Dr. Joanne Ngeow is a distinguished leader in cancer genomics and hereditary cancer syndromes who has significantly advanced precision medicine in Asia. She serves as Senior Consultant in the Division of Medical Oncology at the National Cancer Centre Singapore and holds the position of Associate Professor of Genomic Medicine at the Lee Kong Chian School of Medicine, Nanyang Technological University. With extensive clinical and research training, she completed fellowships from the National Medical Research Council and Ambrose Monell Foundation, followed by specialized training in Cancer Genomic Medicine at the Cleveland Clinic's Genomic Medicine Institute. Dr. Ngeow heads the Cancer Genetics Service at the National Cancer Centre Singapore, establishing it as a leading center for hereditary cancer evaluation in the region.
Dr. Ngeow pioneered the implementation of universal mismatch deficiency testing for colon and endometrial cancer across SingHealth and currently leads Singapore's National Precision Medicine Clinical Implementation Pilot for Lynch Syndrome. Her groundbreaking research on gene-environment interactions in cancer initiation has significantly advanced genomic medicine, with her influential 2014 publication on second malignant neoplasms in Cowden Syndrome accumulating over 127 citations. As a Principal Investigator of the Health for Life in Singapore Study (HELIOS), she is investigating the biological, lifestyle, and social determinants of chronic diseases in multi-ethnic populations. Her scholarly contributions include over 70 peer-reviewed publications in prestigious journals such as the Journal of Clinical Oncology, with her work cited more than 9,900 times according to Google Scholar.
Dr. Ngeow has championed the development of genetic counseling as a profession in Singapore, establishing formal career tracks and introducing genetic counselor-led clinics that have become the standard of care for hereditary cancers. She serves on the Scientific Advisory Board of the PTEN Foundation and participates in the ClinGen PTEN Variant Curation Expert Panel, contributing to international standards for genetic variant interpretation. Her commitment to patient advocacy is evident through her establishment of support groups for Lynch syndrome, FAP, and other genetic conditions with annual patient forums and educational meetings. Currently funded by the National Medical Research Council and Ministry of Health, Dr. Ngeow continues to lead efforts in exploring equitable implementation of genomics into routine clinical care across diverse Asian populations.
