Diseases

News

The MAGNET project is a national collaboration among leading physicians and scientists.
29 May 2025
Singapore’s first nationwide research initiative dedicated to sarcopenia aims to revolutionise diagnosis and treatment for Asian patients.
Asia Research News Editor's Choice header
27 May 2025
Cosmic hide-and-seek, Controlling quantum light, Thinking face robot, Live DNA folding & Menopause-dementia link. Plus latest SciCom Coffee talk. Read all in the latest Editor's Choice.
15 May 2025
The combination of estrogen-blocking treatment with immunotherapy enhanced immunotherapy efficacy in ER+ metastatic breast cancer.
09 May 2025
New research shows that the gum disease bacterium P. gingivalis can slip into the bloodstream and infiltrate the heart. There, it quietly drives scar tissue buildup—distorting the heart’s architecture, disrupting electrical signals, and raising the risk of atrial fibrillation.
09 May 2025
How does obesity affect insulin production? Researchers at Tohoku University are shining light on new stages of the ERK pathway.
Plasma is irradiated from a non-thermal atmospheric-pressure plasma device onto a mammalian cell culture medium to produce PAM
30 Apr 2025
Method’s anticancer effects verified at cellular and organismal levels without obvious side effects
Asia Research News Editors Choice
29 Apr 2025
Smart neural electrode, "Rhinoceros beetle" robot, Halting the thief of sight, Together at last & Lighting hardy plants. Plus latest SciCom Coffee talk. Read all in the latest Editor's Choice.
Wild raccoons considered to be a source of zoonotic pathogens were monitored for the presence of Providencia species in Japan and analyzed for cytolethal distending toxin (cdt) genes.
23 Apr 2025
Raccoons considered to be a source of zoonotic pathogens were monitored
Kutupalong refugee camp in Cox’s Bazar, Bangladesh. (Photo: Takuya Takata)
18 Apr 2025
Colder temperatures are linked with increased risk of diarrhea among Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh, emphasizing the need for climate-sensitive health strategies in refugee settings.
16 Apr 2025
Why does dementia affect more women than men? To help solve this mystery, researchers uncovered a new risk factor: age of menopause onset.
14 Apr 2025
Widespread contamination by emerging foodborne pathogen detected in retail chicken meat
10 Apr 2025
An Osaka Metropolitan University-led team report on the development of a highly selective isolation medium CT-PS-XR-MacConkey agar for efficient isolation of E. albertii.
04 Apr 2025
SS 705 provides a first-of-its-kind Singapore-developed assessment to test the effectiveness of antibacterial, antifungal and antiviral potency, as well as durability of surface disinfectants and coatings.
03 Apr 2025
The presence of T cells with low-levels of Bach2 contributes to the worsening and/or prolongation of allergic dermatitis symptoms
Gastric tumour tissues under a microscope
27 Mar 2025
Using cutting-edge spatial and genetic tools, Singapore scientists have uncovered two gastric cancer tumour subgroups, characterising their unique cellular states, immune responses and interactions with their surroundings.
Ultrafine bubble showers and atopic dermatitis
13 Mar 2025
Considerable positive results found in mice with skin condition induced by external factors
13 Mar 2025
Effective treatment of gastric cancer-bacterial infections begins with understanding differing clinical methods
05 Mar 2025
Researchers at Tohoku University have found one more reason to quit smoking: the inhalation of first-hand and/or second-hand smoke may lead to placental abruption in pregnant mothers.
04 Mar 2025
For International Women's Day, we have prepared a list of women experts who have agreed to share their expertise with journalists. Their expertise include AI, astronomy, medicine and public health, sustainability, women’s rights, and more.
03 Mar 2025
Glaucoma is called the “silent thief of sight” as many don’t notice until significant, irreversible vision loss has already occurred. A revolutionary early screening tool using AI may stop this thief dead in its tracks.
Researchers found one of the E. coli strains isolated in cheese in Egypt in 2018 had the same properties as the E. coli in the milk that caused food poisoning in more than 1,800 schoolchildren in Toyama Prefecture in Japan in 2021.
