A Division of J&J (China) Investment Ltd., Johnson & Johnson (J&J) Innovation  has announced the three finalists that will receive S$5.1 million (~$3.9 million) in support of research projects for up to three years through the J&J Innovation World Without Disease Grant Call Collaboration with Singapore’s Agency for Science, Technology, and Research (A*STAR). 

The grant call was aimed at advancing the discovery and development of solutions to prevent, intercept and cure diseases. J&J Innovation and A*STAR selected the three research projects from more than 40 highly-qualified applicants from Singapore’s public sector. The winning applications sought to pursue novel approaches in the areas of eye health, cancer and liver disease. 

A team from the Singapore Eye Research Institute (SERI) will study light and outdoor patterns for the prevention of myopia; a joint team from the Singapore Immunology Network, the p53 Laboratory, the National University of Singapore and the National Cancer Centre Singapore will study a novel antibody with the potential to benefit the several millions of people living with cancer; and a team consisting of researchers from the the Genome Institute of Singapore and National University Health System will conduct a program for the early detection of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), allowing timely disease interception and the potential to reverse liver damage.