018

SYSU-AAPS-NUS 13^th  PharmSci@Asia Symposium 2018

New Frontiers in Pharmaceutical Sciences and Healthcare
(14th – 16th June 2018)
School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Sun Yat Sen University, Guangzhou, China

The 13th PharmSci@Asia Symposium jointly hosted by NUS-AAPS Student Chapter and Sun Yat-Sen University (SYSU) was held on 14-16 Jun 2018 at the School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, China. The theme of this year’s symposium was “New Frontiers in Pharmaceutical Sciences and Healthcare”.

The full-day symposium was well attended by delegates from SYSU, NUS, University of Macau and Central South University, where a total of 5 faculty members and 11 postgraduates from the attending universities gave oral presentations. In addition, there were more than 25 posters on competitive display. Topics discussed encompassed formulation technology, pharmacokinetics, biomedical sciences, pharmacogenomics and pharmacoepigenetics.

Group photo of delegates at the 13th PharmSci@Asia SymposiumThe NUS delegation at the 13th PharmSci@Asia Symposium

The AAPS NUS and SYSU student chapters who worked hand in hand to make the event a success

The two-day event began with a welcome address by Professor Wu Chuanbin, Vice Dean and Professor of Pharmaceutics at SYSU’s Department of Pharmacy. Mr Dai Yu and Ms Peng Tingting, chairpersons of the AAPS-NUS and AAPS-SYSU student chapters subsequently introduced the AAPS organization, its objectives and activities targeted at graduate students. A series of faculty presentations stimulated lively discussion among the participants.

Professor Wu Chuanbin delivering the opening address (Left). Dr Lin Haishu shared his findings on Isorhapontigenin: a promising dietary polyphenol for nutraceutical (Right).
Dr Quan Guilan presenting on reinforced dissolving microneedles and its therapeutic application to hypertrophic scars (Left). A/P Chew Eng Hui sharing her findings on the redox sensitivity of apoptosis inducing factor (AIF) (Right).

A morning tea break and lunch provided ample opportunities for poster viewing, networking and cultural exchanges.

   
Symposium participants during the poster viewing session

The afternoon session commenced with a series of student presentations, creating an excellent platform for like-minded budding scientists to showcase the culmination of their research efforts across the different domains of pharmaceutical science. Awards were presented for the two best podium and poster presentations.

Mr Lim Seng Han presenting his research work which involves the development of a 3D printed human respiratory tract assembly for inhalation drug testing (Left). Miss Chen Yixin delivering her presentation on the effects of carnitine palmitoyltransferases on cancer cellular senescence (Right).

The event came to a close with A/P Chew Eng Hui and A/Prof Bi Huichang delivering closing addresses on behalf of NUS and SYSU respectively.

A/Prof Chew Eng Hui and A/Prof Bi Huichang exchanging gifts on behalf of both schools.

On the second day, NUS delegates were invited to tour Neworld Pharmaceuticals, a local pharmaceutical company set up by Professor Wu Chuanbin. Delegates gained useful insights into the prospects of the pharmaceutical industry in China.

Symposium delegates with the staff at Neworld Pharmaceuticals

Overall, participants benefited tremendously from the scientific and cross-cultural exchange that occurred during the two-day symposium. Lasting friendships were forged, which would definitely pave the way for future collaborations.

 

AAPS-NUS Student Chapter Grant Writing Workshop 2018
(12^th March 2018)
At the Department of Pharmacy, National University of Singapore

The American Association of Pharmaceutical Scientists – National University of Singapore (AAPS-NUS) Student Chapter organized a “Grant Writing Workshop” on 12 March 2018, which witnessed an attendance of 18 participants, including graduate students and staff from the Department of Pharmacy, NUS.

The workshop started with an informative and engaging presentation by A/Prof Andrea Kwa, who shared valuable insights on the process of writing grants. Dr Kwa walked the audience through the key elements of a grant application proposal and emphasized how a compelling narrative in the “first page” is imperative to capture the attention of the reviewers.

 A/P Andrea Kwa delivering her presentation

 

In his subsequent presentation, besides providing perspectives on writing and reviewing grants, A/P Victor Yu also underscored how challenges are inevitable in the journey to good grantsmanship. Nevertheless, he encouraged all the young scientists in the room to start by equipping themselves with a scientific mindset; by reading widely, asking questions and generating ideas through interactions with members of the scientific community.

A/P Victor Yu delivering his presentation.

The workshop ended with an open discussion between students and speakers, allowing for the dynamic exchange of thoughts and queries. Overall, participants benefited tremendously from the information and experiences shared by the two speakers.

 

2016-2017

 AAPS-NUS Student Chapter 12th PharmSci@Asia Symposium 2017
Innovating Pharmaceutical Sciences, Advancing Health Care
(4th – 5th July 2017)

The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong

The PharmSci@Asia Symposium is an annual event organized by the American Association of Pharmaceutical Scientists – National University of Singapore (AAPS-NUS) Student Chapter in collaboration with other universities in the region. This year, the ANSC co-organized the 12th PharmSci@Asia Symposium with the School of Pharmacy, the Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK) on 4 – 5th July 2017 at the Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong.

The theme of this year’s symposium was “Innovating Pharmaceutical Sciences, Advancing Health Care”. The event was held in conjunction with the CUHK Summer Workshop for Pharmacy Research, and was attended by a total of 85 delegates from the National University of Singapore (NUS), CUHK and other universities in Hong Kong and mainland China. There were 6 faculty speakers, 10 podium presentations and 23 poster presentations by students. The research work presented covered a multidisciplinary breadth of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Biomedical Science, Pharmaceutical Technology and Pharmacy Practice, as befitted the theme of the symposium.

Group photo of delegates at the PharmSci@Asia symposium

The NUS Delegation at the 12th PharmSci@Asia Symposium

The AAPS NUS and CUHK student chapters who worked hand in hand to make the event a success.

Professor Joan Zuo, Director of the CUHK School of Pharmacy, officiated the opening of the event. This was followed by a talk by Professor Vincent Lee from CUHK who shared his experience on launching a research career. His insightful talk was very helpful to graduate students as young, budding scientists. The audience also learned about the research work carried out at CUHK with presentations by the CUHK Pharmacy Professors. There was also an introduction of the AAPS organization, its objectives and activities targeted at graduate students in the audience. The eventful day ended with a tour of the research facilities at the CUHK School of Pharmacy.

 

Professor Joan Zuo delivering the opening address (Left)Professor Vivian Lee introducing the scope of her research work to the audience (Right).

The program on the second day comprised a welcome address by Professor Joan Zuo, as well as an address by Dr. Ong Pei Shi, the AAPS-NUS Student Chapter faculty advisor. Dr. Ong shared with the audience a brief history and introduction of NUS, its Pharmacy Department, and the AAPS Student Chapter and its activities. Throughout the day, there were talks by faculty speakers, podium presentations by students, as well as poster presentations and viewing. Awards were presented for the two best podium and poster presentations. The event came to a close with an address by Ms. Foo Wen Chin, the chairperson of the AAPS-NUS Student Chapter.

       

    Dr Ong Pei Shi, AAPS-NUS Student Chapter faculty advisor, introducing the National University of Singapore and the student chapter(Left). Prof Joan Zuo and Dr Ong Pei Shi exchanging gifts on behalf of both schools(Right).

   
Dr Lin Haishu delivering his talk on naturally occuring stillbenes beyond resveratrol: superior anti-inflammatory potencies and favorable pharmacokinetics (Left). Ms Chores Wang presenting her research work on translational pharmacokinetic model for predictions of DB213 nose-to-brain transport (Right).

