Programme Talk Speakers
Welcome Address
Prof Giorgia Pastorin
Head, Department of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences
Faculty of Science
Prof Giorgia Pastorin received her PhD in Pharmaceutical Chemistry in 2004 from the University of Trieste, Italy. She is a pharmaceutical scientist by training and a registered pharmacist from Italy. After a postdoctoral research position at the CNRS (the French National Centre for Scientific Research) in France, she joined NUS in 2006 as Assistant Professor in the Department of Pharmacy. She was promoted to Associate Professor in 2011, became Assistant Head in 2014 and Deputy Head (Research) in 2016 while directing the Pharmaceutical Innovation and Research Centre in the department. In 2017, she assumed the appointment of Assistant Dean (Research and Development) at the Faculty of Science until June 2024. She is currently Head of the Department of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Faculty of Science.
Beyond Dispensing: The Multifaceted Roles of Pharmacists in Healthcare
Discover how pharmacy has evolved from behind-counter dispensing to direct patient care. This session explores the diverse career pathways for pharmacists in patient care. Learn how modern pharmacists drive innovation through medication therapy management, specialised clinics, digital health technologies and public health advocacy. Assoc Prof Lita Chew shares her three-decade journey in oncology pharmacy, showcasing the passion, purpose and professional growth that define contemporary pharmacy practice in Singapore.
Assoc Prof Lita Chew
Department of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences
Faculty of Science
Assoc Prof Lita Chew received her pharmacy degree from NUS and her postgraduate degree in medical science (Clinical Oncology) at University of Birmingham, United Kingdom. She completed her fellowship training in pharmacy practice at University of Illinois Chicago, United States.
Her contribution to pharmacy has significantly impacted its professional development in Singapore. These include setting up a pharmacist specialists register, a training and development framework for pharmacist specialists, national pharmacy residency training and a review of pharmacist and pharmacy technician career paths. She is instrumental in the development and implementation of the National Pharmacy Strategy, a 10-year plan to transform Singapore’s pharmaceutical landscape.
Pharmacy Reimagined: At the Intersection of Technology, Innovation and Clinical Care
In an era of rapid digital evolution, pharmacy is no longer just about the medicine – it is about the innovation behind its delivery. Join Mr Xie as he shares his non-traditional journey through the Bachelor of Pharmacy (Honours) programme that extends beyond clinical care. Drawing on his diverse learning experiences, he will demonstrate how a pharmacy degree serves as a versatile foundation for the future. Now a pharmacy informatician at TTSH, he shares how his diverse training and perspectives allow him to leverage technology to enhance medication safety and “unlock” bandwidth, enabling pharmacists to deliver high-value clinical work.
Mr Xie Qihuang
Pharmacy informatician
Tan Tock Seng Hospital (TTSH)
Mr Xie Qihuang is a practicing pharmacist at Tan Tock Seng Hospital (TTSH). He is passionate about working at the intersection of healthcare, technology and innovation. He believes in leveraging technology to enhance medication safety, streamline workflows and empower pharmacists to provide higher-value clinical care services. During his NUS studies, he gained diverse learning experiences, including his year-long NUS Overseas College (NOC) programme in Stockholm, data analytics roles at the Singapore General Hospital and the Health Sciences Authority and commercial brand strategy work at AbbVie during his pre-registration training. As a newly minted pharmacist, he is now channelling his clinical expertise into digital healthcare transformation as a pharmacy informatician at TTSH.
Pharmacists of the Future, Undergraduates of Today: How Are We Preparing You?
Pharmacists are clinicians whose expertise in medicines directly determines whether treatment succeeds or fails. Every drug prescribed carries risk and benefit and pharmacists are trained to ensure the right balance for each patient. Pharmacy is where science meets responsibility. Pharmacists interpret laboratory results, adjust doses for organ function, manage complex and high-risk therapies and intervene when treatment plans need to change. These decisions are clinical, consequential and often lifesaving. In hospitals, clinics and communities, pharmacists are trusted members of healthcare teams, relied upon for clinical judgement when cases become complicated. Do you want to meaningfully impact healthcare? Come and see how NUS’ Pharmacy undergraduate training provides the necessary grounding for you to change lives for the better.
Assoc Prof Doreen Tan
Department of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences
Faculty of Science
Assoc Prof Doreen Tan is a cardiology specialist pharmacist who has spent over two decades in geriatrics and cardiology-related work. She purposefully designed the undergraduate integrated Cardiovascular Science and Therapeutics course, introducing changes to the undergraduate syllabus by bringing in blood pressure taking and electrocardiogram hands-on practicals in a bid to cement application and learning. She also led the design of the new NUS Pharmacy undergraduate Pre-Employment Clinical Training Programme for Year 1 to 3 undergraduates and designed SCI-PhI, the new Final Year Project, closely following real-world research and grant exercises.
