National Heart Centre Singapore Launches Singapore’s First Asian-Focused Translational Research Centre And Cardiothoracic Surgery Professorship

• CIPHER is the first centre in Singapore dedicated to cardiovascular stem cell research and translational drug discovery built around Asian patient biology, addressing a longstanding gap in how heart disease is studied and treated in the region.

• The Tong Ming Chuan Professorship in Cardiothoracic Surgery is the first of its kind in the SingHealth Duke-NUS Academic Medical Centre, established to advance cardiothoracic surgical care and research and develop the next generation of cardiac surgical leaders.

Singapore, 16 October 2026 – Asian patients develop heart disease earlier, present differently, and tend to fare worse than their Western counterparts. Yet for decades, the models used to study cardiovascular disease and develop treatments have been built largely on animal models and Western biology. The National Heart Centre Singapore (NHCS) is moving to change that.

NHCS today launched the Centre for Integrative Human Cell Research and Translation (CIPHER), the first centre in Singapore dedicated to cardiovascular research using heart cells grown directly from Asian patients' blood samples. The launch marks a significant step in ensuring that the science behind heart disease treatment reflects the biology of the patients most affected in this region. At the same event, NHCS announced the establishment of the Tong Ming Chuan Professorship in Cardiothoracic Surgery, the first professorship in the field under the SingHealth Duke-NUS Academic Medical Centre (AMC).

Both announcements were made by Senior Minister of State Mr Tan Kiat How at the 6th NHCS Heart to Heart Gala on 16 October 2026 at The Ritz-Carlton, Millenia Singapore.

These milestones were made possible in part by the generosity of donors and philanthropic partners who share NHCS's conviction that better science leads to better patient outcomes. Their support has been instrumental in building the research infrastructure, attracting clinical talent, and advancing cardiovascular care for patients in Singapore and across the region.

Launch of the Centre for Integrative Human Cell Research and Translation (CIPHER)

Heart disease remains one of Singapore’s leading causes of death¹. Research has shown that some cardiovascular conditions can develop earlier and present different in Asian populations, with differences in risk profiles and outcomes compared to Western. Yet most treatments and therapies developed to address it have historically been tested on models that do not reflect Asian biology.

CIPHER is established to address this directly. By studying biology that more closely reflects the people who may eventually receive a treatment, researchers can gain more relevant insights into the disease mechanisms and how potential therapies may perform.

Growing a Patient’s Heart in a Laboratory

CIPHER uses blood samples from Asian patients to generate induced pluripotent stem cells, which are then developed into heart muscle cells carrying features of each patient's actual disease. Researchers can study these cells in the laboratory and test their responses to potential drug treatments. NHCS has developed more than 40 patient-derived disease models covering conditions such as heart failure, arrhythmogenic disorders and cardiomyopathies. This library forms the foundation of CIPHER's research programme and is among the most well characterised of its kind in the region. Unlike models based on animal biology or healthy volunteer cells modified to simulate disease, CIPHER's models are built from patients who have the condition, making them more clinically relevant for studying disease mechanisms and assessing potential treatments before clinical testing.

"When we grow a heart muscle cell from a patient's own blood and watch it beat in a dish, carrying that patient's disease, we are looking at something no animal model can replicate,” said Assistant Professor Chrishan Ramachandra, Deputy Director, CIPHER, and Principal Investigator, National Heart Research Institute Singapore (NHRIS), NHCS. “Our models let us ask questions that were simply not answerable before: how does a specific disease behave in an Asian patient, and what does it take to treat it? CIPHER gives us the tools and scientific depth to pursue those questions and translate the answers into therapies that can make a real difference."

Studying the Heart from Metabolism to Function

CIPHER has partnered with Medera Inc., a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company developing next-generation therapeutics for cardiovascular diseases, and its wholly owned pre-clinical subsidiary Novoheart, which specialises in human-based cardiac tissue engineering for disease modelling and drug screening.

A flagship outcome of this collaboration is the Human Heart-in-a-Jar4, a miniaturised bioengineered human ventricular chamber developed jointly by NHCS and Novoheart. The first of its kind in Asia, this mini-heart model allows researchers to replicate, and study selected features of human heart disease under controlled laboratory conditions, offering a more physiologically relevant platform for testing potential treatments.

CIPHER will study heart function across four dimensions: how heart muscle cells contract, how electrical signals travel through the heart, how heart cells produce and manage energy, and how heart cells and tissues are organised into functional systems. Its purpose-built technologies include those which can measure the force of contraction, arrhythmia and energy production, all of which can influence disease and treatment response.

"For too long, drug development has been built on models that do not reflect Asian biology. CIPHER will change that by building research infrastructure using real patient cells, real disease, and real human biology to develop treatments designed from the outset to work for the populations who need them most," said Professor Derek Hausenloy, Tanoto Foundation Professor in Cardiovascular Medicine at the SingHealth Duke-NUS Academic Medical Centre, and Director, CIPHER, and NHRIS, NHCS.

Establishment of the Tong Ming Chuan Professorship in Cardiothoracic Surgery

As Singapore's population ages, advancing cardiovascular care requires not only better science, but also a strong pipeline of skilled professionals equipped to meet growing demand and increasing clinical complexity. Cardiothoracic surgery is one such area, demanding years of specialised training, deep expertise, and experienced leaders who can develop the next generation of surgeons and push the frontiers of surgical research.

The Tong Ming Chuan Professorship in Cardiothoracic Surgery, made possible by a $2.5 million gift from Dr Tong Ming Chuan, reflects his vision to advance clinical excellence, drive surgical research and nurture future surgical leaders.

Dr Tong brings a personal and historic connection to Singapore's cardiac history, having previously led cardiothoracic surgery and the heart transplant programme at Singapore General Hospital, and having been part of the team that established these landmark services in Singapore. His gift reflects a deep commitment to ensuring that the next generation of surgeons is as well-equipped as the science they will practise. The Professorship, established under the Cardiovascular Sciences Academic Clinical Programme at the SingHealth Duke-NUS AMC, will be awarded by Duke-NUS Medical School to support a leader in cardiothoracic surgery at NHCS in driving clinical and academic excellence.

"Through CIPHER and the Tong Ming Chuan Professorship in Cardiothoracic Surgery, we are making two complementary commitments to the future of cardiovascular care,” said Professor Yeo Khung Keong, Chief Executive Officer, NHCS. “CIPHER ensures that the science we build is grounded in the biology of our patients and strengthens Singapore's position as a biomedical hub. The Professorship ensures that we have the surgical leaders to translate that science into care. Together, they reflect our determination to ensure that patients in Singapore and across Asia receive treatments built around their needs, and future generations of Singaporeans continue to receive cutting-edge and safe cardiac care.”

CIPHER’s research capabilities are supported under Singapore’s Research, Innovation and Enterprise 2025 (RIE2025) framework and through its industry partnership with Medera Inc.

References:

1. Principal Causes of Death | Ministry of Health

2. HFpEF in Asia: Distinct Phenotypes, Shared Mechanisms, and Emerging Insights - ScienceDirect

3. The MASALA Study Unpacks South Asians’ Heart and Metabolic Disease Risk | The Scientist

4. National Heart Centre Singapore Partners Medera's Novoheart To Develop Asia's First Bioengineered Human Heart-In-A-Jar With Heart Failure For Precision Medicine