  
Ms. Tran Thi Ngoc Quy sharing the development of novel inhibitors of the Chikungunya virus (Left). Symposium participants during the poster sessions (Right).  
Participants testing the application of the handheld ECG device which was used in one of the studies (Left). Ms. Xiaohui Wei presenting her work on adipocytes-derived collagen reorganization in breast cancer(Right).

The two-day scientific exchange displayed a strong emphasis on scientific fundamentals while highlighting the importance of making progress through continuous innovation. Participants benefited greatly from the exchanges of new ideas, updates in the field and networking opportunities.

Feedback from symposium participants:

“The symposium has been an exciting experience as researchers from different countries come together to discuss their research work and exchange insightful pointers. I learned tremendously from the professors and postgraduate students from both NUS and CUHK. Overall, the symposium is a great platform for students and professors to come together and learn from each other.”~Cheryl Wong, graduate student from NUS Pharmacy

“The symposium was a huge success with many interesting presentations from faculty speakers and students. It allowed the participants to gain valuable insights on the exciting discoveries that were made recently.”~Dr. Ong Pei Shi, NUS Pharmacy

AAPS-NUS Student Chapter: Visiting Scientist Program 2017
Professor Yuichi Sugiyama
At the Department Of Pharmacy, National University Of Singapore on 27 (February 2017)

The Visiting Scientist Program of AAPS provides an excellent forum for pharmaceutical scientists to visit colleges and share their knowledge, personal experiences, and ingenious ideas with students. The graduate students pursuing research are always going through an ordeal trying to strike a balance between lab-acquired and industry-required skills. Building on a professional network becomes a lucrative skill to stay ahead in such competitive times..

“The Visiting Scientist Program is a golden opportunity for students and faculty to gain first-hand knowledge of cutting edge pharmaceutical science. The program allows scientists to stimulate the students’ interest in the field by sharing their experience and expertise.”

The American Association of Pharmaceutical Scientists – National University of Singapore Student Chapter (ANSC) embarked on a new year with the Visiting Scientist Program under AAPS-PPDM education initiative on 27th February, 2017. The distinguished guest was Professor Yuichi Sugiyama.

Prof. Sugiyama serves as the Head of the Sugiyama Laboratory at the RIKEN Innovation Center in Tokyo. His research focuses on two areas: 1) prediction of drug disposition from in vitro biochemical data, and 2) molecular pharmacokinetics of drug transport in the liver, kidney, intestines and brain. His original articles published between January 1997 and February 2007, have received the highest number of citations in the field. In particular, the article “Studies on drug transporters and the quantitative analysis of the role of drug transporters in drug clearance and tissue distribution of drugs” has been highly cited for the last 10 years. He was ranked as the top cited scientist in the field of Pharmacology & Toxicology and has received numerous awards and prizes including: the PSWC (Pharmaceutical Sciences World Conference) Research Achievement Award in 2007, John G. Wagner Pfizer Lectureship Award in Pharmaceutical Sciences in 2006. With a distinguished career spanning more than 30 years, he has established himself as an internationally recognized leader in pharmacology and toxicology, renowned for his pioneering research in the emerging field of transporter biology. Apart from research, he indulges in playing golf, watching baseball, listening and singing hip-hop music.

The event encompassed the Scientific Presentation by Prof Sugiyama, a guided and interactive tour of the Laboratory for Experimental and Applied Pharmacokinetics and Pharmaco-omics (LEAP2) of NUS Pharmacy, four research presentations by Pharmacy postgraduates, ending with the afternoon tea Career Development Talk for postgraduate students.

Dr. Kang Lifeng, the faculty advisor of AAPS-NUS student chapter gave the welcome speech and introduced Prof. Sugiyama to an enthusiastic audience of 60. Prof. Sugiyama’s first talk of the day was on “Drug Transporters: Role In Pharmacokinetics/Pharmacodynamics/Toxicodynamics”. He shared meaningful insights into the research arena of drug transporters before engaging the intrigued audience with a brainstorming session of questions and answers. The audience were in for a pleasant surprise when he announced he was giving prizes for the best question asked by postgraduate students.

           Picture from top left to bottom left (clockwise): i) Dr. Kang Lifeng giving the welcome address; ii) Prof. Sugiyama giving his presentation; iii) Dr Lin Haishu asking a question; iv) Aneesh receiving the ‘Best Question’ Prize  

Pictures from left to right: i) Prof. Sugiyama with A/P Eric Chan discussing student posters at LEAP2; ii) Prof. Paul Ho, Dr Lau Aik Jiang and Dr Lin Haishu with Prof. Sugiyama.

        Pictures from top left to bottom left): i) Tee Jie Kai; ii) Eleanor Jing Yi Cheong; iii) Siyan Chen; iv) Mai Gamal Ahmed making their presentations to Prof. Sugiyama and the audience.

The eventful day came to an end on an optimistic note with Prof. Sugiyama’s career talk. The topic entitled “FORK IN THE ROAD: Which road should be selected? Why do you select it?” aroused a lot of curiosity among the 30 postgraduate students. The distinguished speaker drew numerous instances from his personal life explaining what helped him excel in a competitive research career. He shared the motto he lives by : ‘I am ok, you are ok’. The Q&A session was intriguing. He replied to the question “Which factors attribute the most towards his immense successful position today?” was “an unwavering passion towards science”. Prof. Sugiyama left a lasting impression that has inspired the budding researchers and faculty members.

        Picture from top left to bottom left: i) Prof. Sugiyama during the career development talk; ii) Prof. Sugiyama sharing excerpts from his life with students during Q&A;
iii) Prof. Sugiyama with the graduate students of the department; iv) AAPS-NUS Student Chapter Ex-committee with Prof. Sugiyama, Dr Kang Lifeng and A/P Chan Sui Yung. The next day Prof. Sugiyama visited the Labs working on Pharmacokinetics, Pharmacodynamics, and Drug Metabolism (PPDM) followed by meeting and discussion with the lab members. The meeting was very insightful and helping to lab members.

       
Picture from left to right: i) Prof. Sugiyama with A/P Eric Chan group; ii) Prof. Sugiyama sharing with Dr Lau Aik Jiang group.

 

The 12th AAPS-NUS Student Chapter Executive Committee extends our warmest thanks and appreciation to the following who made this event possible:
Staff and students of the Department of Pharmacy, National University of Singapore. Sponsors:

  

2015-2016

 11th PharmSci@Asia Symposium 2016
“Integrating Pharmaceutical Research with Clinical Care”

Since 2005, the American Association of Pharmaceutical Scientists-National University of Singapore Student Chapter (ANSC) has successfully co-organized ten conferences with other universities in Asia. This year, the student-initiated 11th PharmSci@Asia Symposium 2016, co-organized by NUS and the staff and students of Taipei Medical University (TMU) was held on 14-16th June, 2016 at Taipei Medical University, Taipei, Taiwan.

This year’s theme for the symposium was “Integrating Pharmaceutical Research with Clinical Care”. Attended by more than 50 delegates from universities in Indonesia, China, Taiwan and Singapore, the program of the symposium included talks from 4 podium presentations by faculty members, 10 student podium presentations and 18 poster presentation by students. For this event, a total of 31 abstracts for podium and poster presentations were received. The topics discussed ranged from the latest advancement in medicinal chemistry and biomedical sciences, to pharmaceutical technology and pharmacy practice. An industrial visit to Purzer Pharmaceutical Co. Ltd. was also organized for delegates.

 

Symposium delegates with the staff at Purzer Pharmaceuticals Co. Ltd. 

Delegates at the 11th PharmSci@Asia Symposium 2016. 

Speakers from left: Dr. Lifeng Kang, Dr Haishu Lin and A/Prof Nancy Ko. 

