On Tuesday, June 8, 2010 a delegation from the Singapore Ministry of Health visited our institute as part of a larger fact-finding effort to investigate how other advanced nations promote translational (bench-to-bedside) medical research, how communication is encouraged between basic and clinical researchers, and how funding is apportioned between these sometimes competing arms of medical research.

　Mr. Roy Quek, Deputy Secretary in charge of Health Policy, led the delegation. The other six member of this high-ranking delegation included Mr. Anthony Tan, Director of Healthcare Finance and Corporate Services Division, Ho Su Mei, Assistant Director (Finance Policy) of the same,  two additional officials of the Ministry of Health, and Jonathan Khong and Eli Lau of MOHHoldings, the holding company of Singapore’s healthcare institutions.  
　
　Prof. Arinobu Tojo, new Deputy Director of our institute’s Research Hospital spoke to them about the kinds of translational research that has been pioneered in the hospital, and gave a short tour of the hospital 7^th floor, which houses some patient clean rooms. Following this, Prof. Jun-ichiro Inoue, Vice-Dean of the Institute provided a brief, simplified overview of some of the research conducted in his lab, alluded to how it could provide hints for developing novel anti-cancer drugs, and fielded the delegates’ eager questions about communication between basic and clinical researchers within our institute. Our institute’s Office of International Relations coordinated the 90-minute visit, and Mr. Quek and the other delegates expressed their appreciation for the professors’ time and the insights they were able to provide, and issued a general invitation to visit them when IMSUT personnel go to Singapore.