27 Feb 2025
Popular milk and dairy products in Egypt show over 25% prevalence of E. coli
New advancements in veterinary regenerative medicine plausible with these pluripotent cells.
25 Feb 2025
Advancement in veterinary regenerative medicine can help domestic and endangered wild cats alike
A questionnaire translated into Japanese can help practitioners understand psychological effects on esophageal symptoms.
21 Feb 2025
Verifying the Esophageal Hypervigilance and Anxiety Scale for clinical use
An inflamed lung and a healthy lung, artistically depicted by an AI
20 Feb 2025
As populations age worldwide, diseases like pulmonary fibrosis are increasingly impacting life expectancy and quality. Duke-NUS researchers have identified that blocking specific proteins in immune cells can significantly reduce or reverse lung scarring. This discovery paves the way for novel treatments that could potentially reverse damage from pulmonary fibrosis.
Salivary proteins reduced disinfection effect of ozonated water
30 Jan 2025
Amylase and mucin decrease the effects of ozonated water
How a drug might prevent cancer formation
23 Jan 2025
Latest findings on the significance and interaction between cell death and cellular senescence in cancer
hand and key
15 Jan 2025
At Duke-NUS Medical School scientists are pioneering breakthroughs in precision medicine and regenerative therapies, targeting everything from muscle loss to dramatically extending our years of health.
15 Jan 2025
A research team proposes a method to assess cancer patients for their likelihood to either respond to treatment or relapse.
virus cells
13 Jan 2025
A newly designed model system simulates how viruses exit cells, offering potential advancements in targeted drug delivery and biotechnology.
Asia Research News Editor's Choice header
13 Jan 2025
Crossing the uncanny valley, Batteries that don’t explode, Tiny climate change fighters, Liver-friendly mushroom & Foetal defence. Read all in the latest Editor's Choice.

Events

27 Nov 2025
The Belgian Pandemic Intelligence Network is organising an international scientific symposium and stakeholder workshop on communication for evidence-informed policy-making in crisis management.
05 Nov 2025
Frontiers in Cancer Science 2025 welcomes you to our 17th International Conference. We invite scientists, doctors, students and other delegates engaging in scientific research related to cancer to join us at Singapore’s preferred cancer conference.
19 Sep 2024
World experts on Tropical Medicine and malaria will meet in ICTMM 2024 in Kuching to work towards SDG target 3.3 which is to end the epidemics of AIDS, tuberculosis, malaria and neglected tropical diseases.
06 Nov 2024
Vaccine World Asia Congress 2024 - South East Asia Focused stands as a premier destination for all things vaccine-related in the South East Asia region.
13 Nov 2024
FCS2024 is jointly organized by eight major research institutes in Singapore and includes a line-up of internationally renowned cancer experts. The conference converges the latest cancer discoveries around the world and promises ground-breaking and innovative insights into cancer research.
13 May 2024
The Symposium will showcase the growing field of early cancer intervention in Asia and will serve as a vital platform for scientists and clinicians to converge and explore the latest advancements in early cancer intervention strategies, spanning from cutting-edge research to community-centric strategies.
07 Aug 2024
The MTE 2024: Advanced Healthcare and Life Sciences International Innovation Awards & Expo (AHLS IIAE) is dedicated to recognizing and celebrating groundbreaking innovations in the healthcare industry.
06 Nov 2023
Bringing together distinguished cancer researchers with complementary knowledge and expertise from across the globe for the exchange of ideas and information.
26 Oct 2023
The Faculty of Medicine Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia will be organising the 15th Medical Undergraduates' Annual Scientific Research Meeting (MUASRM) on 26th October 2023.
20 Jun 2022
This event, held alongside the COVID-19 International Innovation Awards from 20 to 24 June, will bring forth and showcase innovations that are driving improvements and transforming the healthcare industry.
20 Jun 2022
COVID-19 International Innovation Awards (a virtual event), part of MTE 2022 year-long innovation awards programme, is scheduled to return on 20-24 June 2022. The awards are created to acknowledge and celebrate all innovations in response to COVID-19.
07 Nov 2022
FCS2022 is jointly organized by eight major research institutes in Singapore and includes a line-up of internationally renowned cancer experts. The conference converges the latest cancer discoveries around the world and promises ground-breaking and innovative insights into cancer research.
