Healthy Longevity Translational Research Programme, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore
"A mentor for life" is how those who nominated Prof Koh Woon Puay described her. The judges were impressed by her caring, constructive, candid and personal style of mentoring. Her focus on the importance of collaborations as well as women in scientific leadership stood out as two highlights of her mentoring approach.
To help my mentees develop resilience and confidence, as well as skills in leadership and collaboration, the best things I can share are not just lessons from my success stories, but even more so from my mistakes and failures. When I have taught the fundamentals, giving my mentees opportunities to explore and create is the best way to help them grow.
Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine and Saw Swee Hock School of Public Health, National University of SIngapore
Prof Tai E Shyong sees mentorship as a privilege. The judges were impressed by his tailor-made approach to each mentoring opportunity which leverages their unique skill sets that complement those of others. His style focuses on creating an environment that enables others to thrive and providing encouragement to stretch his mentees' abilities.
I encourage mentees to acquire skills that will allow them to understand others around them, build their own network, and influence others who do not have direct reporting lines to them. In today's world, some of the most impactful science is not done in an individual lab, but through large consortia, and these skill sets are a key part of success.