Assoc Prof Tan is faculty advisor for Health Test, Advise and Go! (TAG), a student-led personalised heart risk circuit. She previously headed Khoo Teck Puat Hospital’s Pharmacy Department and crossed over to corporate development as Assistant Director (Value Office) before joining NUS’ Department of Pharmacy. She sits on the executive committee of CArdiovascular DiseasE National Collaborative Enterprise (CADENCE), as use case lead for an artificial intelligence-based study to improve statin adherence and is on the National University Health System Preemptive Pharmacogenomics Steering Committee. She is currently Vice President of the 119th Council of Pharmaceutical Society of Singapore and the first female Pharmacist President of the International Society of Cardiovascular Pharmacotherapy. She holds several research grants for precision medicine, adherence and the implementation of science-related research studies.
Masterclass Speakers
11.00 am
Unveiling the Pillars of Pharmacy: The Science and Art of Medication Therapy
Picture this: You walk into a pharmacy with a runny nose, seeking relief. Who can advise you on the right medicine, right dose and right way to relieve that runny nose? The pharmacist can! Join us ‘behind the counter,’ where we unveil the principles underpinning our practice. Experience firsthand the interactive teaching pedagogy, a signature of the NUS Bachelor of Pharmacy (Honours) programme, as we explore the integration of pharmacotherapy, pharmaceutical science and patient care skills. Gain insight into the meticulous decision-making process that guides us, transforming your understanding of pharmacy.
Dr Chng Hui Ting
Department of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences
Faculty of Science
Dr Chng Hui Ting is a dynamic and passionate educator, with the expertise to bridge the teaching of cross-disciplinary pharmacy practice and pharmaceutical sciences as well as the arts and sciences. She is a strong advocate for active and collaborative learning pedagogies, interdisciplinary learning and holistic education which encompasses student activities, experiential learning and mentorship. Dr Chng is a senior lecturer at NUS’ Department of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences and a registered pharmacist with the Singapore Pharmacy Council since 2009.
Dr Soong Jie Lin
Department of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences
Faculty of Science
Dr Soong Jie Lin is a specialist pharmacist at Singapore General Hospital. She is trained in critical care medicine, where she makes daily rounds with Intensive Care Unit intensivists to provide optimal pharmaceutical care to the critically ill. She believes that pharmacists can play a major role in optimising medication regimens and improving quality of care for patients. To this end, she contributes to multiple efforts to improve medication reconciliation processes and raise awareness of polypharmacy issues and the role of deprescribing within the hospital. She is also a lecturer at NUS’ Department of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences.
3.00 pm
Integrating Science and Practice: Training Pharmacists as Guardians of Antibiotics
The year is 2076. You are a hospital pharmacist caring for a patient with a bacterial infection. Despite a week of antibiotics, the patient is not improving. Laboratory results confirm your worst fear: the bacteria is resistant to every antibiotic available in the hospital. Join us ‘behind the counter’, where we unveil the principles underpinning our practice. In the Bachelor of Pharmacy (Honours) programme, we train students on how to best prevent and treat infections and as stewards of antimicrobial drugs. Experience our collaborative, case-based teaching-learning approach where we draw connections between the science and practice, ensuring every patient gets the right care plan for their infection. Explore one of the many roles pharmacists play in safeguarding public health and discover how the decisions we make today can protect patients for generations to come.
Assoc Prof Christine Teng
Department of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences
Faculty of Science
Assoc Prof Christine Teng, has been a pharmacist for more than 25 years. An Infectious Diseases Specialist Pharmacist registered with the Singapore Pharmacy Council, she is a strong advocate for antimicrobial stewardship. She is part of the stewardship teams at Tan Tock Seng Hospital and the National University Polyclinics, driving initiatives that promote responsible antimicrobial use and patient care. Her research focuses on bridging the gap between knowledge, practice and optimal medication use to improve healthcare outcomes. She is also deeply involved in shaping the profession at the national level. She serves on multiple committees, including the Singapore Pharmacy Council, Pharmacy Specialist Accreditation Board and the Pharmacist Training and Development Committee and is an elected Fellow of the Pharmaceutical Society of Singapore. Assoc Prof Teng finds great joy in teaching students and mentoring young pharmacists. She currently serves as Deputy Head (Practice) at NUS’ Department of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences.
Dr Donavan Neo
Department of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences
Faculty of Science
Dr Donavan Neo is a Pharmacy-trained Chemical Biologist and Microbiologist who earned his PhD from Harvard University, United States, where he pioneered cutting-edge tools for genetic manipulation and antibiotic drug discovery in bacteria. As an interdisciplinary pharmaceutical educator who works at the interface of several scientific domains, he believes that science must be taught with relevance to authentic contexts, while practice must be taught with strong grounding in scientific evidence – bridges must be formed between theoretical knowledge and real-world applications. Outside teaching, he is also passionate about building relationships between students as peers, between students and faculty, and between students and alumni. Dr Neo is currently a lecturer with NUS’ Department of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences.
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