Director, Translational Immunology Institute, SingHealth

Prof Salvatore Albani, M.D., PhD, is the Professor of Medicine at Duke-NUS Medical School Singapore, and the Director of the Translational Immunology Institute at SingHealth-Duke-NUS AMC.

Before joining Duke-NUS, Prof Albani served as Director of the Translational Medicine Unit at the Clinical Investigation Institute at the University of California, where he was also professor of Medicine and Paediatrics. His fundamental research interest is in understanding human immunity and contributing the knowledge to therapeutic and diagnostic advancements. He has developed several innovative approaches in the area of induction and maintenance of immune tolerance in humans, being responsible for the whole translational process from idea to the conclusion of a Phase II clinical trial in autoimmune inflammatory diseases.

He has been responsible for the conception and execution of each of the stages of this complex itinerary, which spans a wide and diverse gradient of technologies and challenges. These include molecular immunology, lead identification and validation, intellectual property, Investigational New Drug (IND) filings, trial design, data management and analysis, interfacing with Venture Capital and Pharma, leading complex groups in a multi-centre setting.

Development of high throughput technology platforms is also part of his scientific career. These platforms aim to provide tools for knowledge-based diagnostic and therapeutic decisions. In his role as an educator, it has been his privilege to mentor many talented individuals, and to provide the right challenges and learning opportunities to help them grow and advance.