Lim Chwee Teck

Lim Chwee Teck
FRS
Born
Singapore
NationalitySingaporean
Alma materNational University of Singapore (BEng)
University of Cambridge (PhD)
Scientific career
Fields
InstitutionsNational University of Singapore
Websitecde.nus.edu.sg/bme/staff/dr-limchweeteck Edit this at Wikidata

Lim Chwee Teck FRS is a Singaporean researcher and entrepreneur. He is a specialist in human disease mechanobiology and in developing medical and wearable technologies for disease diagnosis and precision therapy and bringing them from the laboratory to the bedside.[1][2][3][4][5]

Education

Lim was educated at the University of Cambridge where he was awarded a PhD.[6]

Career and research

He is currently[when?] the inaugural National University of Singapore Society (NUSS) Chair Professor[7][8] at the Department of Biomedical Engineering,[9] Director of the Institute for Health Innovation & Technology (iHealthtech) (2018–present) at the National University of Singapore (NUS), and Founding Director of the Singapore Health Technologies Consortium (HealthTEC). He is also an elected Fellow of the Royal Society (UK), International Union for Physical and Engineering Sciences in Medicine,[10] the US National Academy of Inventors, American Institute for Medical and Biological Engineering,[11] the International Academy of Medical and Biological Engineering,[12] ASEAN Academy of Engineering and Technology, the Academy of Engineering (Singapore),[13] the Singapore National Academy of Science,[14] Institution of Engineers (Singapore) and an elected Council Member of the World Council of Biomechanics (2010–2022).[15]

Lim's research interests include human disease mechanobiology, microfluidic technologies for disease diagnosis and precision therapy, and soft wearable technologies for biomedical applications.[1] He currently[when?] heads the MechanoBioEngineering Laboratory at NUS. He co-authored more than 500 peer-reviewed journal publications including in high impact journals, for example Nature,[16] Nature Materials,[citation needed] Nature Physics[citation needed] among others.[1]

Lim is internationally known for his interdisciplinary approach in combining mechanics with biology and medicine to obtain fundamental insights into how adverse changes in the mechanical properties of cells and tissues can lead to the pathology of diseases (mechanopathology) such as malaria and cancer.

From the outset of his career, Lim understood that for research to make an impact, it needs to be translated from the laboratory to the bedside.  This is where he makes the greatest contribution by leveraging on his basic research outcomes and his expertise in engineering to develop a new generation of biomedical technologies for better disease diagnosis, prognosis and precision therapy. In fact, some of his biomedical microfluidic technologies has been commercialised by startups that he has cofounded.[17][18]  

One example involves a biochips to better detect and diagnose cancer.  These microfluidic chips are among the world's first in being able to isolate circulating tumor cells from patient's blood. This patented technology is simple and easy to use, providing a next generation of non-invasive 'liquid biopsy' devices for cancer diagnosis.[19] The key innovation involved cancer cells being captured and analysed from a routine blood draw rather than through the painful route of needle aspiration tumour biopsy.  This technology has since been commercialized by Biolidics Limited which he co-founded in 2009 and which IPO in 2018.  The technology has also obtained CE (IVD) certification as well as FDA listing in both China and the USA.  

He and his team have also received numerous awards and accolades including the Nature Award for Mentoring in Science (Lifetime Achievement) 2022, Highly Cited Researcher 2022, IES Prestigious Engineering Achievement Award 2022, Asia's Most Influential Scientist Award, Fortune Times 2021, IP Champion, WIPO-IPOS IP Awards 2019, TIE50 Award (world's top 50 startups) 2014,[20] Credit Suisse Technopreneur of the Year Award 2012, Wall Street Journal Asian Innovation Awards 2012 (Gold Award),[18] Asian Entrepreneurship Award 2012 (First Prize),[21] President's Technology Award] 2011[22] among others.

In the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, Lim and his team developed two portable point-of-care rapid diagnostic tests – a portable micro-PCR system called EPIDAX[23][24][25] and a rapid antigen test kit called abSense.

