Wai Leong TAM
- Deputy Executive Director, Genome Institute of Singapore, A*STAR
- Principal Investigator, Cancer Science Institute of Singapore, NUS
- National Research Foundation Investigator, National Research Foundation, Singapore
- A*STAR Fellow, Agency for Science, Technology and Research
- Associate Professor (Adjunct), Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore
Wai Leong TAM is the Deputy Executive Director of the Genome Institute of Singapore, Singapore’s flagship genome science institute spearheading the innovation of genomics for improving Singaporean lives and health. He oversees the Precision Medicine effort to understand the genetic and genomic underpinnings of health and disease, as well as lead programmatic initiatives with ecosystem partners to develop and implement strategies to improve health outcomes.
As a cancer biologist, Dr Tam develops and applies genome-scale functional genomic approaches to discover the molecular drivers and targets of cancer progression in Asian-specific and Asian-prevalent cancers. His lab focuses on uncovering emerging paradigms of cancer stem cells, specifically in the areas of cancer metabolism, cell state transitions, and tumor microenvironment. Current efforts are focused on identifying and validating preclinical targets that can lead into drug development, as well as translating fundamental discoveries into paradigms that can help change and advance clinical practice. As recognition of his research excellence, Dr Tam was a recipient of the National Research Foundation Fellowship, and a current recipient of the National Research Foundation Investigatorship. He holds joint faculty appointment at the Cancer Science Institute of Singapore, whereby he helps to bridge research collaborations between A*STAR and NUS.
Topic
The Crossroads of Metabolism, Cell States and Tumor Microenvironment in Cancer