KOH Woon Puay

Professor KOH Woon Puay is a joint professor at the National University of Singapore (NUS) Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine and an honorary member of the Saw Swee Hock School of Public Health. She holds significant roles as the Principal Investigator of the Singapore Chinese Health Study, a 63,257-strong cohort examining chronic disease determinants, and leads the Clinician-Scientist Development Unit at NUS. Her research focuses on epidemiology of cancers, cardio-metabolic and musculoskeletal diseases, and aging outcomes, with over 420 publications and $20M+ in NIH/NMRC funding.

Educations

• MBBS (Honours), National University of Singapore (1992)
• PhD in Immunology, University of Sydney (2001)
• Postdoctoral Training in Epidemiology, University of Southern California (USA)

Research Interests

Prof Koh’s work spans cancer etiology, nutrition and cognitive aging, and lifestyle-disease interactions. Her Singapore Chinese Health Study has produced groundbreaking findings on dietary antioxidants, meat consumption, and nut intake linked to cognitive decline and chronic illnesses. She also explores genetic and epigenetic markers for diseases like TB, diabetes, and hepatocellular carcinoma.

Grants & Awards

• NMRC Clinician Scientist Award (Senior Investigator Category, 2014 & 2020)
• National Day Public Administration Medal (Bronze, 2019)
• FAMS College of Clinician-Scientists (2016)

Leadership

As Assistant Dean for Faculty Development and Director of Clinician-Scientist Development Unit, she drives academic leadership initiatives and clinician-scientist career pathways. Her translational research bridges epidemiology with public health policy.

Labs & Collaborations

Leads the Singapore Chinese Health Study and collaborates with the Asia Cohort Consortium, A*STAR’s Singapore Institute for Clinical Sciences, and global institutions for multi-ethnic studies.