In a significant leap forward for healthcare research and innovation, the Singapore General Hospital (SGH) has unveiled the Alice Lee Innovation Centre of Excellence @ SGH Campus, affectionately known as Alice @ SGH Campus. This state-of-the-art center, inaugurated recently, is poised to accelerate the development of groundbreaking innovations in medical technology and digital healthcare solutions.
Named in memory of the late Mrs. Alice Lee, wife of the renowned rubber tycoon and philanthropist Lee Kong Chian, the center is a crucial component of the SingHealth Duke-NUS Academic Medical Centre. It is equipped with cutting-edge facilities, including 3D design and simulation software, a prototyping laboratory, and dedicated spaces for researchers to design and create proof-of-concept models.
Among the standout features of the Alice @ SGH Campus is the introduction of SingHealth’s first supercomputer, aptly named “Computational Health Research and Optimisation for Medical Advancements” or Chroma. In collaboration with the National Supercomputing Centre Singapore, Chroma boasts an impressive 1,024 CPU (central processing unit) cores, offering high-performance computing capabilities for processing extensive clinical data.
The SingHealth Duke-NUS Academic Medical Centre revealed that Chroma plays a pivotal role in training artificial intelligence (AI) models for large-scale and complex research. It aids in the development of AI algorithms for disease risk prediction and facilitates personalized medicine. Notably, Chroma is currently contributing to a national project called Apollo, which employs AI to analyze heart artery scans and identify cardiovascular disease in patients.
Bernard Tan, Director of Strategy, Planning, and Engagement at the National Supercomputing Centre Singapore, highlighted the remarkable acceleration in research enabled by Chroma. He explained that with cluster computing, the Apollo team would typically spend six to eight months on simulations, but with Chroma, this can be reduced to just one to two months.
Ivy Ng, Group CEO of SingHealth, emphasized that the new innovation center will foster collaborations between healthcare researchers and industry partners, driving the creation of novel ideas, prototypes, and smart technologies for enhanced disease prevention, diagnosis, and treatment. She underscored the strategic location of the center on the SGH campus, allowing healthcare professionals to bring clinical needs to the innovation table and work collaboratively to develop real-world solutions.
The initiative received significant support from the Lee Foundation, which donated $50 million to the SingHealth Duke-NUS Academic Medical Centre in January to advance innovation and research.
Situated within the SingHealth Tower, the 590 square-meter Alice @ SGH Campus is the first of several such centers planned across SingHealth’s hospital campuses. Clinical Director Associate Professor Henry Ho noted that the future centers would be strategically positioned to address the distinct healthcare needs of various segments of the Singaporean population.
The launch of the Alice Lee Innovation Centre of Excellence coincided with the opening of the seventh SingHealth Duke-NUS Scientific Congress, where healthcare innovations such as the Empower app and Dr. Buddy were showcased. The Empower app leverages AI to offer personalized reminders for healthier lifestyle choices and the management of chronic diseases, while Dr. Buddy is a chatbot supporting SingHealth’s Mobile Inpatient Care @ Home initiative.
This groundbreaking innovation center and the Chroma supercomputer mark significant strides in Singapore’s pursuit of excellence in healthcare research and technology.
