Research Highlights

To celebrate the upcoming Chinese New Year of the Snake, Prof Cai Zongqi, Director of the Advanced Institute for Global Chinese Studies of Lingnan University, and Mr Jerry Wang Junzhe, Research Officer of the Advanced Institute for Global Chinese Studies, searched the rich anecdotes related to the snake zodiac sign. They explained that while contemporary literature and religious stories often fuel fear of snakes, the symbolism in ancient Chinese mythology paints a different picture. Snakes were not only revered as tribal totems and royal symbols, but also regarded as emblems of health and good fortune.

Duke-NUS study findings challenge the longstanding reliance on neutralising antibodies for assessing viral immunity, and suggest that development of future vaccines must consider both antibody and T-cell responses for comprehensive protection.

To discover Hong Kong citizens' awareness and acceptance of gerontechnology, the Lingnan University Institute for Policy Studies’ Jockey Club Gerontechnology and Smart Ageing in Place (GTSA) Project recently held a public opinion survey. The results show that overall awareness of gerontechnology is on an upward trend, but 40% of respondents believe that current government subsidies for the purchase of gerontech products are insufficient, and 90% of respondents would like the government to expand the Elderly Health Care Voucher Scheme to cover the purchase of gerontech products.

Perched on a hill overlooking the village of Thiksey in Ladakh, Thiksey Monastery is one of the most expansive Buddhist complexes in India. Notable for its vast collection of murals, sculptures and rare manuscripts, this 15th-century religious site is heavily fortified and was once an administrative centre.

Duke-NUS scientists investigated how an inherited genetic variation common among East Asians contributes to drug resistance in cancer cells, driving more aggressive cancer growth. The team trialled a precision therapy for this group by blocking the action of a protein called MCL-1, successfully killing many of the cancer cells in laboratory studies.

For centuries, gold and silver ornamentation was used to embellish textiles. Gota work is one such technique, which incorporates these precious metals in appliqué form. Read more about the history of this craft, which is inspired by Mughal and Islamic art, and found on bridal and ceremonial garments across northern India.

Duke-NUS introduces 35 innovative pictograms to make medication instructions clearer, especially for seniors.

A luminary of modern Indian art, Jamini Roy is celebrated for his experiments with Bengali patachitra painting traditions and his brightly hued, bold and two-dimensional depictions of human, animal and mythological forms. Discover the legacy of this 20th-century artist, whose works have been declared national treasures of India under the Antiquities and Art Treasures Act, 1972.

Scientists have discovered that blocking the activity of the hormone glucagon could treat a common and challenging type of heart failure that affects millions worldwide.

A Duke-NUS Medical School-led study highlights the role of natural killer T cells in influencing the immune response to dengue virus, potentially reducing the severity of subsequent infections.

A rare artefact of 19th-century tawaif culture, The Beauties of Lucknow is a fascinating photograph album from colonial South Asia. Compiled in 1874, it consists of 24 portraits of courtesans from Awadh in present-day Uttar Pradesh. Read more to know how Darogah Abbas Ali, the photographer behind it, reimagined Mughal-era muraqqa traditions and colonial portraiture to create one of the earliest works of nostalgia on the tawaifs of Lucknow.

The surprising discovery that cellular protein Gα13 may actually protect against—rather than promote growth of—the most commonly relapsing type of breast cancer signals potential for more effective and innovative treatments.

A board game made of cloth or paper and featuring a series of squares, snakes and ladders, with the latter functioning as karmic devices, gyan chaupar was not only a popular recreation in ancient India, but also an important spiritual tool. Literally translating to the ‘game of knowledge’ this game instilled lessons on attaining moksha or salvation from the cycle of death and rebirth. Read more about gyan chaupar’s many variations in medieval India and how it gradually evolved into a children’s board game at the turn of the twentieth century.

Professor Hsiao-Wei Yuan from the School of Forestry and Resource Conservation at National Taiwan University (NTU) has been leading a team since 2003 dedicated to the research and protection of the endangered Chinese Crested Tern, also known as the 'Mythical Bird,' with only fewer than 100 individuals remaining. Their efforts have drawn international attention to this species, leading to conservation efforts and showcasing Taiwan's efforts in biodiversity conservation and key research achievements. After 20 years of conservation efforts, the population of Chinese Crested Terns has increased to approximately 150 individuals.

It is the first study to estimate informal caregiving time and its monetary value in Singapore in the context of seniors requiring day-to-day care. Study findings highlight the need to acknowledge the contributions of informal caregivers—family members or friends providing unpaid help to seniors for their daily living activities.

Collaborative study by Duke-NUS and NUS Mechanobiology Institute offers new hope for treating neurodevelopmental disorders by activating dormant neural stem cells and uncovering other mechanisms behind brain development.

Since the early 1900s, Indian women artists have consistently raised sociopolitical issues with their aesthetic and thematic choices. While painters like Amrita Sher-Gil were among the privileged few to have received global recognition in their lifetime, the works of Sunayani Devi, Mrinalini Mukherjee, Bhuri Bai and others have been overlooked in favour of their more celebrated male peers. Discover the rich legacy of feminist consciousness in modern Indian art and how it has been shaped by gender justice movements and caste reform in recent decades.

