Associate Professor Lena Ho from Duke-NUS Medical School, Singapore has been awarded $1.85 million (approx. S$2.51 million) to further her team’s research in developing microproteins into therapeutic targets to treat chronic inflammation.

Prof Ho is the first scientist to receive funding from 65LAB, a unique partnership set up to drive scientific advancement and create new biotech ventures from Singapore. The award comprises $1.5 million from 65LAB, and S$500,000 (approx. $350,000) from Duke-NUS’ new incubator, LIVE Ventures.

This award, which marks the first investment by 65LAB, is strengthened by the contribution of an additional $350,000 by LIVE Ventures, an early-stage venture incubator newly launched by Duke-NUS.

Associate Professor Lena Ho from Duke-NUS Cardiovascular and Metabolic Disorders Programme, said, “We are developing a platform that uniquely positions us to uncover hidden gems in the human genome to provide novel and high-value targets for anti-inflammatory therapeutics within the first two years of the project. 65LAB’s award and the additional funding from LIVE Ventures will enable my team to focus on identifying novel biologically active microproteins, offering promising candidates for inflammatory diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis, inflammatory bowel diseases and atopic dermatitis.”

By providing vital funding for early-stage innovation, LIVE Ventures will award Duke-NUS scientists up to half a million Singapore dollars for high-impact research projects. By providing critical funding and expertise and resources, Duke-NUS scientists will be able to advance their groundbreaking research to the market. While, 65LAB will foster collaborations with leading academic and R&D institutions in Singapore such as Duke-NUS, providing critical resources and industry expertise to drive drug discovery and venture creation.