Freddy Boey

Professor Freddy Boey (Chinese: 梅彦昌) is the Deputy President (Innovation & Enterprise) of the National University of Singapore (NUS),[1] overseeing the University’s initiatives and activities in the areas of innovation, entrepreneurship and research translation, as well as graduate studies. He was previously the Senior Vice President (Graduate Education and Research Translation) of NUS. Before joining NUS in 2018, Boey was Deputy President and Provost of Nanyang Technological University (NTU) from July 2011 to September 2017.[2][3] Prior to these appointments, he was the Chair of NTU's School of Materials Science and Engineering from 2005 to 2010.[4]

In this Chinese name, the family name is Boey.

A Professor of Materials Engineering, Boey graduated from Monash University, Australia, with a First Class Honours degree in Materials Engineering in 1980. He obtained his PhD in Chemistry and Engineering in 1987 from the National University of Singapore.[5][6]

Research and innovation

Boey's research areas are in functional biomaterials for medical devices, nanomaterials and nanostructures for cell regeneration, sensing and energy storage.[5] A keen inventor, he has filed 25 original patents with NTU, the majority of which have been licensed.[4][6] He founded several companies to patent and license his creations, such as a surgical tissue retractor which was licensed to Insightra Medical Inc., Irvine, California, and sold in the United States, India, Japan and Europe.[7]

Boey's other inventions include a fully biodegradable peripheral cardiovascular stent,[8][9] micropumps for thermal management solutions in consumer electronic gadgets, microfluidic and biomedical devices[10][11] a coronary stent with drug release capability,[12] a hernia mesh[13] and cardiac peptides for treating heart diseases.[14] His innovations have garnered him numerous investment funding and research grants.[6]

Among the companies Boey founded are Amaranth Medical Inc, Adcomp Technology Pte Ltd and Electroactiv Ltd.[4] Boey also teamed up with the renowned Mayo Clinic to develop implants for the controlled release of cardiac peptides specially designed to treat heart diseases, through a joint start-up, CardioRev Pte Ltd. This company won early-stage funding under SPRING Singapore’s Technology Enterprise Commercialisation Scheme.[15]

Boey has published 344 top journal papers with a citation of 7436 and h-index of 44.[4] He won about S$36 million in competitive research grants between 2008 and 2011, including a S$10 million individual National Research Foundation (NRF) Competitive Research Programme grant for his work on fully biodegradable cardiovascular implants,[16][17] a S$20 million NRF Technion-Singapore grant for his research in nanomedicine for cardiovascular diseases[18] and a S$1.25 million grant from the NRF Translational Flagship Project for his research to make cataract surgery safer.[19][20]

Teaching

During his tenure as Chair of NTU's School of Materials Science and Engineering, Boey oversaw its transformation into one of the leading schools in the field.[6] As an educator and mentor, Boey has supervised 33 PhD students and mentored 15 post-doctoral students. His current biomedical research team comprises 12 PhD students and more than 10 post-doctoral students and senior research fellows. About 15 of his past and current students and staff have been or are now involved in their own or his start-up companies.[4]

As Deputy President and Provost, Boey has worked to enhance learning conditions for students. Among these initiatives are a S$45 million learning hub with modern study and social facilities, as well as upgraded learning spaces and resources across campus.[6] He has also implemented new measures to ensure that teaching standards remain high, with potential faculty appointments having their teaching abilities reviewed on different levels.[6]

Awards and appointments

Boey won the President's Science and Technology Medal,[21] the best science prize in Singapore. He received the gold medal from the President Tony Tan Keng Yam during September 2013.

He was also awarded Singapore's Public Administration Medal (Silver) by the Government of Singapore in 2010.[22] He is a director on the boards of the Intellectual Property Office of Singapore, DSO National Laboratories[23] and Temasek Laboratories@NTU,[4] and is a founding member of the newly set up Singapore Academy of Engineers.[6]

He is also a member of the SPRING Singapore Technology Policy Advisory Committee and has been on the President's Science and President's Technology Award committee since 2007.[4]

Boey is on the panel of several national funding and award panels and has chaired the National A*STAR Grants Review Committee for the past few years. He is also Honorary Professor at both the University of Indonesia and the Nanjing University of Posts and Telecommunications.[4]

An active member of the materials engineering community, Boey is a Fellow of the Institute of Materials, Minerals and Mining (United Kingdom) and Fellow of the Institute of Engineers Singapore, and was until recently the Deputy President of the Materials Research Society, Singapore.[4]

Boey was an ad hoc member of NTU's inaugural University Academic Advisory Committee. He was also an appointed member of both the University Blue Ribbon Commission and the Blue Ribbon Implementation Commission.[4]

In November 2011, Boey received the Distinguished Alumni of the Year Award from Monash University at the 50th anniversary celebrations of its Faculty of Engineering. The award recognises his achievements as a teacher, researcher and innovator, including his exceptional contributions to nanomedicine, as well as his active community engagement.[24]

In December 2011, he received the Degree of Doctor of Technology from Loughborough University for his outstanding achievements as an engineer and academic leader.[25]

References
  1. "Prof Freddy Boey". National University of Singapore. Retrieved 20 February 2018.
  2. NTU President to step down The Straits Times, 19 October 2010
  3. NTU's new President and Provost to lead the way in transforming NTU into a world-class university that integrates education, research and innovation News release, 4 July 2011
  4. "Education, research and innovation come together in him: Professor Freddy Boey". Archived from the original on November 6, 2011.
  5. NTU academic profile – Boey Yin Chiang, Freddy
  6. Great teachers, researchers, campus life... The Straits Times, 2 November 2011
  7. First joint venture medical device released by NTU and Insightra Medical Inc. Medical News Today, 18 October 2007
  8. Plugging holes in hearts – It’s an open-and-shut case The Straits Times, 1 January 2011
  9. MSE research on soluble heart stents gets S$10m boost Archived 2012-03-22 at the Wayback Machine MSE in the News, 20 June 2008
  10. NTU researchers’ multiple drug-eluting biodegradable stent and frictionless micro-pump innovation featured on New Frontiers Channel I, 30 June 2004
  11. "Frictionless micro-pump". Archived from the original on March 22, 2012.
  12. "Biodegradable stents with drug delivery". Archived from the original on March 22, 2012.
  13. Dynamic professors with the golden touch The Straits Times, 11 December 2010
  14. NTU’s poster boy for biomedical inventions The Straits Times, 22 January 2011
  15. TECS Grant Call Recipients Archived 2011-09-06 at the Wayback Machine SPRING Singapore
  16. NTU wins 3 out of 4 competitive research programme grants – Researchers awarded up to $30 million from National Research Foundation News release, 20 June 2008
  17. Thick skin helped prof sell his stent The Straits Times, 30 August 2008
  18. NTU 2008 Research Report
  19. Eye Diseases – Translational Research Innovations in Ocular Surgery (TRIOS) Archived 2012-02-18 at the Wayback Machine
  20. "Safer cataract surgery with nanotechnology". news.ntu.edu.sg.
  21. "President's Science and Technology Medal - The Straits Times" (PDF). Archived from the original on October 23, 2013.
  22. "The Public Administration Medal (Silver) 2010 – Prof Boey Yin Chiang, Freddy".
  23. "DSO Board of Directors". Archived from the original on 2011-09-06. Retrieved 2011-09-22.
  24. Monash Engineering Alumni Community gathers to celebrate 50 years Monash University, Faculty of Engineering, News and events, 10 November 2011
  25. Citation for the presentation of honorary graduand at degree ceremony, Loughborough University Citation for the presentation of honorary graduand at degree ceremony, Loughborough University, 19 December 2011
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