Leadership

Lim is Director of the Institute for Health Innovation and Technology (iHealhtech) at the National University of Singapore.

Lim was the Founding Director of the Singapore Health Technologies Consortium (HealthTEC.SG) which comprises a network of over 70 health and medical technology companies[26] with the aim of promoting closer research collaboration and quicker transfer of knowledge and research outcomes from academia to industry.  HealthTEC.SG is supported by the National Research Foundation.[27]

Entrepreneurship

Lim has currently[when?] co-founded six spin-off companies such as Biolidics, Microtube Technologies and Flexosense that are commercialising technologies developed in his laboratory.[28]

Awards and honors

  • Elected Fellow of the Royal Society (FRS), 2024.[29]
  • Nature Award for Mentoring in Science (Lifetime Achievement), 2022.
  • Highly Cited Researcher, 2018, 2019, 2021.[30]
  • Asia's Most Influential Scientist Award, Fortune Times, 2021.[31]
  • IES Prestigious Engineering Achievement Award 2021.[32]
  • HFSP Award 2018.[33]
  • ASEAN Outstanding Engineering Achievement Award 2016.[34]
  • 14 inspiring innovators from Asia, Asian Scientist, 2016.[35]
  • IES Prestigious Engineering Achievement Award, 2016.[36]
  • Asian Scientist 100, 2016.[37]
  • Seven Scientists from Singapore to Watch, Asian Scientist, 2016.[38]
  • Vladimir K. Zworykin Award, 2015.[39]
  • Outstanding Researcher Award, NUS University Awards, 2014.[40]
  • President's Technology Award 2011.[41]
  • IES Prestigious Engineering Achievement Award, 2010.[42]
  • Cited in “MIT Technology Review: 10 Emerging Technologies and their impact”, 2006.[43]

