Tanoto Foundation has announced funding for two significant medical research projects in Singapore, focusing on diseases that disproportionately affect Asian populations, including aggressive cancers and young-onset Type 2 diabetes. These multi-year initiatives are designed to generate data-driven insights to accelerate diagnosis, improve patient outcomes, and inform public health policy.
The projects, conducted by the National Cancer Centre Singapore and Singapore General Hospital, aim to address the rising rates of cancer and diabetes in Asia, which remain under-researched due to a lack of region-specific data. Imelda Tanoto, a member of the Board of Trustees at Tanoto Foundation, highlighted Singapore’s strong research institutions and diverse population as key factors in its leadership in medical science.
The cancer research, led by Dr Jason Chan, will investigate four types of cancers prevalent in Asia: breast cancer in Asian women, T/NK-cell lymphomas, bile duct cancer, and rare Asian cancers. Dr Chan emphasised the importance of understanding these cancers’ molecular and genomic landscapes to uncover new diagnostic and therapeutic opportunities.
In parallel, Dr Daphne Gardner’s project at Singapore General Hospital will develop a next-generation risk prediction tool for Type 2 diabetes in young adults. This tool will incorporate non-traditional indicators such as body fat distribution and continuous glucose monitoring, aiming to identify new risk signals and tailor tools to Singapore’s population.
These initiatives underscore Singapore’s growing role in advancing precision medicine for Asian populations, supported by its robust clinical infrastructure and genomic capabilities. Tanoto Foundation’s commitment to these projects marks a significant step in improving healthcare quality and health standards across the region.
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