Singapore Jobs Market
06-05-2006, 06:50 PM
April 4, 2006
Two top administrators at the UCSD School of Medicine will leave their posts this fall to take jobs with Singapore's Agency for Science, Technology and Research, joining a parade of renowned researchers lured by the Asian country's commitment to biomedical science.
Dr. Edward Holmes, dean of UCSD's School of Medicine, and his wife, Dr. Judith Swain, a cellular cardiologist who is the university's dean of Translational Medicine, will join A*STAR, which is Singapore's equivalent of the U.S. National Institutes of Health. Holmes and Swain said yesterday they will work in different agencies but both will focus on translational medicine – getting new therapy ideas from labs into clinics, where they can be used on patients.
Swain said the move shouldn't be seen as a brain drain from the United States, but rather an opportunity to make a big impact in a small country such as Singapore.
“Although I regret losing two tremendous colleagues, I understand their excitement about pursuing this opportunity to contribute their experience and skills to a burgeoning new center for life sciences research and technology development,” said UCSD Chancellor Marye Anne Fox.
The San Diego husband-and-wife team join a parade of respected researchers lured to Singapore, where the government is making biomedical sciences an economic pillar. Over the past five years, the Singapore government has spent more than $290 million building Biopolis, an Emerald City for biomedical research that has attracted more than $514 million in biomedical investment.
Among other researchers who have headed to Biopolis are Dr. Alan Colman, a stem cell expert and creator of Dolly, the world's first cloned sheep. Last year, National Cancer Institute genetic researchers Neal Copeland and Nancy Jenkins announced they would move to Singapore, despite being heavily recruited to join Stanford University's Institute for Cancer and Stem Cell Biology. The two, who are married, said they would move overseas because they thought they would face fewer government restrictions and because they had concerns about California's inability to allocate the $3 billion in stem cell research funds approved by voters.
The government research agencies for which Holmes and Swain will work are in Biopolis, which contains 2 million square feet of lab space, numerous research institutes and commercial biotechnology and pharmaceutical companies.
“My primary role is going to be trying to help Singapore think about how you use discovery and basic research, like what's being done with stem cells right now and is at a very fundamental science level, and think about how you actually use them in clinical care,” said Holmes, who is a member of the California stem cell institute's governing committee. He will relinquish that position when he leaves his job at the University of California San Diego in September.
Both Holmes and Swain look forward to the opportunity to make an impact in a tiny country making a big scientific push, while using their U.S. ties to build international collaboration.
“I think Ed and I can make a big difference there, and it's exciting because Singapore could evolve into a leader in clinical and translational sciences,” Swain said.
The two will be working with another respected scientist with San Diego ties: Dr. Sydney Brenner, a Nobel laureate and a distinguished professor at the Salk Institute. Brenner is chairman of Singapore's Biomedical Research Council, where Holmes will be executive deputy chairman for clinical-translational sciences.
Swain will be the founding executive director of the newly formed Singapore Institute for Clinical Sciences.
Both also will receive appointments to the National University of Singapore, where they will be Lien Ying Chow Professors of Medicine, a prestigious chair appointment. They intend to use the positions to enhance translational research among Singapore's government-funded research institutes, the National University and hospitals and disease centers.
Holmes came to UCSD in 2000 from Duke University, where he was dean and vice chancellor of academic affairs at the School of Medicine.
“The past 5˝ years at UCSD have been the highlight of my academic career,” he said. But when he turned 65 two months ago, Holmes said he began thinking about what he would do if given an opportunity to move into another job at this point in his life.
Swain, 58, a graduate of UCSD School of Medicine, was recruited to join its faculty in 2005 and became the founding director of the School of Medicine's College of Integrated Life Sciences. Previously she was the chair of Stanford University's Department of Medicine.
For the past several years, both Holmes and Swain have been working in different capacities as advisers to Singapore's graduate education programs. That's how they came to know Philip Yeo, chairman of A*STAR, with whom they will be working.
“In the next five-year period, Singapore will place greater focus on developing areas of strength in the clinical sciences and translational medicine,” Yeo said. “Having Ed Holmes and Judy Swain lead these efforts is a major boost for Singapore.”
Holmes and Swain intend to keep their home in San Diego and split their time between here and Singapore. There is talk that they may maintain some links to UCSD, such as professorships. And they plan to use their contacts in the United States to promote increased collaborations between the two countries.
For instance, Singapore and UCSD just announced a new grant program that Singapore funded for $1.8 million.
