Dr Susan Lim's Career And Research Interests

Through the course of her distinguished career, Dr Susan Lim held various notable positions in medical and educational institutions. In 1990 she assumed the role of Consultant Surgeon and Senior Lecturer in Surgery at the National University of Singapore. This was the year in which she carried out the first successful liver transplant and also led the Liver Transplant Program at the hospital as Director. The next year Dr Lim assumed the position of Associate Professor in Surgery at the National University of Singapore. From 1990 until 1995 she was principal investigator of a research project focused on using tissue harvested from foetal pancreases to study islet cell transplantation models. The project was funded by the National Science and Technology Board. 

Her interest in stem cells led to Dr Lim founding Stem Cell Technologies i, a local biological technology start-up that does adult stem cell research. The company started collaborating with the National University of Singapore on a 10 year project aimed at researching a possible treatment for diabetes using mesenchymal stem cells. Dr Susan Lim’s interest in stem cells further led to research on induced pluripotent stem ( iPS) cells.

From 2007 until 2012 Dr Lim was the Group Leader for the Stem Cell Transplantation Program at Monash University. During this time she held the role of Honorary Professor at the Immunology and Stem Cell Laboratories of the Monash University Faculty of Medicine. 

Dr Susan Lim’s Work With Robotic Surgery 

In 2003 Dr Lim was appointed as the Medical Director for Asia for Computer Motion Industries, helping to pioneer the clinical use of the Aesop and Zeus robots in Singapore. In 2004 she led the da Vinci Robotic General Surgery Program in Singapore, and was the Chairperson of the Centre for Robotic Surgery for Training & Research at the Parkway Hospital Group. She is also the founder of the Centre for Robotic Surgery, Singapore.  

Other Significant Milestones

Dr Lim performed a first series of minimally invasive breast biopsies using technology that has resulted in  less invasion, and pioneered robotic surgery for general surgical applications in the private sector in Singapore.

Recognition For Medical Contributions

After the second Bali bombing, Dr Lim attended to, and helped save the lives of blast victims; efforts for which she received recognition from the Australian House of Parliament. 

"The Committee for Review and Recognition named the 28th American Academy of Continuing Medical Education Award  'the Dr Susan Lim Award’.”