    
     Poster viewing sessions, where poster presenters passionately shared about their research work.

                
Winners of the best poster (Left) and podium (Right) awards.

 

Beyond Academics — An Industrial Visit to GlaxoSmithKline (GSK)

By: Wang Ying & Seng Han

Proudly organised by the 11th AAPS-NUS student chapter and GSK HR Projects Lead, Asia Headquarters, an industrial visit for NUS Pharmacy graduate students to one of the largest pharmaceutical company in the world, GlaxoSmithKline (GSK), was held on the 15 January 2016 (Friday). The visit comprised of a plant tour at GSK’s Global Vaccines Manufacturing Facility at Tuas in the morning, followed by a roundtable session at GSK’s Gateway West Office, Beach Road, Singapore, in the afternoon.

With a mission to improve the quality of human life by enabling people to do more, feel better and live longer, GSK does research and development of a broad range of innovative products in three primary areas of Pharmaceuticals, Vaccines and Consumer Healthcare. GSK also has a significant global presence with commercial operations in more than 150 countries, a network of 84 manufacturing sites in 36 countries and large research and development centres in the UK, USA, Spain, Belgium and China. Presently in Singapore, GSK has 4 sites: the corporate and commercial offices at Gateway; global manufacturing sites at both Jurong and Quality Road; as well as a global vaccines manufacturing facility at Tuas.

Being the world leader in vaccine innovation and manufacturing, GSK has one of the strongest vaccine pipeline, with over 20 vaccines in clinical development and provides 30 prescribed vaccines for preventing life-threatening or crippling illnesses. The students were honoured to visit the global vaccines manufacturing facility at Tuas, Singapore, which specialized on the production of SYNFLORIX®, a pneumococcal conjugate vaccine. Dr. D’hauwe Oliver, who has been working in GSK for 10 years on process development, gave a welcome speech and introduced GSK vaccines to our students. A detailed manufacturing process of vaccines was explained to the students, followed by a poster gallery tour. The staff from quality control, manufacturing, and engineering department also introduced to the students about their routine working processes for manufacturing polysaccharide bulk and conjugated vaccines.

Overall, this was a very successful and informative career advisory session for the graduate students to open up their horizon to the pharmaceutical industry. More importantly, this event serves as an initiative for the AAPS-NUS student chapter to engage more interaction with industrial mentors.

 

NUS Pharmacy Graduate Students at GSK Global Vaccines Manufacturing Facility,Tuas, Singapore.
Later in the afternoon, it was our privilege to have a roundtable session, together with a distinguished panel of senior executives with varying specialties and experiences:

1) Dr Sanjoy Datta, Vice-President, Clinical R&D & Medical Affairs Asia Pacific.

2) Olivia Chua, Vaccines Market Lead, Vaccines Commercial, Asia Pacific.

3) Kerwin Low, Head of Regulatory Hub, Asia.

4) Dr Ajay Tiku, Vice President, Medical, Asia Pacific North Asia & South Asia.

5) Dipal Patel, General Manager, Pharmaceuticals and Vaccines, Singapore.

The roundtable session was warmly received by our graduate students. There were a total of 20 graduate students from various research backgrounds, including clinical pharmacy, medicinal chemistry, pharmaceutics, etc. A brief outline of GSK’s global operation and special programmes was explained to us before the panel discussion began. During the session, the senior executives shared their respective career pathways prior to and during their time in GSK and also their personal reasons for choosing to work with GSK. There were constant referrals to the values of GSK as one of the main reasons for choosing GSK as their company of choice. This, gave us students an excellent reference on how we may make our career choices in future. The panel members were also very encouraging and addressed the importance of being flexible and open-minded to work in different areas from one’s own specialty, especially for those who aspire to seek a career in the dynamic pharmaceutical industry.

In addition, the panel members shared their thoughts on GSK’s decision to become the first pharmaceutical company in the world to stop paying healthcare professionals to speak about its prescription products or therapy areas. GSK has also stopped providing direct financial support to individual healthcare professionals to attend medical congresses. Instead, GSK will support independent medical education via third party organisations and make it easier for doctors to independently access information about its treatments using a variety of digital channels. This clearly illustrates GSK’s commitment to transparency and the confidence that it has in the quality of its medicines options. Finally, we had a glimpse of what is up and coming for GSK Singapore, in terms of its medicinal products and also its increased efforts to educate the public on health and medicine through the internet and social media platforms.

NUS Pharmacy Graduate Students at GSK Corporate & Commercial Office, Gateway, Singapore.Overall, this was a very successful and informative day for the graduate students to have a better understanding on the pharmaceutical industry. It also provided us an insight on the operations of GSK and its active involvement in promoting health worldwide, helping people do more, feel better and live longer.

The AAPS-NUS Student Chapter would like to extend our heartfelt gratitude to Ms Yu-Lynn Teo, GSK HR Projects Lead, Asia Headquarters for coordinating this whole event and her tremendous effort in liaising with all the important personnel to make this event possible. Also, our deepest appreciation goes to Dr Sumitra Shantakumar, Regional Epidemiology Director Worldwide Epidemiology Asia Pacific and North Asia, for linking us up with the relevant department to begin the discussion about this event.

 

 

Career Guidance Session: Careers in the Pharmaceutical Industry – From the Eye of an Epidemiologist

By Xu Min

The AAPS-NUS student chapter had the honor of organizing a career advisory session for graduate students with Dr Kourtney Davis and Dr Sumitra Shantakumar from GlaxoSmithKline (GSK). The 45-minute discussion session was held on 1st December, 2015, at the Department of Pharmacy, National University of Singapore.

Dr Kourtney Davis is the Real World Data Analytical Head at GSK, where she is accountable for defining GSK’s strategic direction for the real world data (RWD) and building the necessary capabilities to expand the utilization of RWD across GSK. She has spent the last 16 years of her career with GSK and worked extensively on epidemiology programs to support drug development, regulatory submissions and post-authorization evaluations. She also serves as an adjunct assistant professor of epidemiology at the UNC Gillings School of Public Health and has published extensively on the epidemiology and burden of respiratory disease, real world use of respiratory medications and their effects in populations.

The career session with Dr Davis received a warm response among the graduate students. There were 24 participants from various research backgrounds, including clinical pharmacy, medicinal chemistry, pharmaceutics, etc. During this session, Dr Davis and Dr Shantakumar shared their respective career pathways with GSK and personal experiences of working in the academia and pharmaceutical industry. They were very encouraging and addressed the importance of being flexible to work in different areas and developing effective communication skills, especially for those who aspire to seek a career in the pharmaceutical industry. A number of graduate students expressed their interest in working with GSK and were motivated by the company’s programs for talent development. Dr Davis also expressed her insightful opinions on the future direction of epidemiology RWD with the booming information technology. After discussion with Dr Davis and Dr Shantakumar, Pharmacy graduate students were clearer on career opportunities for PhDs in the very diverse pharmaceutical industry and gained better idea on the factors to consider when choosing between the fundamental research and applied science in future.

At the end of the morning plant tour, the students had a fruitful discussion and Q&A session with Dr. Oliver. He discussed about the knowledge gap that still needs to be filled in vaccine manufacturing. He also encouraged students to seek the opportunities of working in industry as talents are always needed for process improvement, product transfer/introduction, and innovation.

 

 

Career Talk by Dr. Wolfgang Sadee

By Himanshu Kathuria

The AAPS-NUS student chapter had the honor of organizing a career guidance session for graduate students with Professor Wolfgang Sadee during his visit to Singapore. The 1.5-hour discussion session was held on November 4th, 2015, at the Department of Pharmacy, National University of Singapore.

