Pharmacy
Prof Christina CHAI
Head of Department
“We advance and transform the practice of pharmacy and pharmaceutical science through innovative teaching and breakthroughs in scientific discoveries relating to health, drugs and diseases.”
Shaping Future Talent
The Department of Pharmacy rolled out our inaugural Pre-Employment Clinical Training, Part 1 (PECT 1) rotations in December 2021 amidst COVID-19-related challenges. PECT 1, organised in partnership with the National University Polyclinics of the National University Hospital System, provides our Bachelor of Pharmacy (Hons) undergraduates exposure to how pharmacists apply their professional skills to real-life patient care scenarios at the workplace.
We restructured our Primary Major in Pharmaceutical Science and minor programme for closer alignment with the mission of the College of Humanities and Sciences (CHS), which emphasises flexible, broad-based interdisciplinary learning.
We also introduced a new Second Major in Pharmaceutical Science and celebrated the commencement of our inaugural cohort of Bachelor of Science (Hons) in Pharmaceutical Science graduates.
A broader definition of success
“I’m proud that we blazed this trail together, setting the bar for future batches to reach even greater heights.”
Pharmaceutical Science valedictorian Mr Joel LIM, an NUS Merit Scholarship recipient, excelled academically and conducted cutting-edge research on antimicrobial resistance.
He developed the department’s inaugural mentorship programme as a student leader in the NUS Pharmaceutical Society. At Tembusu College, Joel gained exposure to an interdisciplinary education, while clinching gold in tennis at the NUS Inter-College Games (2019). For their solutions to improve influenza vaccine uptake, Joel’s team emerged top in Beyond! Health Hack (2020), edging out global competition. Under the Seeds of Good Programme, his team partnered International Coastal Cleanup Singapore to create educational videos on Singapore’s biodiversity.
Joel now works at Sanofi as a Medical Engagement Executive.
The generosity of our benefactors enables our students to fully benefit from the diverse educational opportunities we provide.
Our Master of Science (Pharmaceutical Science and Technology) is now also offered as a full-time programme to provide industry-relevant postgraduate education for nurturing future leaders in the pharmaceutical / biopharmaceutical industry. It will welcome its first cohort in Academic Year 2022/2023.
Shaping Future Solutions
Our researchers continue to make breakthroughs in health and consumer care, with the discovery of novel drugs and compounds that have potential clinical and commercial use.
Fighting antibiotic resistance with peptides
Assoc Prof Rachel EE and her team recently designed a series of de novo β-hairpin peptides which displayed selective activity against Gram-negative bacteria and high potency against clinically relevant antibiotic-resistant strains, such as colistin-resistant Enterobacterales and methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus. By examining the significance of the turn region of β-hairpin peptides, the team added valuable knowledge to the design toolkit of novel antimicrobial peptides as alternative therapeutics to overcome antibiotic resistance. The peptides were non-toxic to mammalian cells and their bactericidal activities were robust in the presence of proteolytic trypsin and saline, demonstrating potential for clinical development. This work was published in Acta Biomaterialia (September 2021).
Developing safer hair dyes
Paraphenylenediamine (PPD) is one of the main ingredients in permanent hair dyes. It permeates through the skin and is known to cause allergic contact dermatitis and potentially serious systemic toxicity. Assoc Prof Giorgia PASTORIN’s team synthesised PPD alternatives with lower binding affinity to skin proteins, thereby preventing an immune response and cytotoxicity, while maintaining the colour. Preliminary clinical trials in collaboration with Prof Paul BIGLIARDI, University of Minnesota, showed that none of the tested subjects cross-reacted to up to 2% concentration of one of the PPD derivatives. Several top cosmetic companies are currently testing these compounds for potential commercialisation. This work was published in Archives of Toxicology (November 2021).
A novel therapeutic drug for atrial fibrillation
Prof Eric CHAN’s research team discovered that a current drug for atrial fibrillation (AF), called dronedarone, deactivates a key heart enzyme, cytochrome P450 2J2. This in turn causes ventricular arrhythmia and heart cell toxicity. Armed with this knowledge, his team successfully circumvented these potentially lethal side effects by subtly replacing selected hydrogen atoms present on the drug molecule with deuterium atoms, in a process known as deuteration. The development of a safer and more efficacious version of an existing drug is important to address the unmet medical need for AF therapy. This work was published in Acta Phamaceutica Sinica B (March 2022).
Shaping Future Society
Our benefactors also support our initiatives to bring healthcare to the community. AstraZeneca donated $10,000 to our inaugural Health T.A.G. (Test, Advise, Go!) Fair which seeks to provide health and medication support, and education on disease prevention to members of the public.
Our alumni and students also contribute to initiatives that serve the community.
