Affiliations
Professor, PAEDIATRICS, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, NUS
Deputy Director, NUS Synthetic Biology for Clinical and Technological Innovation (SynCTI)
Biography
Prof Lee is a practicing senior consultant paediatrician of the paediatric endocrinology service at the Khoo Teck Puat-National University Children’s Medical Institute, National University Hospital, and also a tenured professor of the Yong Long Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore. He was the head of department of Paediatrics, National University of Singapore (1 Apr 2017-30 Sep 2025), the president (2020-2022) of the Asia Pacific Paediatric Endocrine Society (APPES), and the president (2021-2023) of the College of Paediatrics and Child Health, Academy of Medicine, Singapore.
His clinical and research interest is in obesity, diabetes, and growth. His research is focused on obesity, insulin resistance, and mediators of obesity related morbidities. His research approach to elucidate the biological susceptibility to human obesity and related morbidities is three pronged, by studying the 1) genetics, 2) In-utero and early life developmental factors (developmental origins of health and disease), and 3) role of gut microbiome. He has also research interest in engineering probiotics to confer health benefits and disease treatment. His other clinical research also encompasses various paediatric endocrine disorders. He has more than 270 publications in local and international journals (as of Nov 2025).
In the recent years, Prof Lee has focused his efforts on the developing programmes and strategies to advance child and maternal health, promoting healthy living for families, and improving health equity through his leadership role at the National University Centre for Women and Children.
Professional Appointments
- Deputy Chair and Clinical lead, Translational Research Programme (Synthetic Biology)
- YONG LOO LIN SCH OF MEDICINE, DEAN-MED, SINGAPORE (1 Jan 2022)
- Professor
YONG LOO LIN SCH OF MEDICINE, PAEDIATRICS, SINGAPORE (1 Jan 2019) - Senior Consultant Paediatrician
- DIVISION OF PAEDIATRIC ENDOCRINOLOGY, DEPARTMENT OF PAEDIATRICS, KHOO TECK PHUAT-NATIONAL UNIVERSITY CHILDREN’S MEDICAL INSTITUTE, NATIONAL UNIVERSITY HOSPITAL, SINGAPORE
Education
- Bachelor of Medicine, Bachelor of Surgery, Medicine
- National University of Singapore, Singapore1 Jan 1992
- Master of Medicine, Medicine
- National University of Singapore, Singapore1 Jan 1998
- Member, Royal Coll of Physicians, Medicine
- United Kingdom, United Kingdom1 Jan 1998
- Member, Royal Coll of Paediatrics & Child Health, Medicine
- United Kingdom, United Kingdom1 Jan 1999
- Specialist Accreditation in Paediatrics, Medicine
- Singapore, Singapore1 Jan 2002
- Fellow Academy of Medicine of Singapore, Medicine
- Academy of Medicine, Singapore1 Jan 2002
- Doctor of Philosophy
- National University of Singapore, Singapore2 Apr 2009
- Fellow, Royal College of Paediatrics & Child Health, Medicine
- Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health, United Kingdom1 Dec 2012
Research Interest
His research is focused on obesity and insulin resistance which mediates the pathogenesis of the major obesity related morbidities.
His research approach to elucidate the biological susceptibility to human obesity and related morbidities is three pronged, by studying the 1) genetics, 2) In-utero and early life developmental factors (developmental origins of health and disease), and 3) role of gut microbiome. He has also research interest in engineering probiotics to confer health benefits and disease treatment.
Current Research Projects
- Growing Up in Singapore Towards healthy Outcome (GUSTO) birth cohort study
- Engineering of commensals for disease treatment and health benefits
Selected Publications
- Shen H, Aggarwal N, Cui B, Foo GW, He Y, Srivastava SK, Li S, Seah MZX, Wun KS, Ling H, Hwang IY, Ho CL, Lee YS, Chang MW. Engineered commensals for targeted nose-to-brain drug delivery. Cell. 2025 Feb 3:S0092-8674(25)00046-7.
- Shen H, Zhang C, Li S, Liang Y, Lee LT, Aggarwal N, Wun KS, Liu J, Nadarajan SP, Weng C, Ling H, Tay JK, Wang Y, Yao SQ, Hwang IY, Lee YS, Chang MW. Prodrug- conjugated tumor-seeking commensals for targeted cancer therapy. Nat Commun. 2024 May 21;15(1):4343.
- Shen H, Aggarwal N, Wun KS, Lee YS, Hwang IY, Chang MW. Engineered microbial systems for advanced drug delivery. Adv Drug Deliv Rev. 2022 Aug;187:114364.
- Lim YY, Lee YS, Ooi DSQ. Engineering the Gut Microbiome for Treatment of Obesity: A Review of Current Understanding and Progress. Biotechnol J. 2020 Jul 14:e2000013.
- Chen LW*, Xu J*, Soh SE, Aris IM, Tint MT, Gluckman PD, Tan KH, Shek LP, Chong YS, Yap F, Godfrey KM, Gilbert JA, Karnani N**, Lee YS** (** joint corresponding authors). Implication of gut microbiota in the association between infant antibiotic exposure and childhood obesity and adiposity accumulation. Int J Obes (Lond). 2020 Jul;44(7):1508-1520.