References

  1. ^ a b c d Lim Chwee Teck publications indexed by Google Scholar Edit this at Wikidata
  2. ^ Lim Chwee Teck publications from Europe PubMed Central
  3. ^ "Singapore researchers develop smart bandage for chronic wounds". dw.com. Retrieved 17 April 2022.
  4. ^ Morenne, Benoit. "Smart Bandages, Vehicle-Damage Trackers and More Data-Collecting Devices of the Future". WSJ. Retrieved 17 April 2022.
  5. ^ "Chwee Teck Lim Inventions, Patents and Patent Applications - Justia Patents Search". patents.justia.com. Retrieved 27 January 2021.
  6. ^ Lim, Chwee Teck (1996). Effects of compliance and friction on elastic-plastic impact. cam.ac.uk (PhD thesis). University of Cambridge. OCLC 556845688.
  7. ^ "NUS launches Revolutionary Materials Science Research Centre". eurekalert.org. Retrieved 17 April 2022.
  8. ^ "Prof Lim Chwee Teck conferred the NUSS Professorship". eng.nus.edu.sg. Retrieved 27 January 2021.
  9. ^ "Dr. LIM Chwee Teck". eng.nus.edu.sg. Retrieved 27 January 2021.
  10. ^ "CDE BME Academics Recognised for Outstanding Contributions to the International Development of Physical and Engineering Sciences in Medicine". cde.nus.edu.sg. Retrieved 17 August 2022.
  11. ^ "Chwee Teck Lim, Ph.D. COF-1992 - AIMBE". Retrieved 26 January 2021.
  12. ^ "IAMBE". iambe-ifmbe.org. Retrieved 26 January 2021.
  13. ^ "The Fellowship :: SAEng – The Academy of Engineering Singapore". Retrieved 26 January 2021.
  14. ^ "Current Fellows". Singapore National Academy of Science. Retrieved 26 January 2021.
  15. ^ "World Council of Biomechanics". World Council of Biomechanics. Retrieved 26 January 2021.
  16. ^ Thuan Beng Saw; Amin Doostmohammadi; Vincent Nier; et al. (1 April 2017). "Topological defects in epithelia govern cell death and extrusion". Nature. 544 (7649): 212–216. doi:10.1038/NATURE21718. ISSN 1476-4687. PMC 5439518. PMID 28406198. Wikidata Q42171388.
  17. ^ "25 Oct 2012: Clearbridge wins Techventure Most Disruptive Innovation award". vietnamcentrepoint.edu.vn. Retrieved 27 January 2021.
  18. ^ a b "Cancer-detection system wins S'pore firm top Asian Innovation Award". asiaone.com. 21 November 2012. Retrieved 27 January 2021.
  19. ^ Lim, Su Bin; Di Lee, Wen; Vasudevan, Jyothsna; Lim, Wan-Teck; Lim, Chwee Teck (2 October 2019). "Liquid biopsy: one cell at a time". npj Precision Oncology. 3 (1): 23. doi:10.1038/s41698-019-0095-0. ISSN 2397-768X. PMC 6775080. PMID 31602399.
  20. ^ Memory, Singapore. "Clearbridge BioMedics". Singapore Memory. Retrieved 27 January 2021.
  21. ^ "Tech in Asia - Connecting Asia's startup ecosystem". techinasia.com. Retrieved 27 January 2021.
  22. ^ "Mr Lim Hng Kiang at the President's Science and Technology Awards 2011, 8 Nov 2011". mti.gov.sg. Retrieved 27 January 2021.
  23. ^ "On-site COVID-19 test results in one hour". On-site COVID-19 test results in one hour. Retrieved 27 January 2021.
  24. ^ hermes (14 December 2020). "Developing a PCR test that can yield results in an hour". The Straits Times. Retrieved 27 January 2021.
  25. ^ "NUS research team develops portable COVID-19 diagnostic system for rapid on-site testing". EurekAlert!. Retrieved 27 January 2021.
  26. ^ "Members | HealthTEC – Health & Wellness Applications". Retrieved 27 January 2021.
  27. ^ "Health Technologies Consortium". nrf.gov.sg. Retrieved 27 January 2021.
  28. ^ "Scientist behind the world's first smart bandage among winners of prestigious Fortune Times awards". businesstimes.com.sg. 30 December 2021. Retrieved 17 April 2022.
  29. ^ Anon (2024). "Professor Chwee-Teck Lim FRS". royalsociety.org. London: Royal Society. Retrieved 20 May 2024.
  30. ^ "Chwee Teck Lim". publons.com. Retrieved 3 May 2022.
  31. ^ "Professor Chwee Teck Lim Was Awarded "ASIA'S MOST INFLUENTIAL SCIENTIST" at the 2021 Fortune Times Awards Ceremony". newfortunetimes.com. Retrieved 3 May 2022.
  32. ^ "InfinityGlove™ Team bags 2021 IES Prestigious Engineering Achievement Award". news.nus.edu.sg. Retrieved 3 May 2022.
  33. ^ "2018 HFSP Awards in the News". hfsp.org. Retrieved 3 May 2022.
  34. ^ "Singapore Engineers Recognized At ASEAN Engineering Awards". asianscientist.com. 6 December 2016. Retrieved 3 May 2022.
  35. ^ "14 Inspiring Innovators From Asia". asianscientist.com. 6 October 2016. Retrieved 3 May 2022.
  36. ^ "IES Prestigious Engineering Achievement Awards". ies.org.sg. 15 May 2017. Retrieved 3 May 2022.
  37. ^ "Lim Chwee Teck". asianscientist.com. Retrieved 3 May 2022.
  38. ^ "7 Scientists From Singapore To Watch". asianscientist.com. 8 June 2016. Retrieved 3 May 2022.
  39. ^ "Past Awardees". ifmbe.org. Retrieved 3 May 2022.
  40. ^ "Honour Roll". nus.edu.sg. Retrieved 3 May 2022.
  41. ^ "2011 PSTA WINNER CITATIONS" (PDF). astarapp.a-star.edu.sg. Retrieved 3 May 2022.
  42. ^ "2010 Award Winners". ies.org.sg. 15 May 2017. Retrieved 3 May 2022.
  43. ^ "10 Emerging Technologies". technologyreview.com. Retrieved 3 May 2022.