Cynthia Chen
Nationality:
Singapore
Current Job:
Assistant Professor, National University of Singapore
Graduation:
2015
Degree:
PhD
Faculty and Department:
Saw Swee Hock School of Public Health
Undergraduate University:
National University of Singapore
Why did you choose to do a PhD?
My research journey started when I was in the final year of my undergraduate at the Department of Statistics and Applied Probability (DSAP) in NUS, during my honours year project working with Prof Gerald Koh from the Saw Swee Hock School of Public Health (SSHSPH) and A/P Choi from DSAP. It was my first time working with real-world data, and statistics came alive to me that day. I eventually went on to pursue a PhD with Prof Koh, focusing on ageing and disability.
Why did you choose to do graduate education at NUS? If you received offers from other universities, why did you pick NUS?
NUS is one of the best universities in Asia, where I am interested to pursue research that is relevant for older adults. While some experiences of older adults in other countries might be relevant for Singapore, the context always matters. There is no place I will rather be than Home, to learn about the challenges older adults faced here, and the possible solutions. I was also not keen to spend a large proportion of my time overseas away from my family.
How does graduate school compare to your undergraduate experience?
Graduate school was a lot more fun than undergraduate, I get to play with a lot of data and try to make sense of the results that we find. Of course, there was also a steep learning experience, which to me was exciting as I continue to learn new skills and things that I do not know about.
Briefly share about your research or thesis (i.e. dissertation topic for Masters by Coursework students).
My primary academic interest is the Economics of Ageing, emphasising the well-being of people as they age and the larger implications of multi-dimensional ageing on healthcare sustainability. The societal impact of ageing has compounded with increasing longevity, as Singapore’s population aged 65 and older is projected to increase from 614,000 in 2020 to 1.89 million by 2050. The implications of this demographic shift are extensive. The national healthcare expenditure has already been growing from $13 billion to $22 billion between 2012 to 2017, as current older adults require more medical attention and more extended hospital stays. How will these trends and policies, and potentially other still unforeseen economic, technological, demographic, and social changes, affect the burden of care, financing needs and optimal resource allocation in the future? Could cost-effective public health interventions be a solution? Forecasting future health status for the elderly population in the presence of multiple related co-morbidities is highly challenging. My research seeks to answer these questions by merging meaningful useful information from different data sources, using various statistical and econometric models.
On hindsight, would you have chosen the same research supervisor for your graduate programme?
Yes, without a doubt, I will have chosen the same research supervisor for my graduate programme. I have learnt a lot from A/P Koh not just about research, but also about life.
What impact do you hope to have with your research?
As life expectancy increases, societal ageing does not only affect healthcare. With my team, we are now expanding our models to evaluate the impact of work and retirement on health, using econometrics methods to correct for potential endogeneity. These research projects also have important policy implications, which we are in active discussions with policymakers and academics. I am also privileged to have many vibrant collaborations with interdisciplinary scholars from across the globe, where I have been invited to present at leading international universities. I plan to expand on my research with my team on the economics of ageing in Singapore and Asia, and further evaluate the impact of multi-dimensional ageing on future sustainability.
If you have won any academic prize/competition or been invited to speak at an international conference—share what it is, its significance, and how you worked towards achieving it.
“I am privileged to work with excellent academics both locally and abroad. We always strive to give our best research and are excited to work through the challenges together. I am learning a lot from these collaborations. The awards and invitation to speak at the international conferences come as a surprise to me – as they are not something that I work towards wanting to achieve. I am thankful for them, truly grateful for God’s goodness to me through my research journey, and for allowing my path to cross with the top academics in the world.
Awards:
– 2019/2020 Young Researcher Award (SSHSPH, NUS)
– 2014 Best Oral Presentation (Group) (U21 Graduate Conference, Uni of Auckland, NZ)
– 2012 Best Oral Presentation Runner Up (Singapore Intl Public Health Conference)
Invitation to speak:
– Moderator for Aging Panel Discussion, 19 Oct 2020, APRU Global Health Conference, Shanghai, Online.
– Physical activity at Work, 09 to 23 Mar 2020, Health Intervention and Technology Assessment Program, Thailand
– Universal Health Care Coverage and its sustainability: Singapore experiences, 27-28 Jan 2020, Asian Universities Alliance (AUA) Conference, Thailand.
– Gender disparity and Ageing in Asia, 19 Mar 2018, Stanford Center on Longevity, Stanford University, USA
– Ageing Society Index, Ageing Society Network Meeting at the GSA, 18 Nov 2018, Boston, USA
– Educational Gradients in Disability among Asia’s Future Elderly, Conference on Cross-Country Analysis of Retirement, Health, and Well-being, University of Southern California, 29-30 Oct 2018, Los Angeles, USA
– Healthy Aging and Chronic Disease Management in China and India in International Comparison, Stanford Center at Peking University, 25-27 June 2018, Beijing, China
– Forecasting Health and Medical Expenditure in Singapore, 25 Oct 2017, UCLA, USA
– The Hartford Aging Society Index, Presidential symposium at the International Association of Gerontology and Geriatrics, 23-27 Jul 2017, San Francisco, USA
– Measures of Successful Ageing in the Society, MacArthur Research Network at the GSA, 25-28 Sep 2016, New Orleans, USA
– The Value of Physical Activity in Singapore – Forecasting Health and Medical Expenditure using the Future Elderly Model, 2nd Singapore International Public Health Conference, 29-30 Sep 2016, Singapore
– The synergistic effect of functional status and comorbidity burden on mortality, Universitas 21 (U21) Graduate Research Conference – Celebrating Ageing Research, 1-4 Jul 2014, Auckland, New Zealand”
What message would you like to give to students interested in graduate studies in NUS?
Graduate studies would not be a walk in the park. Pursue research that genuinely excites you, one that keeps you up at night, in pursuit of a little piece of evidence that might make the world a better place. Then when the going gets tough, in the valley moments, you will find the drive to push on and carry on. It is like an athlete running a marathon, the toughest moments aren’t how you have started, but how you have endured and finished the race. Thus, you need to know for yourself, why you have chosen this journey, and don’t lose sight of it.