Genetics and Health

Singapore Biopolis

by Hsien Hsien Lei, PhD on September 17th, 2005

Biomedical research is ramping up in the small island nation of Singapore located in Southeast Asia. In April 2004, Biopolis, a sprawling 2.0 million sq ft complex comprised of seven buildings, opened to house biomedical research laboratories and other related endeavors. Scientists from all over the world have relocated to Singapore, including Dr. Alan Coleman, famous for his participation in the cloning of Dolly the sheep in 1996, who is now with ES Cell International.

In addition, Singapore is allocating government funds to train Singaporean science scholars in other countries to the tune of over $600,000 per scholar. Each scholar will repay the the government with six years of service. This might seem like a long time, but an atmosphere of encouragement in Singapore that allows practically unrestricted biomedical research on subjects that are as controversial as stem cells means that scientists there will enjoy both financial and other forms of support.

My alma mater, Johns Hopkins University, already has a medical centre and division of biomedical sciences in Singapore and my friends have told me of scientist colleagues who have emigrated there as well. My future is looking pretty rosy too because my husband’s family harks from Singapore and we will most likely live there for an extended period in the future. Care to join us?

First seen at Sunday Viet Nam News, September 18, 2005
Full article at TODAYonline, August 24, 2005

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POSTED IN: General Genetics and Health