Project on myopia management for children wins $50,000 at Duke-NUS' annual health innovator challenge

· Next-generation healthcare solution takes top prize at the innovation challenge led by multidisciplinary student teams to address critical unmet clinical needs

· Winning team to develop prototype and advance towards real-world clinical impact

SINGAPORE, 19 March 2025—A bold new healthcare innovation is one step closer to reality after clinching the top prize of $50,000 at the annual Duke-NUS Health Innovator Programme (DHIP) challenge.

The winning project, a novel contact lens management system for children impressed a panel of clinical and industrial leaders with its potential to transform patient care and address pressing unmet needs.

The competition, held at the DHIP "Dazzle Day" showcase, featured five multidisciplinary teams made up of Duke-NUS Medical School and the National University of Singapore Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine students as well as engineering and business students from the National University of Singapore (NUS). Over the past nine months, these teams worked closely with seasoned clinical and industry mentors to develop novel healthcare solutions that could be commercialised and implemented in real-world settings.

The judges assessed each invention based on clinical needs, market potential and feasibility. Following intense deliberations, Team ReVision's contact lens solution emerged as the winning project and the team were presented with the $50,000 award to develop their technology further and continue the push to commercialise their product. The event, which celebrated the teamwork of students from various schools and faculties at NUS was graced by Professor Tan Eng Chye, NUS President, as the Guest-of-Honour.

Team ReVision's novel insertion and removal aid for myopia-control contact lenses empowers children, parents and caregivers to easily and safely insert and remove both hard and soft contact lenses. Using an ergonomically designed, eye-sized oval cup that fits the orbit of the eye, users can place the lens precisely and quickly with minimum discomfort. The novel insertion and removal aid comes complete with a complementary, hands-free cleaning system. Together, these two tools address common contact lenses use challenges, creating a holistic solution to anxiety, hygiene and usability challenges faced by children and adults alike, unlocking one of the best modalities for myopia control for all.

Team ReVision's Mr. Charles Yau, an MD student at Duke-NUS, said,

"We noticed that myopia control lenses had low acceptance rates and wanted to understand why. It boiled down to hygiene, usability and fear of discomfort. Watching children struggle to handle lenses in the clinic really drove home the issues for us. To address these concerns, we harnessed our collective interdisciplinary skills in business, engineering and medicine to create a targeted solution, which works for both children and adults."

Commenting on the value of taking part in DHIP, he added, "It has been a tremendously valuable learning experience. DHIP created a nurturing environment to apply our distinct experiences in design-thinking, innovative business practices and clinical knowledge to solve real-world challenges in a way that would not have been possible alone. I'm really grateful for this journey!"

The other four teams competing presented a digital device incorporating a suite of clinically validated solutions preventing myopia progression, an innovative wearable support system aimed at alleviating strain for orthopaedic surgeons, a game-changing endoscopic surgical device to remove small gastric growths and a specialised endoscopic grasper that is easily attachable and compatible with existing endoscopes.

Assistant Professor Rena Dharmawan (Class of 2011), Assistant Dean for Innovation Education and Ecosystem Development at Duke-NUS who oversees the programme, said,

"Mentorship is at the heart of innovation. The most successful healthcare breakthroughs happen when experienced mentors guide and inspire the next generation of innovators. Through DHIP, we bring together passionate students with dedicated clinical and industry mentors who challenge, support and accelerate their journey from an idea to a real-world solution. It's this exchange of knowledge and experience that truly drives transformation in healthcare."

Christopher Laing, Vice-Dean, Office of Innovation & Entrepreneurship at Duke-NUS, said,

"The DHIP cultivates a problem-solving mindset in young scientists, clinicians and entrepreneurs, empowering them to collaborate across disciplines and drive meaningful change. By encouraging bold thinking and a spirit of innovation, the programme challenges participants to go beyond the status quo—continuously evolving, learning and making a lasting impact on society."

As a first-of-its-kind fellowship in Singapore, DHIP fosters a culture of healthcare innovation by bringing together students and early-career professionals from various disciplines to collaborate on breakthrough ideas. Participants are guided through the entire innovation pipeline, from identifying clinical problems and conceptualising solutions to prototyping and pitching their ideas to industry experts. This year's winning team will use the $50,000 award to further refine their prototype, conduct feasibility studies and explore pathways to clinical adoption. The teams will also work to raise more funding to develop their innovations, while being guided by clinical and industry mentors.

###

About Duke-NUS Medical School

Duke-NUS is Singapore's flagship graduate entry medical school, established in 2005 with a strategic, government-led partnership between two world-class institutions: Duke University School of Medicine and the National University of Singapore (NUS). Through an innovative curriculum, students at Duke-NUS are nurtured to become multi-faceted 'Clinicians Plus' poised to steer the healthcare and biomedical ecosystem in Singapore and beyond. A leader in ground-breaking research and translational innovation, Duke-NUS has gained international renown through its five Signature Research Programmes and ten Centres. The enduring impact of its discoveries is amplified by its successful Academic Medicine partnership with Singapore Health Services (SingHealth), Singapore's largest healthcare group. This strategic alliance has led to the creation of 15 Academic Clinical Programmes, which harness multi-disciplinary research and education to transform medicine and improve lives.

For more information, please visit www.duke-nus.edu.sg

Provided by Duke-NUS Medical School