Research Seminar of Prof. Kah-Leong LIM from Department of Research National Neuroscience Institute

Lecture Time: 10:00 am on 11th November, 2015

Lecture Room: C501 of National Sicence Park

Lecture Title: Neuroscience Research in Singapore -Overview and Potential for Collaborations

Kah-Leong LIM, Ph.D.

Department of Research
National Neuroscience Institute

11, Jalan Tan Tock Seng
Singapore 308433
Tel: (65)-6357-7520
Kah_Leong_Lim@nni.com.sg

Abstract:

The study of the brain and the mind, as many would acknowledge, is the last frontier in science. In recent years, governments and research funding agencies have poured in large quantum of funding to support brain-related R&D.In Singapore, neuroscience was identified by the National Biomedical Sciences EXCO about 10 years ago as one of the five priority research areas of strategic importance to the country.There are considerable activities in this area, ranging from fundamental research to understand the structure and function of the nervous system, neural mechanisms, human neurology, psychiatric disorders, to more translational clinical research in dementia, movement disorders, stroke, surgical navigation, neuro-oncology and neuro-engineering.Notably, most of Singapore's research efforts in the area of neuroscience are done at the universities as well as at the National Neuroscience Institute, the main neuroscience specialty hospital in Singapore. In this talk, I shall provide an overview of neuroscience research in Singapore, and highlight the multi-disciplinary approach that we have taken to advance our understanding of brain function and dysfunction. I will also discuss briefly our joint effort with Professor Li Lin at Nanjing Technology in tackling Parkinson's disease,which provides an illustrative example on the productive collaborations in neuroscience research that we look forward to forge between our countries.

Biography:

Dr. Lim obtained his Ph.D. from the Singapore Institute of Molecular & Cell Biology in 1999. Thereafter, he did his postdoctoral training firstly at the Department of Pathology in Harvard Medical School (2000-2001), and subsequently at the Department of Neurology in Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine (2001-2002) where he worked on the topic of Parkinson's disease with Professor Ted Dawson.

Dr. Lim is currently the Director of Basic & Translational Research in the Singhealth/Duke-NUS Neuroscience Academic Clinical Program and Assistant Director of Research at the National Neuroscience Institute (NNI). He is also the Principal Research Scientist at NNI and heads the Neurodegeneration Research Laboratory. Concurrently, Dr. Lim holds an Associate Professorship position at the National University of Singapore Department of Physiology and Duke-NUS Graduate Medical School.In 2012, he was appointed Chair of the NUS Neurobiology/AgeingProgramme Steering Committee by the Deputy President's (Research and Technology) Office, a position that he retains to date.

Dr Lim is a member of the National Grant Review Committee (NMRC-CBRG) and a regular reviewer of international grants including applications from the Wellcome Trust and Medical Research Council (UK). Dr. Lim is also an academic editor for PLOS ONE and a guest associate editor for PLOS Genetics. He has published more than 60 papers including in Nature Medicine, Nature Communications, Developmental Cell, PNAS and the Journal of Neuroscience.He has also written several book chapters and is the founding editor of The Brain Book Series, a neuroscience resource for high school students in Singapore and regional countries.