25 Jan 2022
With a brand-new focus, join us to explore Asia Healthcare Analytics Summit happening LIVE on 25 & 26 January 2022 via Hopin platform with 30+ Inspiring speakers, 100+ Virtual attendees, 4+ Networking session, 3+ Panel discussions of healthcare experts globally participating in this summit.
01 Nov 2021
We invite scientists, doctors, students and other delegates engaging in scientific research related to cancer to join us at Singapore’s preferred cancer conference.
07 Oct 2021
The National Healthcare Group (NHG) is proud to present the 19th Edition of the Singapore Health & Biomedical Congress (SHBC).
23 Nov 2020
Global health emergencies look set to be a part of our lives. What awaits us in 2021 and what lessons can we draw from COVID-19 coverage? How can we support newsrooms and journalists for more informed and impactful journalism about global scientific, technical and human challenges? What role does journalism play in seeking solutions for a better world that is both healthy, and sustainable?
02 Nov 2020
We invite scientists, doctors, students and other delegates engaging in scientific research related to cancer to join us at Singapore’s preferred cancer conference.
01 Oct 2020
The 6th annual RNA Biology Symposium jointly organized by the RNA Biology Centre of CSI Singapore (NUS), Skin Research Institute of Singapore (A*STAR), Duke-NUS Medical School, School of Biological Sciences (NTU) and Singapore-MIT Alliance for Research and Technology (SMART)
The Khwarizmi International Award (KIA) acknowledges the efforts made by researchers, innovators and inventors from across the globe and to appreciate their high quality research work and contributions to different fields of science and technology.
26 Jun 2020
Flattening the Curve with Digital Health: Episode 7 - Australia
18 Jun 2020
Flattening the Curve with Digital Health: Episode 6 - Thailand
10 Jun 2020
Flattening the Curve with Digital Health: Episode 5 - Japan
04 Jun 2020
Flattening the Curve with Digital Health; Episode 4 - Malaysia
21 May 2020
Flattening the Curve with Digial Health - Episode 2: Singapore
28 May 2020
Flattening the Curve with Digital Health: Episode 3 - South Korea
14 May 2020
Flattening the Curve with Digital Health - Episode 1 - China
04 Nov 2019
We bring together distinguished cancer researchers with complementary knowledge and expertise from across the globe for the exchange of ideas and information.
09 Sep 2019
This conference brings together a focus on technology development as well as applications for biomarker analysis in cancer, cardiovascular disease and other disease classes.

Researchers

A public health researcher and educator specializing in epidemiology, biostatistics, and molecular biology, with a passion for advancing global health, infectious disease control, and data-driven public health solutions.
Sadia Salim is an environmental and public health researcher working on climate change, planetary and environmental health, WASH, sustainability, education and empowerment, and grassroots community development and resilience in vulnerable regions.
I am a microbiologist currently working as a lecturer in the Medical Microbiology Department, Faculty of Applied Science, Hajjah University, Yemen. I am interested in research areas related to the prevalence of infectious diseases caused by bacteria, viruses, fungi, and parasites in different areas in Yemen.
Universiti Sains Malaysia
Angeli Ambayya is a Scientific Officer (Ministry of Health, Malaysia). She is passionate about research in the field of hemato-oncology.
Prof. Ryo Katsumata
Prof. Ryo Katsumata specialized in clinical research within gastroenterology, particularly in neurogastroenterology. His focus revolves around understanding the brain-gut interaction and the pathophysiology of disorders like functional dyspepsia (FD) and irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) that involve the gut-brain connection.
Duke-NUS Medical School
Physician-researcher; Primary area of research: Ageing, at the individual and the population level; Geographical focus: Singapore, with some work in other Asian countries.
Institute for the Advanced Study of Human Biology (ASHBi), Kyoto University
Young scientist from Kulgam,  Kashmir.