Professor Sadee is the Felts Mercer Professor of Medicine and Pharmacology at the Ohio State University, Columbus OH, and Director, Centre of Pharmacogenomics, with appointments in Psychiatry, Pharmacy, and Public Health, the Davis Heart & Lung Research Institute, and OSU comprehensive Cancer Centre. He has published 400 research papers, chapters, and monographs, and was a recipient of several prestigious awards, including the AAPS Distinguished Scientist Award in 2001, the first AAPS Research Achievement Award in Biotechnology and the Paul Dawson Award in Biotechnology from AACP, among others. He has also served as founding editor of Pharmaceutical Research and the newly launched open access AAPS Journal.

Professor Sadee is well known for his keen interest in research and student mentorship. During the session, the topics discussed ranged from options after PhD to career opportunities in both the academia and industry. Several students expressed their doubts and anxiety regarding research, funding, job and future opportunities, but Professor Sadee was very encouraging and motivated everyone to perform to the best of our abilities. Professor Sadee also shared his success story in research and how he managed to continue moving forward despite facing a number of failures. This fruitful discussion provided us an insight to conducting distinguished research. Besides, the students also learnt many important tips on how to secure jobs in the industry and carve our own career path. Overall, the session was very informative and all the students benefited tremendously from this discussion session with such a distinguished guest, not just in terms of the job opportunities in the academia and industry, but also in terms of life experiences.

                            

2014-2015

Report of the event: 10th PharmSci@Asia2015 Symposium

The 10th PharmSci@Asia2015 (Singapore) Symposium was held from 8th to 9th April 2015 at National University of Singapore, Singapore. PharmSci@Asia is a student-initiated joint symposium set up in 2006 by The American Association of Pharmaceutical Scientists-National University of Singapore Student Chapter (ANSC)

PharmSci@Asia is held annually and provides an excellent platform for research students and their professors in China and Singapore to share their latest research findings, exchange new ideas and network with like-minded colleagues who have similar passion for and interests in research.

For more information please visit the website PharmaSci@Asia_2015

10th PharmSci@Asia2015 Symposium Photo gallery

       

Informal Career Guidance Session

How can AAPS help us in our Career Advancement?

by Dr.Diane Burgess, Professor

To learn from her vast and varied experience, AAPS-NUS organized a career guidance session with Dr. Burgess on 14th November 2014 . Around 18 graduate students attended the talk and actively participated.

The session began with Dr Burgess sharing her journey from being a graduate student to becoming the Distinguished Professor in Pharmaceutics. She also talked about her involvement in the AAPS and the Control Release Society (CRS) along with her experience as the president of AAPS. Later she threw some light on the roles AAPS can play in the graduate life. It was quite enlightening to know how we can leverage the position as AAPS student member for job and research opportunities after the PhD studies. Most common questions from the students were whether to choose academia or industry; the future areas of research to focus on; how to manage grant writing process and secure funding; how to collaborate, the need and necessity for it etc. As most graduate students in NUS need to mentor undergraduate students, Dr. Burgess very kindly shared some tips on that as how to keep yourself and your student motivated. She also gave some insights into the current research environment in the US.

Overall, it was a very informative and insightful session for the graduate students. After the session, our Head of department, Prof. Chui Wei Keung presented Dr. Burgess with a token of appreciation.

  

2013-2014

Report of the event: 9th PharmSci@Asia2014 Symposium

Tth PharmSci@Asia2014 (China) Symposium was held from 5th to 6th June 2014 at Fudan University, Shanghai (China). PharmSci@Asia is a student-initiated joint symposium set up in 2006 by The American Association of Pharmaceutical Scientists-National University of Singapore Student Chapter (ANSC)

PharmSci@Asia is held annually and provides an excellent platform for research students and their professors in China and Singapore to share their latest research findings, exchange new ideas and network with like-minded colleagues who have similar passion for and interests in research.

for more information please visit the website PharmaSci@Asia_2014

 

Career Talk II – by Dr. Russell Weiner

The AAPS-NUS Student chapter along with Department of Pharmacy, NUS organized a seminar and a career development discussion session with Dr. Russell Weiner, Executive Director & Head, Merck Clinical Biomarker and Diagnostics Lab and Member-at-Large, AAPS at Department of Pharmacy, NUS.

Dr. Weiner, Executive Director & Head, Merck Clinical Biomarker and Diagnostics Lab, is an active member of the AAPS where he currently serves as a member of the AAPS Executive Board and is well known for his passion for student mentorship as part of the AAPS Visiting Scientist effort.

To gain useful insights from his mentoring experience, AAPS-NUS student chapter organized a career discussion session for graduate students with Dr. Weiner after his talk. The audience mainly comprised of graduate students who received useful training on soft skills and career development by Dr. Weiner. Apart from engaging the students in an active discussion, Dr. Weiner also helped in clearing their doubts and anxiety regarding the job application process by providing very valuable advice and suggestions for preparing one’s CV, how to apply for jobs and how to conduct oneself during a job interview. He gave some useful tips to students on how to handle the questions by tough interviewers and what skills are required to make a good impression on the interviewer.

 

 

Seminar – “Successful Implementation of Global Biomarker Strategies: Pre Analytics Matter (But is Often Ignored)” by Dr. Russell Weiner

The seminar was successfully held on 6th March, 2014 at Department of Pharmacy, NUS.

The AAPS-NUS Student chapter along with Department of Pharmacy, NUS organized a seminar and a career development discussion session with Dr. Russell Weiner, Executive Director & Head, Merck Clinical Biomarker and Diagnostics Lab and Member-at-Large, AAPS at Department of Pharmacy, NUS.

Dr. Weiner’s seminar topic was entitled “Successful Implementation of Global Biomarker Strategies: Pre Analytics Matter (But is Often Ignored)” which highlighted the importance of pre-analytical activities in any assay development and validation. Using several case studies as examples, he explained the importance of proper techniques for sample collection, processing, storage and shipping conditions, how any deviations from these conditions accounted for great variability in the data produced and the corrective guidance needed in common preanalytical areas of special concern.

The talk was received with a good response from not only graduate students and academic staff in Department of Pharmacy but also by researchers from other institutes such as Department of Chemical Engineering, Bioprocessing Technology Institute – A*STAR (BTI-A*STAR) and Merck staff. The talk was followed by an engaging Q&A session with the audience that helped further clarify their doubts related to pre-analytical and analytical assay development and validation.

 

Career Talk I by Professor David Williams : Nanotechnology in Food – Past, Present and Future

The event took place on November 19, 2013, National University of Singapore .

Professor David Williams is currently the Professor and Director of Regenerative Medicine at Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center, North Carolina, USA and Editor-in-Chief, Biomaterials. Prof. Williams was in NUS campus to deliver a talk in the “Nanotechnology in Food – Past, Present and Future” symposium and had kindly agreed to spare some of his time with our graduate students to have an informal discussion with them regarding career options in industry as well as academia. Around 12 graduate students attended the session and gained valuable tips from Prof. Williams guidance. The topics discussed ranged from options after PhD for post-doc positions in academic institutions or in an industry as well career opportunities in Singapore to that across the globe in other countries and academic institutions.

 

ITB-NUS Pharmacy Scientific Symposium 2013

The event took place on 12 Nov 2013, in University Hall Auditorium, National University of Singapore .

In this event 10 guests from Institute Technology Bandung, Indonesia participitated. Professor Sow Chorng Haur, Vice Dean (Research), Faculty of Science, NUS, was invited as Guest-of-Honour. Four keynote faculty speakers were invited to share their valuable experience. In addition 8 student gave oral presention while 18 posters were presented. The platform served as stage to share the research experiences and updates in pharmacy science by pharmacy faculties and graduate students.