As climate change continues to advance, the need for low-carbon, clean energy alternatives has become more urgent than ever. A research team at City University of Hong Kong (CityUHK) has developed a new generation of printable perovskite solar cells that offer higher efficiency and stability, lower cost and scalability, with a minimal carbon footprint. With funding support from the inaugural Research, Academic and Industry Sectors One-plus Scheme (RAISe+ Scheme) of the Innovation and Technology Commission of the HKSAR government, the team aims to establish a pilot production line within one and a half years, paving the way for a sustainable solar future.

Electron microscopes have long been indispensable tools in scientific research, offering unparalleled resolution and magnification capabilities. However, current electron microscopy technologies face significant limitations, including high cost, large size, strong radiation damage to samples through interaction with the electron beam, and the need for cryogenic temperatures. A research team from City University of Hong Kong (CityUHK) is working on a new quantum electron microscope (QEM) to eliminate interaction between the electron beam and sample. At this stage, the team is using partial key components of QEM to design a compact hybrid transmission and scanning electron microscope that can operate at room temperature, ushering in a new era for electron microscopes. The CityUHK team plans to manufacture and commercialise this groundbreaking innovation within three years.

A historic folk tradition from Bengal, patua combines storytelling with scroll painting. Performers of this tradition travel from one village to another, reciting tales from Hindu epics like the Ramayana, and from local Santhal mythologies, bringing them to life by unravelling vivid scroll paintings illustrating these stories. Discover the ancient history, decline and revitalisation of this folk tradition, and how the government has used it to promote family planning in postcolonial India.

A randomised trial conducted by health economists at Duke-NUS Medical School found that a bit of peer influence can nudge us to select healthier groceries.

Fragrant, sweet, exotic and golden-yellow, the mango is an apt metaphor for summer in South Asia. Domesticated over 4,000 years ago, it has been a symbol of wealth, desire and luxury in the subcontinent. Peel back the layers of this iconic fruit to reveal the reasons behind its enduring popularity and read more about mango’s significance through art objects and discover how artists and craftsmen have tried to capture its essence in all its glory.

During embryonic development, cells proliferate rapidly and differentiate to form tissues and organs of multicellular organisms. Paradoxically, since the 19th century, scientists have discovered that these processes that foster the creation of life is often accompanied by large-scale cell death. Why? This is a century-old mystery. Dr. Sheng-hong Chen and his team from the Institute of Molecular Biology's Lab for Cell Dynamics discovered that large-scale cell death occurs through Reactive Oxygen Species (ROS)-mediated ferroptosis trigger waves, published online in Nature in July 2024.

A 90-acre garden complex in the heart of New Delhi, Lodi Gardens is one of the city’s most-loved public parks. Surprisingly, it is actually a tomb complex — dotted with mosques and domes from the Sayyid, Lodi and Mughal eras. Explore the park’s cultural and geographical significance by tracing the garden's history from the 15th century to the present, and read about the iconic figures and architectural styles associated with the monument.

Associated with the forest and healing herbs, the goddess Parnashavari is revered for her ability to cure illnesses, contagious diseases and epidemics. A folk deity for the Shavari or Sabara indigenous community of central and eastern India, she was later integrated into the Buddhist pantheon and continues to be venerated in the Himalayan regions of Nepal and Tibet. Learn about her iconography and the symbolic objects and weapons she wields.

A new study from Duke-NUS Medical School has highlighted the widespread use of physical restraints among caregivers of older adults with advanced dementia living at home, revealing a need for better guidance and alternative care approaches.

Groundbreaking research from Duke-NUS offers new hope to millions with asthma and severe food allergies, signalling a new strategy for the prevention of life-threatening reactions.

Renowned for its gleaming silver and gold inlay against dark metallic backgrounds, Bidriware metal work derives its name from the town of its origin — Bidar in southern India. While the earliest documented presence of Bidriware is in a 1625 Deccani miniature painting, the craft is believed to have originated in the 14th century under the patronage of the Bahmani Sultans. Bidriware's allure ensured that it was valued and patronised by royalty across the Indian subcontinent in the late medieval and early modern period. Read about this living tradition, and the processes behind the creation of Bidriware.

A new study by Duke-NUS Medical School (Duke-NUS) and Nanyang Technological University, Singapore (NTU Singapore) has found that compared to non-volunteers, older adults who volunteer feel more supported by their social networks, which in turn leads to an improvement in their quality of life.

• International study, led by researchers in Singapore and Germany, unveils unexpected mechanisms of SGLT2 inhibitors, challenging the assumption that their beneficial, organ-protective effects stem from a diuretic effect. • Insights suggest the drugs, which have been developed to treat diabetes but are meanwhile widely used for chronic kidney disease and heart failure, trigger ancient and highly conserved evolutionary survival signals that may also contribute to longer healthspans.