Dr. Ashfaq Ahmad Shah 'اشفاک,' born on 6 June 1992, from south Kashmir, Dodarkoot ددیرکوٹ Kulgam, Jammu and Kashmir, India, is the microbiologist whose broad area of specialization incorporates infection immunity. He served as a doctoral researcher at the Graphic Era (Deemed to be University), Dehradun, UK, India, from 2020 to 2025. As a microbiology scientist, Dr. Shah has pursued novel dimensions of infection immunity pertaining to the correlation and impact of elicitation-triggered phytoalexins and phytoanticipins on the benign immune system of human beings. This parameter of immunology is termed phytoalexin-immunomodulation scrutiny in the contemporary era. Dr. Shah's research encompasses a range of areas, including the indagation on anti-inflammatory and antimicrobial compounds, evaluation of antibiotic resistance, study of immunomodulatory activities, disease model studies, protease isolation against specific protein antigens, study of novel compounds via the hyphenated techniques of GCMS, HPLC, FTIR-MS, etc., and the discipline of kalology, including tyrosinase inhibition, PPO inhibition, skin whitening agents, kerato-peeling, etc. Dr. Ashfaq is a scientist, doctoral researcher, reviewer, and editorial member of several journals and books of national and international repute. He has contributed extensively to scientific literature by publishing his research in journals of national and international repute. So far he has published more than forty infection/immunology/pharmacology scientific papers in Scopus and SCI-indexed journals, including two international books. In recognition of his contributions, Mr. Shah received the Young Scientist Award in August 2023 for his groundbreaking academic performance in the field of infection immunity. Mr. Shah has also been an active editor of Wikipedia pages in the field of medical science since 2015, with more than 1000 edits in medical topics available to medical literature worldwide.
Universiti Malaysia Sarawak
Cheng Siang Tan
Dr. Cheng-Siang Tan is an Associate Professor at the Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Universiti Malaysia Sarawak (UNIMAS). He is an expert in infectious and emerging diseases and biosafety and biorisk management.
Dr. Hira Khalid is serving as Associate Professor at Forman Christian College University, Lahore, Pakistan. She is also a US Fulbright Fellow and a member of several prestigious scientific organizations, including the American Chemical Society (ACS), the Royal Society of Chemistry (RSC), the International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry (IUPAC), the Organization for Women in Science for the Developing World (OWSD), and the Chemical Society of Pakistan (CSP).
Mags Crumlish
Professor Crumlish has researched aquatic microbial diseases, specifically ones that have economic impact in global aquaculture, and potential solutions to such infectious diseases. Her current project seeks to develop vaccines against antimicrobial resistance in aquaculture.
The Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR)
Matthew Tay
Dr. Tay has researched antibodies and diseases like malaria and SARS-CoV-2 at A*STAR. His focus is on discovering methods for developing antibodies that can be used in therapies against multidrug-resistant pathogens.
Nguyen Huu Nghia
Nguyen Huu Nghia is the Director of the Center for Environment and Disease Monitoring in Aquaculture (CEDMA) at the Research Institute for Aquaculture No.1 (RIA1) under Vietnam’s Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development. He has co-managed various research efforts in Vietnam aquaculture as well as published recent research into the use of nanobubbles.
Dr. Phan Thi Van
Dr. Van was previously the Director of the Research Institute for Aquaculture No.1 (RIA1) under Vietnam’s Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development. She has extensive expertise in aquatic animal health and aquaculture safety management.
City University of Hong Kong (CityU)
Sophie St-Hilaire
Professor St-Hilaire is a professor at the Department of Infectious Diseases and Public Health, City University of Hong Kong (CityU). She has extensively researched fish nutrition and diseases, including treatment efficacy, and has helped investigate fish disease outbreaks.
The Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR)
Dr. Stefan Oehlers
Dr. Oehlers leads the Bacterial Pathogenesis Laboratory at A*STAR ID Labs, where he and his colleagues focus on identifying molecular bases of mycobacterial disease and, thus, deploy therapies that address antibiotic resistance in mycobacterial infections.
The Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR)
Professor Yue Wang
Dr. Yue Wang is senior principal investigator at the Antifungal Resistance Laboratory of A*STAR ID Labs, where his body of work focuses on virulence mechanisms of the fungal human pathogen Candida albicans.
The Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR)
Amit Singhal
Dr. Singhal serves as senior principal investigator at the Bacterial Immunopathology Lab at A*STAR ID Labs in Singapore. His work at A*STAR ID Labs revolves around three main pathogens: Mycobacterium tuberculosis, Gram-negative bacteria and Dengue virus.
The Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR)
Dr. Pablo Bifani
Dr. Bifani is a principal investigator at A*STAR ID Labs at their Antimicrobial Resistance Lab. He has extensively researched antimicrobial resistance in tuberculosis and malaria. He is also an associate professor and research director at the Yong Yoo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore.
City University of Hong Kong (CityU)
Jian Yan
Dr. Yan is an assistant professor at the Department of Biomedical Sciences, City University of Hong Kong (CityU). His current research focuses on developing genomic tools to dissect lncRNA function and mechanism in diseases and to identify genetic variations that contribute to disease pathogenesis.
City University of Hong Kong (CityU)
Xin Deng
Dr. Deng is a biomedical scientist with a special interest in bacterial virulence, including gene regulation, signaling pathways, and RNA epigenetics. He has worked on virulence regulation in pathogens to discover new therapies against bacterial infections.
Osaka Metropolitan University
Toshiyuki Ozawa
Dr. Ozawa is a Specially Appointed Professor at the Department of Dermatology, Graduate School of Medicine, Osaka Metropolitan University (formerly Osaka City University). His specialized field is skin malignant tumor and surgery.
Kyoto University
So Iwata
Dr. So Iwata is a Professor at the Graduate School of Medicine Kyoto University and the Group Director of the SACLA Science Research Group, RIKEN SPring-8 Center. He has investigated how specialized membrane channels remove antimicrobial drugs from inside bacterial cells.
Ulsan National Institute of Science and Technology (UNIST)
Robert Mitchell of UNIST
Dr. Mitchell is a professor at the Department of Biological Sciences, Ulsan National Institute of Science and Technology (UNIST). His primary research interest is the study of bacterial strains that attack and prey on other bacteria, including antimicrobial-resistant pathogens.
Dr. Soojin Jang
Dr. Soojin Jang heads the Antibacterial Resistance Research Laboratory at Institut Pasteur Korea, where her team focuses on discovering new antibacterial agents for “superbugs” or bacteria resistant to most antibiotics.
Hong Kong Baptist University (HKBU)
Prof. Cai Zongwei is now the Chair Professor of Chemistry in the Department of Chemistry and Director of both State Key Laboratory of Environmental and Biological Analysis as well as Dioxin Laboratory, Hong Kong Baptist University.
The Asian Institute of Technology
Dr. Dong currently works at the Asian Institute of Technology. He does research in Aquaculture, Pathology, Infectious Diseases, and Aquatic Bioscience.
Suraj Bhattarai
Suraj Bhattarai is a global health specialist and tropical medicine physician with research interests in infectious disease epidemiology and surveillance, health systems, and urban health. He is a co-founder and research fellow at the Global Institute for Interdisciplinary Studies, a Kathmandu-based academic institute that promotes and conducts interdisciplinary research. He is a member of Global Young Academy and an Alumni steering committee member of IAP-Young Physician Leaders Programme. He obtained medical training in Nepal and masters in Tropical Medicine & International Health from the LSHTM, UK.
I am a Health Economist/Researcher, working with UN agencies in the development of policy documents for developing countries including Nepal, Ethiopia and Pakistan.
City University of Hong Kong (CityU)
Dr. Brian Kot Chin Wing
Dr Brian Kot is a registered diagnostic radiographer and veterinary imaging researcher in the City University of Hong Kong.
Osaka City University
Takashi Hashimoto's major expertise is clinical and basic research for both autoimmune bullous diseases and hereditary skin diseases.

Giants in history

Filipina paediatrician and scientist Perla Santos-Ocampo (25 July 1931 – 29 June 2012) made important contributions to treatments and policies that curbed debilitating and sometimes deadly diarrhoea-related diseases and malnutrition in children.
Singaporean physician Oon Chiew Seng (1916 – 31 March 2022) advanced dementia care and research in Singapore, and co-founded the Apex Harmony Lodge, the nation’s first nursing home for residents with dementia.
