People Drive the Future of Science

Dr. Mohamed ElSayed serves as the Executive Director of the Nucleic Acid Therapeutics Initiative (NATi), Singapore’s national platform dedicated to positioning the country as a regional hub and model of excellence in nucleic acid therapeutics research, clinical translation, and commercialisation.

A seasoned biopharmaceutical executive, Dr. ElSayed brings over 25 years of global experience across leading pharmaceutical companies, biotech firms, and academic institutions. His career has been defined by the development of transformative medicines including small molecules, biologics, genetic medicines, and precision therapies across a broad range of therapeutic areas.

Prior to joining NATi, Dr. ElSayed served as Executive Vice President and Chief Technology Officer at RVAC Medicines, where he led a global R&D organisation focused on democratising access to mRNA vaccines in emerging markets, with a particular emphasis on the Asia-Pacific region. Before that, he was Vice President of Biotechnology at Eli Lilly, where he built the Oral Biologics and mRNA platforms from the ground up and advanced multiple assets from concept to clinical proof-of-concept for diabetes, obesity, and cardiometabolic diseases. His contributions earned him Lilly’s President’s Scientific Recognition Award. Dr. ElSayed has also held advisory and operational roles of increasing responsibility at other biopharmaceutical companies, including AbbVie, Samyang Research Corporation, and Guilford Pharmaceuticals.

Earlier in his career, Dr. ElSayed was a tenured professor at the University of Michigan, where he established an internationally recognised research programme focused on investigational therapeutics for cancer and immunological diseases. He received more than 25 honours and awards, including the U.S. National Science Foundation CAREER Award, the Coulter Foundation Translational Research Partnership Award, and the U.S. Department of Defense Award. He has authored over 180 research articles and conference proceedings, delivered more than 80 invited talks, and holds eight patents.

He holds a Bachelor of Pharmacy from Cairo University and a Ph.D. in Pharmaceutical Sciences from the University of Maryland, Baltimore. His postdoctoral research at the University of Washington was supported by fellowships from the National Cancer Society and the Susan G. Komen Foundation.

Dr. Vira Bitko is the Head of Vaccines & Immunology at the Nucleic Acid Therapeutics Initiative (NATi). With over 20 years’ experience in vaccine R&D and biopharmaceutical leadership, she has a strong record of advancing vaccines from concept to clinic. She previously held senior roles at RVAC Medicines, BlueWillow Biologics, AGTC and other companies, driving preclinical development, translational research, and innovative vaccine platforms. Her expertise spans microbiology, pharmacology, and biochemistry. She earned her Ph.D. in Biochemistry from the Ukrainian Scientific Research Institute of Gerontology.

Dr. Sissi Lin is an RNA drug developer and strategist with over 15 years of experience in nucleic acid chemistry and RNA therapeutics. She is currently Deputy Director of R&D Strategy at the Nucleic Acid Therapeutics Initiative (NATi), where she is responsible for RNA pipeline development, emerging technology translation and capability building in Singapore. Previously, she was the founding Director of Chemistry and Operations at Lerna Biopharma, where she built the oligonucleotide drug development platform, led ligand discovery for liver and ocular targets, and oversaw CMC through preclinical stages. Dr. Lin holds a BSc in Chemistry from Southwest University in China and a Ph.D. in Organic Chemistry from Michigan Technological University. She completed her postdoctoral research under Nobel Laureate Professor Sydney Brenner at Molecular Engineering Laboratory at A*STAR.

Dr. Surya Prakash is the Head of Cardiovascular & Metabolic Diseases (CVMD) at the Nucleic Acid Therapeutics Initiative (NATi). He brings over two decades of experience in translational pharmacology and therapeutic innovation. He previously served as Vice President of Metabolic Diseases at Evotec, Germany, and held senior roles at Sanofi, Eli Lilly, Dr. Reddy’s Labs and Duke-NUS Medical School. A pharmacology graduate from The University of Queensland, Australia, Dr. Prakash specialises in novel target identification, validation, project enablement, asset generation and multi-modality therapeutics, including nucleic acid therapies. At NATi, he drives internal discovery and strategic collaborations to deliver transformative therapies.

Dr. Nurhuda Abdul Aziz is an intellectual property (IP) professional with extensive experience in IP strategy, patent analytics, and innovation management. She has a strong track record in technology evaluation and IP-informed decision-making, supporting research and commercialisation outcomes. She brings experience from Agilent Technologies, where she contributed to IP analytics and portfolio development across diverse technology domains. Dr. Nurhuda holds a Ph.D. in Biochemistry and Microbiology (Interdisciplinary) from the National University of Singapore. As a Portfolio Manager at NATi, she oversees the ecosystem RNA innovation projects from early discovery to clinical translation. Outside of work, she enjoys travelling, discovering new cuisines, and spending quality time with family.

