Executive Director
Credentials
MBBS, M Med (Int Med), MPH, MRCP (UK), FRCP, FAMS
Clinical Interests
HIV Medicine, Communicable Diseases, General Infectious Diseases, Outbreak Disease Management
Language(s) spoken
English, Mandarin
Photo Credit: National Healthcare Group
Professor
LEO Yee Sin is the Executive Director of the National Centre for Infectious
Diseases, Singapore.
As
an adult Infectious Disease specialist, Prof Leo has led her team through
multiple outbreaks in Singapore. These include Nipah in 1999, SARS in 2003, the
pandemic influenza in 2009, Zika in 2016 and multiple surges of Dengue. She
successfully managed Singapore's first imported case of the Monkeypox in May
2019. Her current priority is now in the fight against COVID-19.
Prof Leo has published more than 400
peer-reviewed scientific papers. With her experience and expertise in outbreak
management, she is frequently called upon as advisor and conference speaker at
the national, regional and international level. She has served in multiple
World Health Organization workgroups on outbreak management, and as an
international expert in scientific and research bodies.
Apart from her clinical and
administrative duties, she is also heavily involved in research and teaching.
Topics of her research interest include dengue, influenza, emerging infections,
HIV and COVID-19.
She has won many awards among which are
four National Day Awards including the most prestigious Public Service Star in
recognition for her outstanding battle against SARS and COVID-19 in 2003 and
2022 respectively, and two Public Administration Medals in 2012 and 2020. Other
awards include the Excellence Service Star Award 2005, Red Ribbon Award 2014,
Lee Foundation-NHG Lifetime Achievement Award 2021 and the NUS Distinguished
Alumni Service Award 2021.
Prof Leo is also named in BBC's 100
women list in 2020 and was inducted into the Singapore Women's Hall of Fame in
2022.
In April 2022, Prof Leo was conferred the title of Knight of the French Order of the Legion of Honour, by France's Ambassador to Singapore Marc Abensour on behalf of the President of the French Republic.