A high-level delegation from Zhejiang Cancer Hospital (ZJCH), led by President Prof. Cheng Xiangdong, concluded a successful visit to Singapore, marked by the signing of two significant Memorandum of Understanding (MOUs) with premier Singaporean institutions on the March 5-6. The agreements with the National Cancer Centre Singapore (NCCS) and the A*STAR Bioinformatics Institute (A*STAR BII) establish a comprehensive "three-in-one" trilateral collaboration framework integrating clinical care, scientific innovation, and drug development.
At the National Cancer Centre Singapore, Prof. Cheng Xiangdong and Prof. Soo Khee Chee, Director of NCCS, formally signed the collaboration agreement. During the subsequent symposium, discussions yielded broad consensus on joint talent development, clinical trial cooperation, and academic exchange mechanisms. The delegation also toured NCCS's state-of-the-art clinical facilities, including Proton Therapy Centre.
The delegation's visit to the A*STAR Bioinformatics Institute resulted in a separate MOU signing between Prof. Cheng and Dr. Sebastian Maurer-Stroh, Executive Director of A*STAR BII. This agreement will drive joint research in two core areas: AI-driven Digital Pathology (AiDP) and AI-empowered Drug Discovery (AiDD). In the academic exchange session, experts from both sides engaged in robust discussions on the application prospects of AI in healthcare, cross-institutional collaboration models, and reached consensus on joint research projects, talent exchange programs, and data sharing initiatives.
These dual signings represent a strategic move by Zhejiang Cancer Hospital to fulfill its role as a National Regional Cancer Medical Center and to strengthen its participation in the global oncology prevention and research network. Moving forward, ZJCH will build a clinical excellence hub with NCCS and a foundational research engine with A*STAR BII—to foster international synergy in talent cultivation, scientific breakthroughs, and discipline development.
About the Partner Institutions:
National Cancer Centre Singapore (NCCS): Established in 1993, NCCS is a premier cancer center under the SingHealth group, dedicated to cancer diagnosis, treatment, and research. Home to 12 scientists ranked among the world's top 2% most-cited researchers, NCCS was ranked 68th globally in the 2024 Newsweek list of the World's Best Specialized Hospitals (Oncology).
A*STAR Bioinformatics Institute (A*STAR BII): Founded in 2001 and part of the Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR), BII is Singapore's national center for computational biology research and a key bioinformatics resource hub. It specializes in developing secure data hubs and applying advanced AI and machine learning to integrate and analyze multi-omics, structural, and imaging data to unravel biomedical mechanisms, with significant expertise in cancer research, drug discovery, and precision medicine.