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Parkway Pantai Gift Establishes Professorship In Medicine And Healthy Ageing
Research work into the causes, prevention and treatment of age-related disorders by the NUS Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine has received a boost from Parkway Pantai.
The private healthcare group today announced a gift of S$3 million for the School to appoint an expert in functional ageing. This is the science of keeping people healthy, fit and mobile, and to preserve their quality of life, as they age.
Recent statistics show that by 2030, over 20% of Singapore’s population is projected to be older than 65, while the number of Singaporeans older than 60 who have dementia will increase from 28,000 in 2013 to 80,000 by 2030. More specifically over the past 30 years, the number of hip fractures among Singaporeans aged 50 and older have increased five times in women and 1.5 times in men. Besides normal wear and tear, many degenerative disorders appear to be caused by abnormalities in RNA processing, protein folding and repair of damaged proteins; abnormalities that worsen as we age.
The Parkway Pantai Professorship in Medicine and Healthy Ageing will provide direction and support for more extensive research into the causes, as well as prevention of neurocognitive and orthopaedic illnesses associated with ageing, such as dementia and bone, muscle and joint disorders.
Preliminary research is being performed at the School to look at these causes and evaluate preventive and therapeutic measures for ageing disorders. With this Professorship the School can embark on more extensive research in the causes, prevention and treatment of age-related disorders, including dementia and degenerative disorders.
NUS Medicine Dean Associate Professor Yeoh Khay Guan said the new Professorship in Medicine and Healthy Ageing is a tremendous boost to research and teaching on illnesses and diseases associated with ageing. “It will enable the School to engage eminent academics and clinicians, who will help to advance geriatric medicine in Singapore by facilitating teaching and research, as well as train the next generation
of medical professionals to care even more effectively for our ageing population.