To download the booklet for ITB-NUS Pharmacy Scientific Symposium 2013: Symposium Booklet Download

                      

                     

                     

                     

                      

2012-2013

8th PharmSci@Asia Symposium

This year, our 8th PharmSci@Asia Symposium was held on 29th and 30th May 2013, in China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing, Jiangsu, China.

We received more than 60 abstracts submission, and the participants were from several universities (National University of Singapore, Turfs University, China Pharmaceutical University, and Fudan University). In the symposium, we had 10 faculty speakers, 1 industrial speaker, and 10 student speakers.

For detailed information about the symposium, please visit our website: PharmSci@Asia Symposium

To download the booklet for 8th PharmSci@Asia Symposium: Symposium Booklet Download

ANSC Seminar: The Scientist – There and Back Again

The ANSC seminar titled “The Scientist: There and Back Again” was successfully held on 27 February, 2013. The event witnessed an attendance of around 40 graduate students from the Department of Pharmacy, NUS.

A/P Christina Chai from NUS Pharmacy shared her insights on career options post-PhD from her own experiences and perspectives. She has been remarkably candid on sharing both successes and challenges encountered during her transition from academia to a managerial position, and back again to academia. The graduate students have learned how they can be better prepared for their future careers through this seminar.

AAPS Seminar: Preparing for an Oral Defence

This event was successfully held on Wednesday, 09 Jan 2013. Our AAPS NUS-chapter committee invited A/P Go Mei Lin, Dr Gigi Chui, and Dr Cheong Hanhui to give us the advices and hints in the oral defense. They shared the examiners’ perspectives in judging the presentation, and teached us some basic strategies to manage Q&A session.

This talk is very useful for our postgraduate students, since we have several compulsory oral presentaions in doing PhD. There were over 50 students attended the seminar, and this was more than our expectation.

 

2011-2012

Career seminar II:Transitioning from PhD to Academia

The second career seminar “Transitioning from PhD to Academia” was successfully held on Thursday, 12 January 2011. This event was held together with an introduction program “Graduate Studies and Opportunities in NUS Pharmacy” organized by Pharmacy Graduate Committee. The audience included undergraduate and graduate students, research fellows and faculty members from Department of Pharmacy, NUS.

Pharmacy alumnus Dr Kevin Yap, Assistant Professor at Institute of Digital Healthcare, University of Warwick, UK, shared with the audience about his PhD journey and career development after graduation. He also gave current students some useful tips on publications, thesis writing and CV preparation.

Career seminar: “Experiencing PhD Life and Life after PhD”

The first career seminar titled “Experiencing PhD Life and Life after PhD” was successfully held on 2nd December, 2011. The event witnessed an attendance of around 40 participants, including undergraduate and graduate students, research fellows and faculty members from the Department of Pharmacy, NUS.

A/Prof Chan Sui Yung giving the opening speech

The seminar took off with an opening speech by A/Prof Chan Sui Yung to welcome the two speakers back to the NUS Pharmily. In her speech, she encouraged the graduate students to adopt a holistic development during their PhD journey, and not just focusing on the pursuit of scientific knowledge alone.

Dr. Pasikanti Kishore Kumar

Dr. Kishore, Senior Scientist at GSK Singapore and a NUS Pharmacy alumnus, then gave a very insightful talk on how to improve time management and manage expectations during the long journey of PhD life. He also generously shared with the attendees many of the useful resources which he employs to help him work more efficiently, as well as keeping track of his own work progress.

Dr. Ling Leong Uung, Nicole

Following the talk from Dr Kishore, Dr Nicole, Scientist at Procter & Gamble Singapore and a NUS Pharmacy alumnus, also shared with the attendees her experiences and her holistic development during her own PhD journey. The career seminar ended with an open discussion between attendees and the two speakers, and some attendees stayed back to interact further with the two speakers to learn more about their industrial experiences.

2010-2011

1st PharmSci@Indonesia Symposium

The 1st PharmSci@Indonesia Symposium, an inaugural event, was successfully held at the Institute Technology of Bandung (ITB) on the 11th June 2011. There were over 80 participants with representatives from University of Indonesia, Padjajaran University, Jenderal Ahmadyani University, Pancasila University, Sekolah Tinggi Farmasi Indonesia, Sekolah Tinggi Farmasi Bandung. The event was officially opened by the dean of School of Pharmacy of ITB, A/P Daryono Hadi Tjahono and A/P Go Mei Lin, Deputy Head of Pharmacy Department, NUS. The guest-of-honour of our event, Prof Gert Storm from the Utrecht University, gave the first lecture on “Targeted Nanomedicine: From Design to Clinical Application” introducing to audiences the European Commission (FP6) MEDITRANS project on targeted nanomedicines. Other plenary speakers included A/P Go Mei Lin, Dr Kang Lifeng and Dr Debbie S. Retnoningrum from ITB. In total, 8 graduate students from both organizing universities presented. Posters were also presented by ITB students. The best oral and posters were won by NUS and ITB students respectively. On the 13th June, lecturers and students from both NUS and ITB travelled to Jakarta for an industrial visit to 2 pharmaceutical companies, Kalbe and Ferron.

 
Prof  Gert Storm                                           Assoc Prof Go Mei Lin

Student organizers from NUS and ITB with A/P Go (3rd from left) and Dr Kang (2nd from left)

    
Industrial visit to Kalbe (left) and Ferron (right)

Group photo of the speakers and participants at the end of the symposium

The 6th PharmSci@Asia Symposium

The 6th PharmSci@Asia Symposium, co-organised by members of the AAPS-National University of Singapore Student Chapter and the students of Nanjing University, Fudan University (FDU) and China Pharmaceutical University (CPU), was held at the Nanjing University (NJU) on 26-27 May 2011.  More than 90 participants from 9 universities and institutions participated with support from our regular sponsors (AAPS and NUS Pharmacy) as well as contributions by the State Key Laboratory of Pharmaceutical Biotechnology of NJU, the Simcere Pharmaceutical group and the Jiangsu Chia-Tai Tianqing Pharmaceutical Co. Ltd.

On the first day, the students visited 2 emerging pharmaceutical companies that were established less than 20 years ago – the Simcere Pharmaceutical group and the Jiangsu Chia-tai Tianqing Pharmaceutical Co. Ltd. The trend and need for more powerful and effective drugs in healthcare have spurred these companies to integrate their research, discovery, manufacture and sales into their business plans. This tour gave us a good insight into the fast-growing pharmaceutical manufacturing sector in China and we were also enlightened on the career prospects in the pharmaceutical industry.

The second day of the symposium kicked off with the welcome address by Professor Hu Yiqiao of NJU and Dr Kang Lifeng of NUS. We gave a very special welcome to Professor Bhaskara R. Jasti who is the first AAPS representative to grace the PharmSci@Asia Symposium series since its inception in 2005. Professor Bhaskara serves as the Chair of AAPS Bay Area Discussion Group (BADG) and Chairman of Pharmaceutics and Medicinal Chemistry department at the University of the Pacific. Professor Bhaskara shared on the recent activities of AAPS student chapters before continuing on his research work entitled ‘Folic Acid and Integrin Targeted Drug Delivery of Anticancer Drugs’. His presentation was definitely an inspiration to many.

Professor Bhaskara giving his talk

Six faculty speakers from NJU and NUS shared their research achievements in the fields of pharmaceutical sciences, medicinal chemistry and biological science. Seven student researchers were chosen for podium presentations from 35 abstracts accepted for poster presentation.

