Year in Review 2024: Celebrating as CRIS

CRIS kicks off the year with a vibrant lunar new year celebration

CRIS held its first gathering of the year with a vibrant Lunar New Year celebration, bringing together over 90 staff. Colleagues learnt more about one another, such as who bakes Lunar New Year snacks, and who sports the season’s latest hairstyles. 

The event was filled with meaningful conversations, setting a positive tone for the year ahead, as we continue to drive impactful projects for the clinical research community.
Check out the festive celebration here ↗ (opens in new tab).

Forging a stronger CRIS identity as one CRIS family

Our National Day celebration brought 130 CRIS employees together for an exhilarating team-building adventure at Jewel Changi Airport, as part of CRIS THRIVE, an initiative focused on staff wellness and development. This indoor expedition encouraged staff to draw upon our organisational values—Respect, Integrity, Collaboration, and Excellence—while uncovering fun facts about Jewel. 

This fun-filled day reinforced our commitment to working together as one thriving CRIS family, making a positive impact for patients and researchers in Singapore. 

View event highlights here ↗ (opens in new tab). 

Unforgettable night: Celebrating the year with a dazzling 'Party like a Pop Star' Dinner & Dance

On 8 November 2024, CRIS hosted a dazzling ‘Party like a Pop Star’ Dinner & Dance, bringing together staff for a night of glitz and glamour. Staff from across our programmes took centre stage in vibrant song and dance numbers, showcasing the incredible creativity and energy within the organisation. Highlights included a special opening act by CRIS CEO A/Prof Danny Soon, who joined the D&D committee in their performance item, to the tunes of a popular magic song number and sang an Elton John favourite.

View event highlights here ↗ (opens in new tab).

Commemorating leadership transition and celebrating achievements

In January 2024, ACTRIS formally welcomed Dr Cheong Wei Yang as Chairman of the ACTRIS Board Oversight Committee (BOC) and expressed appreciation to Prof Chee Yam Cheng, who served as the Chairman of the BOC from 2021 to 2023. Prof Chee’s strategic vision and strong support contributed significantly to ACTRIS’ inception and development, including the conceptualisation of a national Centre of Excellence for cell therapy and leading the formation of ACTRIS.

In January 2024, NHIC announced the appointment of Prof Benjamin Ong as Chair of the NHIC Board Oversight Committee (BOC) and expressed gratitude to Professor Ranga Krishnan for his leadership as Chair of the BOC from 2014 to 2023. He steered NHIC's strategy from inception through development to where it is today. Under his leadership, NHIC established itself as a key national programme office in the healthcare innovation ecosystem, assisting the clinical community in taking promising health technologies from ideation towards improved patient outcomes.

In October 2024, STCC announced the appointment of A/Prof Ravindran as Co-Director of the Singapore Translational Cancer Consortium (STCC), and expressed gratitude to Prof Lim for his excellent contributions to the formation, development, and growth of STCC from 2019 to 2024.  Together with Executive Director of STCC, Prof Chng Wee Joo, A/Prof Ravindran will continue the key initiatives of STCC, which include the formation of multidisciplinary tumour groups to catalyse research proposals, the coordination of translational and preclinical research projects through a centralised pipeline, and the development of a tumour model catalogue.

NHIC 10th anniversary: Celebrating a decade of forging healthcare innovation and beyond

On 14 November 2024, NHIC marked its 10th anniversary, celebrating a decade of enabling the translation and commercialisation of clinical innovations to address unmet healthcare needs in Singapore and beyond. The appreciation dinner was graced by Dr Janil Puthucheary, Senior Minister of State, Ministry of Digital Development and Information and Ministry of Health (Singapore), alongside close to 300 distinguished guests, including clinician innovators, scientists, ecosystem partners, and start-up founders who have shaped the health innovation landscape.

Four local enterprises — Biobot Surgical, Doctor Anywhere, Lucence, and Mirxes — received NHIC’s Rising Star Healthcare Innovation Tributes for their dedication to advancing patient care through innovation and driving economic growth. The evening also featured a special Recognition and Appreciation Tribute accorded to their founding chairman, Prof Ranga Krishnan, whose visionary leadership was instrumental in NHIC's establishment and expansion into a decade of impactful achievements.

A commemorative e-book, “A Decade of Forging Healthcare Innovation and Beyond”, was also launched. The e-book features inspirational healthcare innovations supported by NHIC, and other unique initiatives spearheaded by the local healthcare ecosystem. 

View event highlights here ↗ (opens in new tab). 

Commemorating leadership transition and celebrating achievements

In January 2024, NHIC announced the appointment of Professor Benjamin Ong as Chair of the NHIC Board Oversight Committee (BOC) and expressed gratitude to Professor Ranga Krishnan for his leadership as Chair of the BOC from 2014 to 2023. He steered NHIC's strategy from inception through development to where it is today. Under his leadership, NHIC established itself as a key national programme office in the healthcare innovation ecosystem, assisting the clinical community in taking promising health technologies from ideation towards improved patient outcomes.