Prof Lisa Ng
Executive Director, A*STAR Graduate Academy

Keynote Title: Dispatches from the frontlines: My experience with COVID-19, opportunities and risks in today’s world.
In the keynote address by Professor Lisa Ng (Executive Director, A*STAR Graduate Academy), she will be sharing
about her past experience with SARS (Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome) as a viral immunologist, and how
Singapore today, as a united collective has come together to meet the challenges of COVID-19.

About the Speaker
Professor Lisa Ng was appointed the Executive Director of the A*STAR Graduate Academy (A*GA) in July 2019. She holds a concurrent appointment as Senior Principal Investigator at the Singapore Immunology Network (SIgN) since 2008.

Professor Ng joined A*GA in April 2017 as Deputy Executive Director of the Scholar Engagement and Development team, supporting Executive Director, A*GA in overseeing the graduate academy’s day-to-day scholarship management and administrative systems. Prior to this, Professor Ng was Director of Graduate Affairs of the Biomedical Research Council (BMRC), where she reviewed academic research progress, mentored and advised on the research attachments and placement of A*STAR scholars to BMRC research entities.

Professor Ng’s research expertise is in the area of immunology of arthrogenic arboviruses, specifically Chikungunya, that are epidemic or highly endemic in the tropical region. She has made significant scientific contributions through her research, which includes developing prognostic and therapeutic strategies to combat viral infections such as SARS, and more recently, Zika. Under her leadership, Professor Ng’s team has published in top tier scientific journals such as EMBO, Nature and Science, and made several key findings to move the infection and immunity field forward in controlling mosquito-borne diseases.

For her contributions, Professor Ng was voted “Most Inspiring Woman” at the Great Women of Our Time Awards for Science and Technology in 2005. She was conferred the ASEAN International Young Scientist and Technologist Award 2008, in recognition of her meritorious research and development efforts on Asia’s infectious diseases. She received the Junior Chamber International (JCI) Ten Outstanding Young Persons of the World Singapore 2013 Scientific and/or Technological Development Award. In the same year, she also received the A*STAR Most Inspiring Mentor Award for her mentoring work with graduate students and scientists. Professor Ng was also a recipient of the Public Administration Medal (Bronze) in 2016.

Professor Ng obtained her PhD in Molecular Biology from the National University of Singapore (NUS) and her Bachelor’s degree in Biochemistry from the University of Manchester Institute of Science and Technology. She holds a secondary appointment at the Institute of Infection and Global Health as Professor and Chair, University of Liverpool, UK. She also holds an adjunct position with the National University of Singapore (NUS).