“Singapore is the crossroads in Asia in terms of biomedical research,” Swain said. “It gives us access to India, China, Australia, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Kuwait, all countries that have had relationships with Singapore for years. It gets us introduced.”
Fox said she was excited about the new or expanded partnerships that could be created with the ties Holmes and Swain will have with Singapore and the Pacific Rim.
Holmes and Swain agree.
“There could be real advantage of linking, say, the cancer center here at UCSD with a cancer center in Singapore because they don't have an overlapping patient population,” Swain said.
The majority of U.S. hospital patients are white, black or Hispanic, she said. The Singapore patient base is Malaysian, Chinese and Indian. Each ethnicity or race can respond differently to therapies, she said.
News of the couple's plans to leave UCSD took many in California's research community by surprise.
“I'm glad we're not losing them completely in California,” said Zach Hall, president of California's stem cell institute. “Ed has tremendously high scientific standards, and his upbeat, 'can-do,' friendly personality is wonderful at getting people to work together on projects.”
Hall said Holmes played an important part in forming a consortium of four major research institutes on the Torrey Pines Mesa to seek research grants from the state stem cell institute.
“His wife is a very distinguished cardiovascular researcher,” Hall said. “They are a true power couple.”
Since joining the UCSD staff, Holmes has recruited a number of stellar senior administrators and department chairs, and Fox said she anticipated a smooth transition when he leaves.
Several longtime doctors at UCSD's School of Medicine said yesterday they were shocked and saddened by the news of the departure of Holmes and Swain.
“Ed has been the finest leader that the School of Medicine has ever had,” said Henry Powell, vice chair of the pathology department and a UCSD professor of 30 years. “He's been remarkably successful at getting people to work together.”
Professors described Holmes as a visionary, collegial and down-to-earth leader. They point to the recent building boom at the medical school – including the new School of Pharmacy, Cancer Center and Leichtag Biomedical Research Building – as unprecedented.
Webster Cavenee, director of the Ludwig Institute for Cancer Research and part of the search committee that selected Holmes, said Holmes dramatically improved the relationship between the medical school and its hospital.
“He's transformed the medical school,” Cavenee said, referring to Holmes' replacement of several department chairs.
Staff writer Eleanor Yang contributed to this report.
http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/education/20060404-9999-1n4ucsd.html
Two top administrators at the UCSD School of Medicine will leave their posts this fall to take jobs with Singapore's Agency for Science, Technology and Research, joining a parade of renowned researchers lured by the Asian country's commitment to biomedical science.
Dr. Edward Holmes, dean of UCSD's School of Medicine, and his wife, Dr. Judith Swain, a cellular cardiologist who is the university's dean of Translational Medicine, will join A*STAR, which is Singapore's equivalent of the U.S. National Institutes of Health. Holmes and Swain said yesterday they will work in different agencies but both will focus on translational medicine – getting new therapy ideas from labs into clinics, where they can be used on patients.
Swain said the move shouldn't be seen as a brain drain from the United States, but rather an opportunity to make a big impact in a small country such as Singapore.
“Although I regret losing two tremendous colleagues, I understand their excitement about pursuing this opportunity to contribute their experience and skills to a burgeoning new center for life sciences research and technology development,” said UCSD Chancellor Marye Anne Fox.
The San Diego husband-and-wife team join a parade of respected researchers lured to Singapore, where the government is making biomedical sciences an economic pillar. Over the past five years, the Singapore government has spent more than $290 million building Biopolis, an Emerald City for biomedical research that has attracted more than $514 million in biomedical investment.
Among other researchers who have headed to Biopolis are Dr. Alan Colman, a stem cell expert and creator of Dolly, the world's first cloned sheep. Last year, National Cancer Institute genetic researchers Neal Copeland and Nancy Jenkins announced they would move to Singapore, despite being heavily recruited to join Stanford University's Institute for Cancer and Stem Cell Biology. The two, who are married, said they would move overseas because they thought they would face fewer government restrictions and because they had concerns about California's inability to allocate the $3 billion in stem cell research funds approved by voters.
The government research agencies for which Holmes and Swain will work are in Biopolis, which contains 2 million square feet of lab space, numerous research institutes and commercial biotechnology and pharmaceutical companies.
“My primary role is going to be trying to help Singapore think about how you use discovery and basic research, like what's being done with stem cells right now and is at a very fundamental science level, and think about how you actually use them in clinical care,” said Holmes, who is a member of the California stem cell institute's governing committee. He will relinquish that position when he leaves his job at the University of California San Diego in September.
