AsianScientist (Jul 11, 2014) – Professor James Best, a medical leader who has dedicated his career to improving treatments for diabetes and kidney disease, has been appointed to the position of Dean at the Lee Kong Chian School of Medicine (LKCMedicine), effective 29 July 2014.
Professor Best is currently the Head of Medical School at the University of Melbourne in Australia, and has 30 years’ experience in research, teaching and medical leadership. He succeeds Professor Dermot Kelleher who has been Dean of both LKCMedicine and Imperial’s Faculty of Medicine for the last two years.
Professor Kelleher, who retains his position as Imperial’s Vice-President (Health), will work together with Professor Best to ensure the activities of both institutions will continue to be closely and strategically aligned, and helping to realise the education, research and healthcare opportunities offered by the partnership between two world-class universities.
Welcoming the appointment, Professor Bertil Andersson, President of NTU said, “Professor Best has an outstanding track record, including leadership at Australia’s highest achieving medical school for research. He also has advanced experience in medical research funding through his engagement at the National Health and Medical Research Council in Canberra. This stands him in good stead to take medical training in NTU to new heights.”
Professor Best was selected from a highly competitive field of applicants after an extensive international search led by Sir Keith O’Nions, President & Rector of Imperial College London.
Looking forward to his full-time stint in Singapore, Professor Best said, “I am excited to embark on this new challenge where there will be a wealth of opportunities to develop collaborations, partnerships and other academic initiatives.”
“I am joining a School that has a highly skilled and dedicated team from NTU, Imperial and partner health organisations and I hope to build on the strengths of these institutions as the School moves towards fulfilling its ambitious goals to redefine medicine and transform healthcare. I am also relishing the prospect of training a new generation of outstanding doctors for Singapore and I look forward to welcoming our second cohort in August.”
Professor Best has taught extensively during his career, especially on the topic of diabetes and metabolism, as well as on the medical interview. His research has involved physiological and molecular studies of glucose disposal, as well as studies of lipid biochemistry and epidemiological and clinical studies of risk factors for cardiovascular disease in diabetes. His current research is predominantly in healthcare delivery for diabetes prevention and management.
Professor Best has been on the Board of Directors of three different Health Services and a Medical Defence Organisation in Australia. He is currently on the Board of St Vincent’s Institute (Medical Research) and on the Heart Foundation (Australia) Research Committee. In 2006 he was appointed to the Council of Australia’s peak funding body for medical research, the National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC), and from July 2006 to June 2012, served as Chair of the NHMRC Research Committee.
The author of over 200 publications, Professor Best is a Fellow of the Royal Australasian College of Physicians, Royal College of Pathologists, Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh and Honorary MD from St Andrews University.
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Source: Nanyang Technological University; Photo: University of Melbourne.
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