Winners of best poster and best presentation were awarded during the closing ceremony and immediately followed by closing remarks from Kong Sing Teang, Chair of the 6th ANSC Exco, NUS. Ms Kong thanked AAPS, NUS Department of Pharmacy, NJU State Key Laboratory of Pharmaceutical Biotechnology, the kind invited speakers, the helpful administrative staff and her team members, especially Ding Dawei from NJU as well as the student organizers from China who had helped make the symposium a success.

The PharmSci@Asia has been an excellent platform for postgraduate research students of 2 countries to collaborate in organizing scientific and social events, share their research and make new friends. This symposium stimulated critical thinking among the students who posed many excellent questions during the discussion sessions.  On their flight home, the enthusiastic AAPS-NUS Student Chapter members have started to plan the 2012 symposium.

Invited speakers, student organizers and participants
at the 6th PharmSci@Asia in Nanjing University 26-27 May 2011

7th ANSC scientific symposium (6th April 2011)

Group photo: Professor Axcel Ullrich (middle of back row), A/P Chan Sui Yung (3rd from the right of front row), faculty members (whole front row) and the final undergraduate project winners (whole back row)

On 6th April 2011, the 7th ANSC scientific symposium was held for the first time at the NUSS Kent Ridge Guild House. This year’s symposium had received a wonderful response from approximately 200 attendees, comprises of faculty members and students.

This year we were very honoured to have an opening plenary presentation by Professor Axel Ullrich, the Managing Director of Max Planck Institute of Biochemistry with the title of “From Bench to Bedside: Over 30 Years of Gene-based Therapy Development”. Professor Ullrich kick-started the symposium and the programme by sharing with us a very fantasy-like yet vivid journey of his research life, where he invented the first ever gene-based therapy (human insulin) and monoclonal antibody (trastuzumab) while founded at 4 different companies. His passion for research has truly touched the audiences through his reiteration. The crux from his vast experiences involved to be courageous in exploring an unorthodox hypothesis, persevere in your beliefs and to never give up.

This was then followed by Dr Khong Yuet Mei from Abbott Laboratories Singapore on a talk titled “Emerging as a Pharmaceutical Development Leader in Asia Pacific“. As this symposium is a platform for the students form the Department of Pharmacy, NUS to showcase their yearlong work, we had talks from the graduate students as well as the undergraduate students. The two abstract winners from the post graduates abstract competition had managed to share their winning research work through podium presentations. We would like to congratulate them once again; Ms Tan Cheau Yih (first prize winner) and Ms Anumita Chaudhary (second prize winner).

Similarly, final year undergraduate students presented their works in posters form. The first prize winners of the four categories were given the opportunity to make a 10-minute podium presentation. The winners were:

For PP group  1st  Siti Azza Bte Ali 2nd See Wei Pin, Shirlene	For PK group 1st  Lee Xiao Ling, Fiona 2nd Tu Ngoc Ly Lan
For PT group 1st  Koh Jie Sheng, Jackson 2nd Tay Wen Shu, Terence	For PC group 1st  Koh Siang Boon 2nd Li Jia Rong, Mavis

Lastly, Assoc Prof Go Mei Lin gave an introductory presentation on the UROPS programme followed by a sharing session where three current UROPS students, Ms Ang Xiaohui, Ms Hiew Tze Ning and Mr Earl Tan, shared their enjoyable experiences in the UROPS programme to the attendees

2009-2010

5th PharmSci@Asia China Symposium

The 5th PharmSci@Asia Symposium held on 27th and 28th May, 2010 at Fudan University Zhang Jiang Branch, Shanghai, was co-organized by National University of Singapore (NUS), Fudan University (FDU), Nanjing University (NJU) and China Pharmaceutical University (CPU). The program of the symposium included talks by two eminent guest speakers, 7 podium presentations by faculty members, 9 oral presentations and 36 poster presentations by students. A total of 150 participants attended the event.

Participants at the 5th PharmSci@Asia

Prof. Zhu Yi Zhun (Dean, Fudan University) at his opening speech

A/P Chan Sui Yung (HOD, Pharmacy, NUS) at her opening address

The two-day event opened with welcome addresses by Professor Wang Ling, Vice Dean of Fudan University Graduate School, Professor Zhu Yi Zhun, Dean of School of Pharmacy, Fudan University, and Associate Professor Chan Sui Yung, Head of Pharmacy Department, NUS. Professor Zhu gave a short overview of Fudan University and the different programmes offered therein. Associate Professor Chan then introduced the audience to the Pharmacy department at National University of Singapore, highlighting the specialization of the staff in the department and the programmes offered by the department. She further outlined the AAPS-NUS chapter activities including outreach activities to India, China and Vietnam.

After a short tea break, guest speaker Asst. Prof. Cheng Jianjun from University of Illinois at Urbana Champaign, USA shared his research findings on the development of nanoconjugates (polyester-drug nanoconjugates) for cancer targeting and treatment. Dr. Ho Han Kiat, Assistant Professor, NUS, talked about exploring multi-kinase targeting inhibitors of the treatment of Hepatocellular Carcinoma. The session witnessed three student presentations starting with Mr. Yin Lichen from FDU, who shared his findings on multifunctional nanocarriers based on thiolated trimethyl chitosan for improving the effectiveness of protein drugs and genes. Next, Mr. Wang Nanxi from CPU discussed how unnatural amino acid mutagenesis affects optical properties of Green Fluorescent Protein. To conclude the morning session, Mr. Ching Jianhong from NUS elaborated on the antiplatelet and anticoagulant effects of Ardisia elliptica.

Delegates during dinner

After a sumptuous lunch and poster viewing session, the afternoon session began by an informative talk by Professor Zhao Weili from FDU. He talked about his studies on NIR fluorescent probes and small molecule kinase inhibitors for cancer early detection and treatment. After Professor Zhao’s talk, Dr. Chew Eng Hui, Assistant Professor at NUS, engaged the audience in her presentation on the mechanistic characterization of inhibitory effects of compounds with natural origins on cancer cell invasion. Professor Chen Gang, FDU, then discussed about microfluidic bioreactors and their application in proteomics.

Post tea-break, graduate student Ms. Shi Zhihui from FDU presented her results on the effects of recombinant human catalase administration in mice with influenza-induced pneumonia. Ms. Sun Xiaoxiao from Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica then shared results from her research in which she found that the compound Ljk-1 specifically induces cancer cell apoptosis by generating ROS and causing long term tyrosine phosphorylation imbalance. Mr. Zhang Wei from FDU concluded the first day of the symposium with his presentation on in vitro and in vivo evaluation of Paclitaxel loaded Pluronic P123/F127 mixed polymeric micelles.

Mr. Ishaque M. Shaikh, Chair, AAPS NUS student chapter, welcomed the symposium attendees on the second day and gave a brief overview of the various chapter activities including the local events in NUS and the SPOD events organized by the AAPS-NUS student chapter and the role of AAPS in supporting these activities.

Mr. Ishaque M. Shaikh at his welcome address

Participants in the symposium hall

The day started off on a high note with a presentation by guest speaker Dr. Danyi Wen, Executive Director of Pharmacology/ Biomarker at ChemPartner, Inc., Corp., Shanghai. Dr. Wen highlighted the role of Contract Research Organizations in the biotech and pharmaceutical industries. After Dr. Wen, Dr. Chui Wei Keung, Associate Professor, NUS, talked about developing 1,2,4-triazolo[1,5-a][1,3,5] triazinones as potential thymidine phosphorylase inhibitors. Professor Cai Weimin from FDU then enlightened the audience on the applications of pharmacogenomics in individualized medicine.

