Yap Seng CHONG

Affiliations

• Dean, NUS Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine (NUS Medicine)
• Deputy Chief Executive (Education & Research), National University Health System
• Chief Clinical Officer, Institute for Human Development and Potential, A*STAR
• Senior Consultant, Department of Obstetrics & Gynaecology, National University Hospital
• Lead Principal Investigator, Growing Up in Singapore Towards healthy Outcomes (GUSTO) and Singapore Preconception Study of Long-Term Maternal and Child Outcomes (S-PRESTO)
• Principal Investigator, NUS Synthetic Biology for Clinical and Technological Innovation (SynCTI)

Biography

Professor Chong Yap Seng is the Dean of the Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine at the National University of Singapore (NUS Medicine). Since he assumed the role of Dean in 2019, NUS Medicine has risen to become one of the leading medical schools in Asia, ranking 17th on the 2025 Times Higher Education World University rankings and 18th on the 2025 QS World University Rankings for Medicine.

As the National University Health System’s Deputy Chief Executive for Education and Research, Professor Chong advances NUHS’ academic mission through his oversight of the academic and research development at all NUHS institutions. He also oversees clinical programmes that seek to promote health and human capacity in Singapore and the world as the Chief Clinical Officer at the Institute for Human Development and Potential, Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR), including longitudinal studies Growing Up in Singapore Towards healthy Outcomes (GUSTO) and the Singapore Preconception Study of long-Term maternal and child Outcomes (S-PRESTO).

Professor Chong has co-authored more than 630 research publications in top journals to date and received the National Outstanding Clinician Scientist Award from Singapore’s Ministry of Health in 2017 as well as the Public Administration Medal (Silver) at the 2022 Singapore National Day Awards for his research efforts. For the past few years, his energies have been focused on helping develop national strategies to advance child and maternal health and well-being, promoting healthy living for families, and improving health resources equity in Singapore. He also continues to care for mothers and babies as a Senior Consultant in the Department of Obstetrics & Gynaecology at the National University Hospital (NUH) and, till today, still looks forward to welcoming newborn babies into the world.

Professional Appointments

• Lien Ying Chow Professor in Medicine
• Dean, National University of Singapore Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine
• Deputy Chief Executive (Education & Research), National University Health System
• Chief Clinical Officer, Institute for Human Development and Potential, A*STAR
• Senior Consultant, Department of Obstetrics & Gynaecology, National University Hospital

Education

• GMP – Harvard Business School Executive Education
• M.D. – National University of Singapore
• FAMS(O&G) –  Academy of Medicine, Singapore
• MRACOG – Royal Australian College of Obstetricians & Gynaecologists
• MMED(O&G) – National University of Singapore
• M.B.B.S. – National University of Singapore

Research Interest

• Developmental origins of health and disease 
• Women’s Health & Children Development 
• Healthy Longevity 
• Breastfeeding and early childhood programming 
• Genetic epidemiology of pregnancy-related disorders 
• Intrapartum and postpartum management 

Current Research Projects

• Growing Up in Singapore Towards healthy Outcomes (GUSTO)
• Singapore Preconception Study of long-Term maternal and child Outcomes (S-PRESTO)

Selected Publications

1. Chng SY, Tern MJW, Lee YS, Cheng LT, Kapur J, Eriksson JG, Chong YS, Savulescu J. Ethical considerations in AI for child health and recommendations for child-centered medical AI. NPJ Digit Med. 2025 Mar 10;8(1):152. doi: 10.1038/s41746-025-01541-1.
2. Pagac MP, Davient B, Plado LA, Lam HYI, Lee SM, Ravikrishnan A, Chua WLE, Muralidharan S, Sridharan A, Irudayaswamy AS, Srinivas R, Wearne S, Mohamed Naim AN, Ho EXP, Ng HQA, Kwah JS, Png E, Bendt AK, Wenk MR, Torta F, Nagarajan N, Common J, Chong YS, Tham EH, Shek LP, Loo EXL, Chambers J, Yew YW, Loh M, Dawson TL Jr. Life stage impact on the human skin ecosystem: lipids and the microbial community. NPJ Biofilms Microbiomes. 2025 Jan 13;11(1):13. doi: 10.1038/s41522-025-00652-7.
3. Alex AM, Aguate F, Botteron K, Buss C, Chong YS, Dager SR, Donald KA, Entringer S, Fair DA, Fortier MV, Gaab N, Gilmore JH, Girault JB, Graham AM, Groenewold NA, Hazlett H, Lin W, Meaney MJ, Piven J, Qiu A, Rasmussen JM, Roos A, Schultz RT, Skeide MA, Stein DJ, Styner M, Thompson PM, Turesky TK, Wadhwa PD, Zar HJ, Zöllei L, de Los Campos G, Knickmeyer RC; ENIGMA ORIGINs group. A global multicohort study to map subcortical brain development and cognition in infancy and early childhood. Nat Neurosci. 2024 Jan;27(1):176-186. doi: 10.1038/s41593-023-01501-6. Epub 2023 Nov 23.
4. Chooi YC, Zhang QA, Magkos F, Ng M, Michael N, Wu X, Volchanskaya VSB, Lai X, Wanjaya ER, Elejalde U, Goh CC, Yap CPL, Wong LH, Lim KJ, Velan SS, Yaligar J, Muthiah MD, Chong YS, Loo EXL, Eriksson JG; TANGO Study Group. Effect of an Asian-adapted Mediterranean diet and pentadecanoic acid on fatty liver disease: the TANGO randomized controlled trial. Am J Clin Nutr. 2024 Mar;119(3):788-799. doi: 10.1016/j.ajcnut.2023.11.013.
5. Chen A, Tan B, Du R, Chong YS, Zhang C, Koh AS, Li LJ. Gestational diabetes mellitus and development of intergenerational overall and subtypes of cardiovascular diseases: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Cardiovasc Diabetol. 2024 Aug 28;23(1):320. doi: 10.1186/s12933-024-02416-7.