As a Manager with the NATi Portfolio Management team, Dr. Nani Djunaidi drives the strategic planning and execution of grant-funded projects, ensuring successful outcomes aligned with NATi’s objectives. With a Ph.D. in Biomedical Sciences and over a decade of experience across academic and private sectors, Dr. Djunaidi possesses a robust background in managing diverse projects and portfolios. Her expertise spans innovation, the development and commercialization of biomolecular-based diagnostic platforms, and fostering cross-functional collaborations. Her unique blend of scientific acumen and extensive project management experience allows her to adeptly adapt and implement in-depth strategic approaches for translating technological advancements into tangible outcomes.

Dr. Goey Cher Hui is a Portfolio Manager at NATi, where she oversees RNA technology programs from early discovery to clinical translation. She brings over 12 years of experience in drug development, biotech strategy and advanced therapeutics, with roles across global corporations, local biotechs and academia, including Hummingbird Bioscience, IQVIA, Autolus Therapeutics and Imperial College London.

Dr. Goey holds a Ph.D. in Biochemical Engineering from Imperial College London and an M.Eng. in Chemical Engineering from the University of Birmingham.

Dr. Kathy Rivett-Carnac has over ten years of experience in life sciences innovation, covering biotech venture creation, portfolio management, and translational research. She is the Acting Deputy Director at the Nucleic Acid Therapeutics Initiative (NATi), where she works on advancing RNA-based therapeutics and developing national biotech strategy. Dr. Rivett-Carnac’s background combines scientific research and investment analysis. As a Venture Fellow at EVX Ventures, she participated in early-stage biotech company development, evaluated scientific opportunities, and supported portfolio companies. Her previous experience includes research in developmental biology and genomics, with positions such as the Lee Kuan Yew Fellowship at the National University of Singapore and a Ph.D. from Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS) institute and Université Aix-Marseille. Dr. Rivett-Carnac has experience across science and business and is involved in applying research to translational development. She has worked across academia, government, and venture sectors. She also possesses multilingual skills and international experience.

Ms. Sek Mun Foong is a Manager at NATi’s Portfolio Management Team, overseeing funded projects with a focus on strategic execution and impact. She brings four years of experience from an AI startup in the semiconductor industry, where she developed a strong foundation in strategic planning, stakeholder management, and technology commercialisation. Her interdisciplinary background enables her to bridge technical innovation with business strategy. At NATi, she manages high-impact portfolios, drives innovation, and fosters partnerships that accelerate growth across emerging technologies.

Dr. Kelvin Ng is Director (Coordination) of the Nucleic Acid Therapeutics Initiative (NATi) where he oversees all operations and policies to guide and implement NATi’s overall strategy. He brings and integrates diverse experiences across public- and private-sector R&D, commercialisation, venture capital investment, and public grant administration. These include an executive role in a USD 250M agri-food equity fund, a founding role in the SGD 144M Singapore Food Story 1.0 R&D programme, and strategic roles in several multimillion-dollar programmes in biologics, cell therapy, and alternative proteins. Part of his work led to the world’s first regulatory approval of a biotech-enabled food ingredient.

Dr. Ng is passionate about operational agility and scalability. Formerly at RoosterBio, Inc. in the United States, Dr. Ng scaled up manufacturing processes for cell therapy and exosomes. He enabled technology transfer to GMP environments and launched two product lines within a year. During the Covid-19 pandemic in Singapore, He was selected to expand the capacity of a national diagnostic laboratory by 14 times, which his team accomplished within 3 months amidst volatile supply chains. With an eye for both operations and strategy, he went on to enable strategic innovation at A*STAR and served as Chief Scientific Officer at Bloom8 venture capital.

Dr. Ng holds a Ph.D. in biomedical engineering from a joint programme between the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Harvard Medical School. He serves as a nominated Volunteer Career Advisor at Workforce Singapore. Outside of work, Dr. Ng is an avid foodie and enjoys table tennis.

Ms. Tam Lay Hong is Senior Assistant Director at NATi, where she leads alliance and partnership management to support strategic collaborations and drive impactful initiatives. She is an accomplished professional with over 10 years of experience in drug discovery and development, with a strong focus on business development and project management in the biotechnology sector.

Driving strategic alignment and operational excellence at NATi, Ms. Vanessa Tay, Senior Assistant Director, plays a key role in the organisation’s strategic operations. Her experience spans drug development, research, lab management, and project management in both public and private sectors, and was involved in the setup of various laboratories, including a GLP-compliant facility to support preclinical workflows. At NATi, she leads initiatives that streamline internal processes, strengthen cross-functional collaboration, and support long-term planning to achieve the organisation’s mission. Vanessa holds a Bachelor of Biomedical Science from the University of Western Australia.

Jasmine is a seasoned finance professional with over a decade of experience in general ledger control, financial reporting, and tax compliance across multinational organisations. She has led finance operations across Asia-Pacific, streamlining month-end closings, resolving intercompany differences, and supporting ERP rollouts, with expertise spanning IFRS compliance, tax reporting, and stakeholder engagement across Singapore, India, Australia, and China. Passionate about driving financial accuracy and operational efficiency, Jasmine is also a proud mother of two energetic boys and enjoys brewing speciality coffee and perfecting latte art. She is currently pursuing Chartered Accountant certification to further strengthen her credentials.