Prof Dean Ho shortlisted for eminent engineering prize

Professor Dean Ho, Head of NUS Biomedical Engineering, who is also Director of the N.1 Institute for Health (N.1) and the Institute for Digital Medicine (WisDM), is among five top scientists in the world to be shortlisted for the prestigious A F Harvey Engineering Research Prize from the Institution of Engineering and Technology (IET). He is also the only Asia-based scientist on the list of shortlisted candidates.

Among his many research achievements, Prof Ho has been recognised for leading multiple clinical studies with CURATE.AI, which uses a patient’s own data to personalise treatment for the entire duration of care. In April 2020, he led a multidisciplinary team to develop an artificial intelligence platform known as ‘IDentif.AI’ which is able to develop an optimal combination therapy for treatment of infectious diseases, by picking the best drugs and best doses at the same time.

The IET’s A F Harvey prize is named after the late Dr A F Harvey who bequeathed a generous sum of money to the IET for a trust fund to be set up in his name to further engineering research. The prize of £350,000 is awarded annually in recognition of an outstanding achievement in one of three fields — medical engineering, microwave/radar engineering or laser/optoelectronic engineering. This year’s theme is medical engineering and technology.

Sir John O’Reilly, Chair of the IET’s Search and Selection Panel for the Prize, said, “The A F Harvey Engineering Research Prize recognises the outstanding research achievements of the recipient, from anywhere in the world, who is identified through a search and selection process conducted by a panel of international experts from around the globe.”

The prize winner will be announced in December 2020. The winning researcher will deliver a keynote lecture on their research at IET London: Savoy Place in Spring 2021.