Following a tea break, Dr. Kang Lifeng from NUS shared interesting results from his research on microwell array for cardiac tissue regeneration. Ms. Liew Chin Yee, graduate student from NUS, emphasized the applicability of support vector machines in predicting hepatotoxicants. Another graduate student, Ms. Chen Huan from Nanjing University, discussed her investigations on anti-arthritis activities of cationic materials and the mechanisms behind these activities. Finally, Mr. Yan Zhiqiang from FDU discussed the results of his studies on LyP-1, a cyclic nonapeptide, conjugated liposomes for lymphatic metastatic tumor targeting.

A/P Chan Sui Yung after her closing speech

NUS delegates visit to Chempartner Inc. Corp.

Professor Chan Sui Yung from NUS concluded the symposium and thanked all students and professors responsible for successfully organizing the event followed by award presentation to winners of the oral and poster presentations.

After a short tea break, all NUS delegates were then taken on a tour of the campus of Fudan University followed by a visit to Chempartner, Inc., Corp., a leading CRO located in Shanghai.

The PharmSci@Asia has established itself in the past years as an excellent avenue in the region for showcasing research, sharing ideas, learning about latest innovations, and networking with fellow scientists with similar interests and passions in research. The 5th PharmSci@Asia saw some outstanding presenters guests, professors and students alike and provided an opportunity to form new contacts and revive existing ones. The event was well planned and executed, owing to the efforts of the students and professors, as well as the support of universities and AAPS. The student-initiated symposium has grown since its conception in 2006 and expectantly the event will attract even more universities and participants in the coming years and will continue to create awareness about the research in Pharmaceutical Sciences, which is the ultimate goal of AAPS out reach events.

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1st PharmSci@India 2010 Symposium

The 1st PharmSci@India10 symposium was held at the BCP campus, Kalina, Mumbai, on 25th February 2010. The symposium with the theme “Research-The Young Scientist” was co-organized by Bombay College of Pharmacy (BCP) and National University of Singapore (NUS). An overwhelming 200 faculty and students from NUS, BCP and eight other pharmacy colleges in Mumbai attended the symposium. The program included 4 podium presentations by professors and 5 oral presentations by students. In addition, a total of 57 posters were presented at the symposium.

The symposium opened with addresses by Mr. N. Maniar, Chairman, Governing Body, BCP, Professor M.N. Saraf, Principal, BCP, and Associate Professor Go Mei Lin, Head of Graduate Committee, Pharmacy Department, NUS. Mr. Maniar and Dr. Saraf extended a warm welcome to all delegates while Professor Go gave a brief introduction of the AAPS NUS student chapter and its activities and the objectives of this symposium.

A/P Go Mei Lin at her opening address

Dr.S.K. Kulkarni during his presentation

The morning session began with an informative talk by Dr. S.K. Kulkarni, Director, BCP, on the potential of Indian pharmaceutical industry and the opportunities for pharmacy professionals in different sectors like industry, academics and practice. Dr. Nagarsenkar, Professor, BCP, then discussed two lipid-based delivery systems-SNEDDS and LeciPlex-being studied in her laboratory for delivery of drugs like Simvastatin and Ezetimibe. On similar lines of lipid-based delivery, Dr. Gigi Chiu, Assistant Professor at NUS, shared her research findings on development of lipid-based nanoparticulate systems for delivery of anti-cancer drug cocktails. The morning session concluded with two student podium presentations by Ms. Neha Desai from BCP and Ms. Leong-Uung Ling from NUS. Neha shared the results of her studies on the extract of plant DBT/DM/06 for its anti-hyperglycemic activities and feasibility of development into a suitable formulation. Leong-Uung discussed her findings on the role of Protein Kinase C in the synergistic therapeutic action of Safingol and Irinotecan in colon cancer. Both Neha and Leong-Uung clearly caught attention of the audience and later in the day were declared winners in the oral presentation category.

    

     

Dr. Nagarsenkar (1), Dr. Chiu (2), Dr. Pastorin (3) and Dr. Coutinho (4) presenting their research findings

Lunch was followed by poster viewing and judging session. Three best posters were adjudged as winners based on the evaluation by Dr. Gigi Chiu from NUS, Dr. Krishnapriya Mohanraj from BCP, and Dr. Praveen Chaturvedi, President and Chief Scientific Officer, Napo pharmaceuticals, San Francisco, CA. The NUS delegates were then taken on a tour of the teaching facilities and research laboratories at BCP.

Afternoon session began with Dr. Giorgia Pastorin’s (Assistant Professor at NUS) interesting presentation on two thrust areas of research in her laboratory viz. design and evaluation of hA3 adenosine receptor antagonists and carbon nanotubes as drug carriers. Later Dr. Coutinho, Professor at BCP, engaged the audience in his spirited talk on engineering techniques for QSAR of biomolecules.

Students viewing posters during lunch break

Symposium attendees during a presentation

The evening session witnessed three enthusiastic student speakers. Mr. Vijay Khedkar from BCP spoke about molecular modeling and 3-D QSAR studies on cyclic urea derivatives as HIV-1 protease inhibitors. Ms. Ginpreet Kaur from School of Pharmacy and Technology Management, NMIMS (Narsee Monjee Institute of Management Studies) presented her findings on the effectiveness of combinatorial extract of curcumin in improving glucose tolerance and obesity in diabetic rats. Mr. Prashant Balani, a graduate student at NUS and an alumnus of BCP, concluded the symposium with his talk on use of inverse phase gas chromatography to assess acid-base contributions to surface electrostatic charge of a milled pharmaceutical active.

Towards the end, Dr. Coutinho expressed his gratitude towards NUS delegates and congratulated all faculty and students at BCP and NUS responsible for successfully organizing the 1st PharmSci@India10 symposium. As a goodwill gesture, mementos were exchanged between representatives of NUS and BCP.

The symposium was followed by a sumptuous dinner at MIG, Bandra, Mumbai, allowing informal interactions among students and professors from different institutions.

Faculty and guests posing for a picture after dinner

The 1st PharmSci@India10 indeed proved to be a great experience for faculty and students from BCP and NUS. The symposium rendered an excellent opportunity for networking, sharing ideas and gaining insights into the kind of research being carried out in the two institutions. Inspired by the activities of AAPS NUS student chapter, the BCP students plan to start their own chapter soon. This event laid the foundation for future symposia to be held in the coming years, hopefully on a larger scale with more participation from other universities as well as industries.

 

AAPS-NUS Student Chapter (ANSC) Grant/Proposal writing workshop

The workshop on “How to write a successful grant or research proposal” held on 15th December, 2009 witnessed an attendance of around 50 participants including graduate students, staff and faculty from the Department of Pharmacy, NUS.

Dr. Gigi Chu

The workshop took off with a very informative presentation by Dr. Gigi Chiu on the process of writing grants. Dr. Chiu walked the audience through the details of grant applications for grant agencies in Singapore.

Dr. Matiullah Khan

After tea, Dr. Matiullah Khan from the Faculty of Medicine gave an excellent talk on the types of grants and various granting bodies in Singapore.

A/P Paul Heng

A/P Paul Heng shared with the audience his experiences with writing and reviewing grants. An insight on the grant review process helped the students look on the other side of the coin.

Open Discussion

The workshop finally ended with an open discussion between students and speakers allowing for an interactive exchange of thoughts.