Vietnamese surgeon Tôn Thất Tùng (10 May 1912 – 7 May 1982) developed a pioneering technique that reduced the risks and mortality rate of liver operations.
Ruby Sakae Hirose (1904 – 1960) was a Japanese-American scientist whose research contributed significantly to our understanding of blood clotting, allergies and cancer.
Iranian physician and bacteriologist Azar Andami (8 December 1926 – 19 August 1984) developed a cholera vaccine to combat an outbreak that swept through the Middle East, India, Southeast Asia, and Africa in 1937.
Michiaki Takahashi (17 February 1928 – 16 December 2013) was a Japanese virologist who developed the first chickenpox vaccine.
Irene Ayako Uchida’s (8 April 1917 – 30 July 2013) strides to understand genetic diseases such as Down syndrome paved the way for early screening of chromosomal abnormalities in foetuses.
Baron Kitasato Shibasaburo (29 January 1856 – 13 June 1931) was a Japanese physician and bacteriologist whose work led to a new understanding of preventing and treating tetanus, diphtheria and anthrax.
By isolating soil microorganisms and studying the compounds they produce, Satoshi Omura (born 1935) discovered almost 500 organic compounds with unique properties that were produced by these microorganisms, including many new antibiotics.
Chinese-American virologist and molecular biologist Flossie Wong-Staal (27 August 1946 – 8 July 2020) was the first scientist to clone HIV and determine the function of its genes.
Maharani Chakravorty (1937 – 2015) was one of India’s earliest molecular biologists whose research paved the way for advances in the treatment of bacterial and viral infections.
Husband and wife team, Kimishige (3 December 1925 – 6 July 2018) and Teruko Ishizaka (28 September 1926 – 4 June 2019) discovered the antibody class Immunoglobulin E (IgE) that triggers allergic reactions. They also discovered that IgE antibodies attach to white blood cells, known as mast cells, releasing histamine, which causes allergic reactions.
Japanese chemist Takamine Jokichi (3 November 1854 – 22 July 1922) founded the Tokyo Artificial Fertilizer Company, where he isolated a starch-digesting enzyme (named takadiastase) from the fungus Aspergillus oryzae.
Lim Boo Liat (21 August 1926 – 11 July 2020), a leading authority in the conservation of Malaysia’s biological diversity, had his initial interest in the outdoors piqued by nature lessons in school. Lim, who helped found the National Zoo of Malaysia and re-establish the Malaysian Nature Society, had a particular interest in researching zoonotic diseases associated with small animals.
A pioneer of bio-organic chemistry, Darshan Ranganathan (4 June 1941 – 4 June 2001) is remembered for developing a protocol for synthesising imidazole, a compound used to make antifungal drugs and antibiotics. Widely considered India’s most prolific researcher in chemistry, she also published dozens of papers in renowned journals on protein folding, molecular design, chemical simulation of key biological processes, and the synthesis of functional hybrid peptides and nanotubes.
Indian scientist and physician Upendranath Brahmachari (19 December 1873–6 February 1946) is best known for creating a drug called Urea Stibamine, used to safely and reliably treat visceral leishmaniasis (or Kala-azar), a severe infection caused by the Leishmania parasite.
Filipino chemist and pharmacist Manuel A. Zamora (29 March 1870 – 9 July 1929) is best remembered for his discovery of the tiki-tiki formula to combat beriberi, a disease caused by Vitamin B1 deficiency.
Indian organic chemist Asima Chatterjee (1917 to 2006) studied the medicinal properties of plant products, especially compounds known as vinca alkaloids.
Tu Youyou (born 30 December 1930) is a Chinese pharmaceutical scientist who was awarded the 2015 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine for her work on extracting artemisin from sweet wormwood to treat malaria.
Umetaro Suzuki (7 April 1874 – 20 September 1943) was a Japanese scientist best remembered for his research on beriberi, a disease caused by vitamin B1 deficiency, characterized by limb stiffness, paralysis and pain.
Salimuzzaman Siddiqui (19 October 1897 – 14 April 1994) was an artist and chemist from Pakistan whose research focused on natural products from plants.
Barry Paw (29 August 1962 – 28 December 2017) was a biologist and oncologist who discovered several novel genes and their functions in red blood cells.