A delegation from SingHealth, the largest group of healthcare institutions in Singapore, enjoyed a series of presentations that showcased Temple’s innovation initiatives within the healthcare industry.
Josh Gladden (pictured at center), Temple’s vice president for research, was one of many Temple and Temple Health representatives to meet with a delegation of representatives from SingHealth.
Photo by Ryan S. Brandenberg
Research in Action is one of the core priorities of Temple University’s recently released strategic plan, Forward with Purpose, as the plan calls for the creation of a high-impact research environment that unites scholars, industries and partners around shared opportunities for discovery and innovation. The cultivation of that environment is already well underway, with a recent example coming just last week.
On March 4, university officials hosted a delegation of representatives from SingHealth, the largest group of healthcare institutions in Singapore, for a visit to Temple’s Health Sciences Center campus. While there, the group toured the university’s Innovation Nest (iNest) and met with leaders and faculty from the university and Temple Health, including Fox Chase Cancer Center.
“This convening is a strong example of how Temple, via the Innovation Nest, is serving as a gateway for international organizations to explore collaborations and exchange best practices to advance innovation from academic research and healthcare settings,” said Josh Gladden, Temple’s vice president for research. “This is just the start of a relationship with SingHealth, and we are excited to see what collaborations we can develop moving forward.”
The goal of the meeting is to facilitate cross-learning between Temple and SingHealth, with a specific focus on innovation strategies, AI and digital health, and advanced clinical practices.
Specifically, SingHealth hoped to learn about potential collaborations that could enhance patient outcomes and healthcare delivery across its institutions. SingHealth is comprised of four public hospitals, two community hospitals, five national specialty centers and eight polyclinics, which serve almost half of Singapore’s healthcare needs.
Throughout the afternoon, representatives from Temple Health and the Lewis Katz School of Medicine delivered presentations highlighting a range of innovation initiatives. Examples included the use of AI algorithms to model, predict and adapt subcutaneous insulin dosing, presented by Benjamin Slovis; the Innovation Flight Fund supporting medical device prototyping, presented by Todd Abrams; AI-driven precision strategies to reduce cardiovascular risk, discussed by Daniel Edmundowicz; the benefits of adaptive radiation therapy for treating certain cancers, presented by Teh Lin; AI applications in the neurosciences to transform brain disorder detection and treatment, presented by Munir Gunes Kutlu; and the equity-centered Temple Healthy Chest Initiative, led by Gerard Criner.
The latter particularly piqued the interest of attendees as Criner, director of the Temple Lung Center and chair and professor in the Department of Thoracic Medicine and Surgery at Katz, shared how Temple developed the comprehensive, multidisciplinary Temple Healthy Chest Initiative as part of its efforts to take a more holistic approach to caring for patients who undergo lung cancer screening.
The program leverages AI to analyze low-dose computed tomography (LDCT) scans and identify incidental findings that may signal other asymptomatic conditions. By flagging potential issues that might otherwise go unnoticed, the technology supports earlier diagnosis and intervention, enabling more timely treatment and ultimately improving patient outcomes.
“There’s a lot of other information that can be gleaned from the LDCT scan and can help improve a patient’s health,” Criner shared during his presentation. “So, we developed a comprehensive program to detect co-concurrent conditions more easily that are present with the patient populations we serve. And that’s why we call it the Temple Healthy Chest, because we’re looking for everything that we can see in the chest. It’s not just about lung cancer.
“This kind of program is emblematic of what Temple exceeds at, which is working with each other, to create a multidisciplinary care team for a tough problem,” Criner added.
While the visit highlighted how Temple is driving innovation in the healthcare space, it also positioned the city of Philadelphia in a positive way.
“Through this process, we are promoting Philadelphia as a global hub for innovation," said Steve Nappi, associate vice president of technology commercialization and business development in Temple’s Office of the Vice President for Research, who helped plan the gathering. “Hosting the SingHealth delegation enables Temple to convene healthcare leaders, share proven approaches for translating innovation into patient impact, and open the door to new collaborations for both Temple and our region.”