2008-2009
Sep 07, 2009	The 5th Executive Committee of AAPS-NUS Student Chapter was established: Chair: Mr. Ishaque Mohammed Shaikh Vice Chair: Ms. Sim Hong May Projects Director: Mr. Guo Yangfan Projects Director: Mr. Patel Dhavalkumar Narendrabhai Secretary: Ms. Amrita Abhay Nagle Treasurer: Ms. Gan Hua Pey Venue: LT31, Block S16, Level 3, NUS
May 27, 2009	The 4rd PharmSci@Asia09 Symposium was held at the Multi-Purpose Lecture Hall on the China Pharmaceutical University (CPU), China. Approximately 140 participants comprising students and professors from the four universities (National University of Singapore, China Pharmaceutical University, Fudan University, Nanjing University) attended the symposium which consisted of podium sessions, oral and poster presentations by professors and students. Venue: Multi-Purpose Lecture Hall, CPU, China	See our Blog for more details
Apr 01, 2009	The 5th ANSC-NUS Student Chapter Scientific Symposium was held in conjunction the Department of Pharmacy’s Research Awareness Week at the University Hall Auditorium. A huge turnout of more than 100 undergraduates, graduate students and faculty from the Department of Pharmacy, NUS participated in this full-day event. Venue: University Hall Auditorium, Level 2 Lee Kong Chian Wing, NUS	See our Blog for more details
Sep 22, 2008	Hands-on E-resources Workshop. 29 pharmacy graduate and undergraduate students attended the AAPS-NUS Hands-On e-Resources Library Workshop at the training room of the Medical/Science Library. Venue: Training room of the Medical/Science Library, NUS	See our Blog for more details
2008
Jun 26, 2008	The 3rd PharmSci@Asia08 symposium was held at the Science and Technology Building, Nanjing University (NU), China. Approximately 200 participants comprising students and professors from the four universities attended the symposium which consisted of podium sessions, oral and poster presentations by professors and students.	See our Blog for more details
Apr 02, 2008	The 4th AAPS-NUS Student Chapter Symposium was held in conjunction with the Department’s Research Awareness Week in which the final year undergraduates presented their final year projects both orally and in poster formats. The 4th Executive Committee of AAPS-NUS Student Chapter was established: Chair: Ms Ow Yen Ling Mandy Vice Chair: Ms Ong Zhan Yuin Projects Director: Mr Li Fang Projects Director: Mr Balani Prashant Nirmal Secretary: Ms Ling Leong Uung Nicole Treasurer: Mr Zhang Jingxian Venue: LT31, Block S16, Level 3, NUS	See our Blog for more details
Jan 10, 2008	Novel Aspects on Drug Delivery Symposium on the occasion of the 65th Birthday of Professor Hans Junginger. Co-organized by the NUS Department of Pharmacy and the ANSC. Venue: University Hall Auditorium, Level 2 Lee Kong Chian Wing, NUS	Program
2007
Oct 17, 2007	ANSC Workshop on Scientific Writing in the Pharmacy Arena with a Dose of Toxicology. Invited speakers: Professor Hans Junginger and Dr. Ho Han Kiat	Program Pictures Presentation slides by: Prof. Hans Dr. Ho
Jun 28, 2007	PharmSci@Asia: A student-initiated scientific symposium co-organized by NUS, Fudan University & Nanjing University. Co-sponsored by AAPS, NUS Department of Pharmacy & Fudan’s School of Pharmacy Venue: Level 1, Ming Dao Building, 130 Dong’an Rd, Fudan University, Shanghai, China (Medical Campus)	Proceedings Program
Apr 3, 2007	Teleconference with Stacey May and Jeb Harter from AAPS (8-830 pm)
Mar 30, 2007	Chapter Meeting & Appreciation Lunch. Agenda: PharmSci@Asia conference, new chapter leadership
Mar 05, 2007	The 3rd AAPS-NUS Student Chapter Symposium: A total of 81 participants attended the symposium.	Proceedings Report
2006
Nov 21, 2006	Career Strategy Workshop. Invited speaker: Dr Prasad Kanneganti, Quality Operations Director, Pfizer Global Manufacturing	PharmaCareer Nov2006.ppt
Aug 25, 2006	The 2nd Executive Committee of AAPS-NUS Student Chapter was established: Chair: Ms Ai Ling Ching Chair-elect: Ms Li Ming Ong Vice Chair: Ms Aik Jiang Lau Secretary: Ms Nicole Ling Treasurer: Mr Qi Zhou
Aug 15, 2006	Recruited 10 new postgraduate students at a Welcome Tea.
Apr 18, 2006	The report, photos and proceedings of the Inaugural Symposium of AAPS, CPU, Fudan, NJU and NUS were published.	Report Photos Proceedings
Mar 25, 2006	The Inaugural Symposium of AAPS, CPU, Fudan, NJU and NUS was held in Nanjing, China.
Mar 7, 2006	Statement of account as at March 3, 2006 for AAPS-NUS Student Chapter was published.	Statement of account as at March 3, 2006
Jan 24, 2006	The Report of 2nd Symposium was ready.  Photos of 1) Poster, 2) Podium and 3) Other collections.	Report Photos
Jan 11, 2006	The 2nd AAPS-NUS Student Chapter Symposium Proceedings were ready in pdf.	2nd proceedings
2005
Dec 25, 2005	Visit AAPS-CPU Student Chapter and AAPS-NJU Student Chapter.	Photos
Dec 5, 2005	Statement of accounts for AAPS-NUS Student Chapter was published.	Statement of Account as at November 30, 2005
Nov 6, 2005	The AAPS Annual Meeting opened at Gaylord Opryland Resort and Convention Center at Nashville, Tennessee.	Photos
Oct 11, 2005	The 1st teleconference with Stacey May and Meghan Goss, between Singapore and Arlington VA, was held from 20:00 to 20:50 Singapore local time.
Sep 30, 2005	Publications of Inaugural Symposium are now ready.  Photos of 1) poster session, 2) invited and 3) chapter speakers.  The Official Report on the Inaugural Symposium is also shown.	Photos Official Report on the Inaugural Symposium
Sep 16, 2005	Inaugural AAPS-NUS Student Chapter Symposium. Proceedings are also available.	Details Proceedings
Aug 22, 2005	Chapter Tee Shirt Design Competition kicked off.	Details
Aug 11, 2005	The Chapter embraced her 99th student member, Miss Zhi Hui Loh.
Aug 8, 2005	71 new members joined the Chapter at the Briefing on Career Planning at Department of Pharmacy of NUS.
Aug 5, 2005	Enlisted 12 new members at the Welcome Tea of Department of Pharmacy.
Aug 2, 2005	The AAPS Executive Council granted the AAPS student chapter request.  It is an official chapter of AAPS and the name is AAPS-NUS Student Chapter.
July 8, 2005	After nearly two months of preparation, the AAPS-NUS Student Chapter executive committee was finally elected by 11 AAPS student members of Department of Pharmacy, NUS. The 1st Executive Committee of AAPS-NUS Student Chapter was established: Faculty Advisor: A/P Sui Yung Chan Chair: Lifeng Kang Chair-elect: Ai Ling Ching Vice Chair: Josephine Soh Secretary: Yi Han Treasurer: Siok-Lam Lim AAPS-NUS Student Chapter would like to thank Meghan Goss, the Public Outreach Specialist of AAPS and Stacey May, Public Outreach Director of AAPS for initiating the formation of AAPS-NUS Student Chapter.  AAPS-NUS Student Chapter members would also like to acknowledge A/P Lai Wah Chan, A/P Paul Chi Lui Ho and all other faculty from Department of Pharmacy, NUS, who provided valuable suggestions.  AAPS-NUS Student Chapter appreciates the support and kindness of A/P Eng Chye Tan, Dean of Science and Prof John Wong, Dean of Medicine, NUS.  Last but not least, AAPS-NUS Student Chapter would like to express gratitude to all the undergraduate, graduate and postdoctoral students at NUS, and other academic, research and pharmaceutical institutes for their ardent support and participation.