Both Holmes and Swain look forward to the opportunity to make an impact in a tiny country making a big scientific push, while using their U.S. ties to build international collaboration.
“I think Ed and I can make a big difference there, and it's exciting because Singapore could evolve into a leader in clinical and translational sciences,” Swain said.
The two will be working with another respected scientist with San Diego ties: Dr. Sydney Brenner, a Nobel laureate and a distinguished professor at the Salk Institute. Brenner is chairman of Singapore's Biomedical Research Council, where Holmes will be executive deputy chairman for clinical-translational sciences.
Swain will be the founding executive director of the newly formed Singapore Institute for Clinical Sciences.
Both also will receive appointments to the National University of Singapore, where they will be Lien Ying Chow Professors of Medicine, a prestigious chair appointment. They intend to use the positions to enhance translational research among Singapore's government-funded research institutes, the National University and hospitals and disease centers.
Holmes came to UCSD in 2000 from Duke University, where he was dean and vice chancellor of academic affairs at the School of Medicine.
“The past 5˝ years at UCSD have been the highlight of my academic career,” he said. But when he turned 65 two months ago, Holmes said he began thinking about what he would do if given an opportunity to move into another job at this point in his life.
Swain, 58, a graduate of UCSD School of Medicine, was recruited to join its faculty in 2005 and became the founding director of the School of Medicine's College of Integrated Life Sciences. Previously she was the chair of Stanford University's Department of Medicine.
For the past several years, both Holmes and Swain have been working in different capacities as advisers to Singapore's graduate education programs. That's how they came to know Philip Yeo, chairman of A*STAR, with whom they will be working.
“In the next five-year period, Singapore will place greater focus on developing areas of strength in the clinical sciences and translational medicine,” Yeo said. “Having Ed Holmes and Judy Swain lead these efforts is a major boost for Singapore.”
Holmes and Swain intend to keep their home in San Diego and split their time between here and Singapore. There is talk that they may maintain some links to UCSD, such as professorships. And they plan to use their contacts in the United States to promote increased collaborations between the two countries.
For instance, Singapore and UCSD just announced a new grant program that Singapore funded for $1.8 million.
“Singapore is the crossroads in Asia in terms of biomedical research,” Swain said. “It gives us access to India, China, Australia, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Kuwait, all countries that have had relationships with Singapore for years. It gets us introduced.”
Fox said she was excited about the new or expanded partnerships that could be created with the ties Holmes and Swain will have with Singapore and the Pacific Rim.
Holmes and Swain agree.
“There could be real advantage of linking, say, the cancer center here at UCSD with a cancer center in Singapore because they don't have an overlapping patient population,” Swain said.
The majority of U.S. hospital patients are white, black or Hispanic, she said. The Singapore patient base is Malaysian, Chinese and Indian. Each ethnicity or race can respond differently to therapies, she said.
News of the couple's plans to leave UCSD took many in California's research community by surprise.
“I'm glad we're not losing them completely in California,” said Zach Hall, president of California's stem cell institute. “Ed has tremendously high scientific standards, and his upbeat, 'can-do,' friendly personality is wonderful at getting people to work together on projects.”
Hall said Holmes played an important part in forming a consortium of four major research institutes on the Torrey Pines Mesa to seek research grants from the state stem cell institute.
“His wife is a very distinguished cardiovascular researcher,” Hall said. “They are a true power couple.”
Since joining the UCSD staff, Holmes has recruited a number of stellar senior administrators and department chairs, and Fox said she anticipated a smooth transition when he leaves.
Several longtime doctors at UCSD's School of Medicine said yesterday they were shocked and saddened by the news of the departure of Holmes and Swain.
“Ed has been the finest leader that the School of Medicine has ever had,” said Henry Powell, vice chair of the pathology department and a UCSD professor of 30 years. “He's been remarkably successful at getting people to work together.”
Professors described Holmes as a visionary, collegial and down-to-earth leader. They point to the recent building boom at the medical school – including the new School of Pharmacy, Cancer Center and Leichtag Biomedical Research Building – as unprecedented.
Webster Cavenee, director of the Ludwig Institute for Cancer Research and part of the search committee that selected Holmes, said Holmes dramatically improved the relationship between the medical school and its hospital.
“He's transformed the medical school,” Cavenee said, referring to Holmes' replacement of several department chairs.
Staff writer Eleanor Yang contributed to this report.
http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/education/20060404-9999-1n4ucsd.html