with support from the Chia Boon Lock Memorial Fund
PULSE Issue 45 | July 2025
Chia Boon Lock Memorial Fund was established in 2018 to honour Emeritus Professor Chia Boon Lock, and to perpetuate his passionately held beliefs about the practice of medicine and the education of Singapore’s doctors. Widely regarded as Singapore’s “Father of Cardiology”, E/Prof. Chia was an inspirational educator, mentor and teacher fondly remembered for his engaging teaching style, and is a respected clinician admired for his pioneering work in the field. Being the first cardiologist to introduce 24-hour blood pressure monitoring as a diagnostic test for heart patients. He was also one of the first in Singapore to introduce echocardiography, one of the most versatile and commonly used imaging tests today. Officially launched in the 2020/2021 academic year, this bursary offers financial assistance to full-time medical undergraduates at the NUS Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, with hopes that every deserving student is allowed to attain the best possible education and training, despite their financial circumstances. A secondary but no less vital objective is in the advancement of medical research that will help boost care and health outcomes, along with shaping future generations of doctors.
Forecasting risk isn't about predicting the inevitable - it's about finding opportunities to act sooner, do better, and ultimately help more people live longer, healthier lives.
- Chia Boon Lock Memorial Fund Beneficiary, Bryan Chong
I am incredibly honoured to have been awarded the Chia Boon Lock Memorial Fund, a recognition that deeply affirms my commitment to cardiovascular research and public health. As a medical undergraduate at the Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore (NUS), this award is not just a personal milestone — it represents a shared vision of using medicine and data to shape a healthier future.
My journey in research stems from a simple but powerful belief: that every dataset carries a human story. The ability to transform raw numbers into insights that can improve patient care is what drives me. To me, research is not merely an academic exercise; it is a way to safeguard the lives and well-being of people we may never meet, but whom we serve through science and foresight.
I dedicated my project, The Global Syndemic of Modifiable Cardiovascular Risk Factors, to exploring the shifting trends in five major culprits of heart disease — diabetes, hypertension, high cholesterol, obesity, and smoking. By projecting these trends to 2050, I aimed to illuminate the evolving burden of cardiovascular risk across different populations and age groups.
As global populations age, we are seeing a rapid increase in chronic conditions such as diabetes and hypertension among the elderly. At the same time, worrying patterns are emerging among youth, especially the growing prevalence of obesity, driven by sedentary lifestyles and unhealthy diets. These trends, if left unaddressed, could accelerate early-onset heart disease, overburden healthcare systems, and compromise quality of life for millions.
Identifying the problem is only the beginning. My research is about using insight to drive action. By examining data across regions, age groups, and socio-economic contexts, I sought to help shift the focus of heart health from reactive treatment to proactive prevention. A key takeaway from this study is that we cannot afford a one-sizefits-all approach — prevention strategies must be tailored to the diverse populations they are intended to serve.
The findings support targeted interventions, such as improving hypertension screening among the elderly, addressing youth obesity early on, and allocating healthcare resources more strategically in low- and middle-income countries. We also need bold, system-wide measures — such as implementing sugar taxes, introducing front-of-pack nutritional labelling, and launching large-scale public health campaigns. With better foresight, we can ensure that healthcare systems are not only prepared, but also equitable in their response.
Ultimately, this research is more than a paper; it is a roadmap for smarter, more inclusive health policy. That said, I believe policy change alone is not sufficient. Long-term impact depends on a collective effort — one that includes healthcare institutions, governments, public education, and individual commitment. Forecasting health risk is not about accepting a bleak future, it is about creating opportunities to act earlier, respond more effectively, and help more people live longer, healthier lives.
At the 35th Annual Scientific Meeting of the Singapore Cardiac Society (SCS), I explored the latest advancements in cardiovascular health alongside 500 healthcare professionals, researchers, and experts.
Receiving the Chia Boon Lock Memorial Fund is both a privilege and a call to action. I am proud to stand alongside fellow recipients who share the mission of advancing medicine not only through knowledge, but through compassion and real-world impact. Through this opportunity, I remain committed to contributing to a future where our health systems are inclusive, resilient, and forward-looking.
