Singapore Launches US$80 Million Rehabilitation Research Center

The Rehabilitation Research Institute of Singapore has been jointly established by NTU, A*STAR and NHG.

AsianScientist (Sep. 30, 2014) – Some S$100 million (~US$80 million) has been committed to establish the Rehabilitation Research Institute of Singapore (RRIS), which will be a collaboration between the Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR), Nanyang Technological University (NTU) and the National Healthcare Group (NHG).

RRIS will leverage on the expertise of scientists, clinicians and engineers to develop innovative technology solutions for better patient outcomes across the healthcare ecosystem.

Key areas of study include stroke and neurological rehabilitation, clinical robotics and biomechanics, as well as the development of computer games for rehabilitation.

Stroke is one of the leading causes of death and disability globally. There are up to 9,000 new stroke cases in Singapore yearly, with numbers expected to rise with a rapidly ageing population. An estimated one in three stroke survivors requires various types of rehabilitation, which can include the use of robotics or advanced mechanical exoskeletons to help patients regain function in their limbs.

A*STAR’s Institute for Infocomm Research will provide its Brain-Computer Interface (BCI), a wearable and neuroimaging technology, while NHG’s flagship Tan Tock Seng Hospital (TTSH), will lend clinical expertise from Singapore’s largest team of rehabilitation physicians.

Scientists at NTU will play a key role in translating basic science and clinical findings into real-life applications, through the use of cutting-edge technology.

RRIS builds on existing partnerships in rehabilitation innovation. In the past six years, NTU and NHG have successfully collaborated on eight projects in the area of rehabilitative care. This includes the development of a robotic exoskeleton to help stroke patients recover their balance; and an upper limb rehabilitation robot that assists patients according to their different stages of recovery.

“Inter-disciplinary research, by combining medicine and biomedical engineering, is the way forward if we want to effectively tackle the health challenges of an increasingly ageing population,” said NTU Provost, Professor Freddy Boey.

“We are laying the foundations for a national ecosystem that will allow clinical and industry partners to tap on the diverse research capabilities across public and private sectors to create improved solutions that will improve rehabilitation outcomes for patients,” said Dr. Tan Geok Leng, Executive Director, Science and Engineering Research Council, A*STAR.

The RRIS is the second landmark clinical research collaboration between the three parties, following the launch of the Skin Research Institute of Singapore (SRIS) in 2013.

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Source: Nanyang Technological University.
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