Returning Singaporean Scientists Scheme: NUS Appointments 2026

Scheme and NUS appointments

The National Research Foundation Singapore's Returning Singaporean Scientists Scheme (RSSS) is intended to attract overseas-based Singaporean research leaders back to local autonomous universities and research institutes. NUS announced on 1 September 2026 that Professors Yang Changhuei and Ong Shyue Ping had been selected under the scheme. Prof Yang joined NUS's College of Design and Engineering in August 2026, while Prof Ong joined its Department of Materials Science and Engineering in January 2026. (NUS, 1 September 2026, accessed 5 September 2026.)

Biomedical imaging and computational microscopy

Prof Yang returned to NUS after more than two decades at the California Institute of Technology and leads the Computational Microscopy, AI and Wavefront Shaping Lab. NUS describes his work as combining biomedical optics, computational imaging and AI, including analysis of lung-cancer biopsy slides for patterns that could support earlier and more accurate disease prediction. The announcement describes research direction and potential application, not an approved clinical diagnostic product. (NUS, 1 September 2026, accessed 5 September 2026.)

AI-enabled materials discovery

Prof Ong returned after nearly two decades in the United States and leads the Materialyze.AI Lab at NUS. His work includes the AI Foundry, which links AI models, scientific data and automated experiments so models can propose materials, guide experiments and learn from results. NUS also identifies his work on the open-source pymatgen materials-analysis library and AI screening of hypothetical crystal structures. These are research capabilities and do not guarantee that any proposed material will be safe, manufacturable or commercially viable. (NUS, 1 September 2026, accessed 5 September 2026.)