<TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width=452 border=0><TBODY><TR><TD vAlign=top width=452 colSpan=2>Published March 14, 2009
</TD></TR><TR><TD vAlign=top width=452 colSpan=2>Greater push for cross-disciplinary research
A*Star makes new appointments, seeking to raise collaboration among research institutes
By CHEN HUIFEN
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THE Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*Star) will take a more pro-active approach to encourage cross-disciplinary research, following new appointments approved by its board yesterday.
George Radda, formerly chief executive of the UK's Medical Research Council, will replace renowned cancer scientist David Lane as chairman of the Biomedical Research Council (BMRC). Prof Lane will also step down as CEO of the Experimental Therapeutics Centre, a role that will be filled by Novartis Institute for Tropical Diseases founding director Alex Matter.
With the change, Prof Lane will shed his executive duties at A*Star but will continue to spend 50 per cent of his time here to help mentor and train Singapore researchers in his capacity as chief scientist of A*Star.
'He (Prof Lane) is very clear that he wants to focus on research, so he doesn't want to take on an executive role,' said A*Star chairman Lim Chuan Poh.
'He doesn't want to have to follow through an initiative and so on. So it's (his new post is) really for the community here to fully make use of his experience, his insight and scientific knowledge.'
Prof Radda is one of two deputy chairmen at BMRC and sits on the biomedical sciences international advisory panel.
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</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>He is also chairman of the Singapore Bioimaging Consortium and chief scientific adviser to A*Star's Cross Council Office - both responsibilities that he will continue to hold.
Prof Radda chaired an inter-council working group in the UK and helped to develop a combined strategy for seven research councils.
That experience will come in useful as A*Star seeks to enhance collaboration among research institutes from BMRC and the Science and Engineering Research Council (SERC).
Bringing life sciences and engineering researchers together has been a challenge as scientists from both sides 'speak different languages', said SERC chairman Charles Zukoski.
But in many fields of research, such as medical devices and biofuel, expertise from both sides is required.
So the Cross Council Office was formed in 2007 to encourage communication and spur spontaneous projects.
To give cross-council research a greater push, A*Star has also named former Republic Polytechnic principal and current CEO of Parkway Education Low Teck Seng as deputy managing director for research.
Prof Low will help identify strategic research themes for top-down, collaborative projects.
All the appointments take effect next month.
</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>
</TD></TR><TR><TD vAlign=top width=452 colSpan=2>Greater push for cross-disciplinary research
A*Star makes new appointments, seeking to raise collaboration among research institutes
By CHEN HUIFEN
<TABLE class=storyLinks cellSpacing=4 cellPadding=1 width=136 align=right border=0><TBODY><TR class=font10><TD align=right width=20>
</TD><TD>Email this article</TD></TR><TR class=font10><TD align=right width=20>
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</TD><TD>Feedback</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>THE Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*Star) will take a more pro-active approach to encourage cross-disciplinary research, following new appointments approved by its board yesterday.
George Radda, formerly chief executive of the UK's Medical Research Council, will replace renowned cancer scientist David Lane as chairman of the Biomedical Research Council (BMRC). Prof Lane will also step down as CEO of the Experimental Therapeutics Centre, a role that will be filled by Novartis Institute for Tropical Diseases founding director Alex Matter.
With the change, Prof Lane will shed his executive duties at A*Star but will continue to spend 50 per cent of his time here to help mentor and train Singapore researchers in his capacity as chief scientist of A*Star.
'He (Prof Lane) is very clear that he wants to focus on research, so he doesn't want to take on an executive role,' said A*Star chairman Lim Chuan Poh.
'He doesn't want to have to follow through an initiative and so on. So it's (his new post is) really for the community here to fully make use of his experience, his insight and scientific knowledge.'
Prof Radda is one of two deputy chairmen at BMRC and sits on the biomedical sciences international advisory panel.
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Prof Radda chaired an inter-council working group in the UK and helped to develop a combined strategy for seven research councils.
That experience will come in useful as A*Star seeks to enhance collaboration among research institutes from BMRC and the Science and Engineering Research Council (SERC).
Bringing life sciences and engineering researchers together has been a challenge as scientists from both sides 'speak different languages', said SERC chairman Charles Zukoski.
But in many fields of research, such as medical devices and biofuel, expertise from both sides is required.
So the Cross Council Office was formed in 2007 to encourage communication and spur spontaneous projects.
To give cross-council research a greater push, A*Star has also named former Republic Polytechnic principal and current CEO of Parkway Education Low Teck Seng as deputy managing director for research.
Prof Low will help identify strategic research themes for top-down, collaborative projects.
All the appointments take effect next month.
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