Singapore
Experienced Clinical Research Scientist and Public Health professional with a demonstrated history of working in healthcare and international NGO sectors. Strong program and project management professional with experience in handling international donor agencies, government stakeholders, and technical partners.
SCIENTIFIC PROJECT LEADER, SPRINT-TB (www.sprinttb.org) The Singapore Programme of Research Investigating New approaches to Treatment of Tuberculosis, SPRINT-TB, is an NUS based programme focused on creating new improved treatments for TB. I lead several clinical trials of new drugs and regimens, comprising of new/re-purposed anti-bacterials or immune-modulatory drugs against TB, under the clinical development theme of this programme. Summary of Roles and Responsibilities • Developing clinical trial protocols including all scientific aspects of study design • Overseeing and managing submission of initial application, periodic study status reports and any subsequent amendments to Regulatory Authorities, Ethics Committees and Technical Review Boards in Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, Philippines and Indonesia • Performing site evaluations and conducting subsequent site initiation visits and trial-specific site personnel training • Identifying and contracting academic and commercial CROs; managing them with regards to trial monitoring, data management and safety reporting • Building collaborations and liaising with pharmaceutical industry and academic partners • Negotiating budgets and contracts with sites,CROs and other academic/industry collaborators • Tracking funding accounts and managing cashflow projections • Submitting annual progress reports to funding agencies such as the Singapore National Medical Research Council (NMRC)
I worked on the optimization of the bicyclic nitroimidazole class (Pretomanid, Delamanid) against TB, a project that was funded by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation’s Grand Challenges in Global Health and the Wellcome Trust. Key findings/achievements • Achieved structural characterization of the Deazaflavin-dependent nitroreductase (Ddn) enzyme that facilitated optimization of bicyclic nitroimidazoles for improved TB treatment. • Established an enzymatic screening assay and successfully screened several bicyclic nitroimidazole analogues to understand structure-activity relationship • Elucidated a novel F420 dependent anti-oxidant mechanism that protects Mtb against oxidative stress and hypothesized the role of F420 in anaerobic respiration / persistence. • Assisted on a post-doctoral project that aimed to develop M. smegmatis cell-based luciferase reporter assays to elucidate mechanism of action of novel chemical entities • Worked with the Disease Biology, Chemistry and Pharmacology teams at NITD to understand the process of early phase drug discovery