Dr Ong Kong Wee is the Head of the SingHealth Duke-NUS Breast Centre, which is the largest centre in Singapore treating the full spectrum of breast conditions. The Centre serves its patients at 3 key SingHealth institutions, namely, National Cancer Centre Singapore, Singapore General Hospital, and KK Women’s and Children’s Hospital. Annually, the Centre manages over 1000 breast cancers patients, offering optimal treatment using the latest surgical techniques and cutting edge equipment. His interests include novel techniques in breast cancer surgery, Sentinel Lymph Node Biopsy, as well as Intra-Operative Radiotherapy.

Dr Ong has a keen interest in breast cancer research. He has over a dozen publications in top journals such as Nature Genetics, Lancet Oncology and Clinical Cancer Research. He currently leads a large clinical research team investigating a diverse range of topics related to breast cancer treatment. He also actively contributes to projects involving research scientists and industrial partners. In 2012, Dr Ong was appointed the Director of Resident and Student Mentorship at the Academic Clinical Program (ACP) Surgery in Singhealth to promote research in young aspiring surgeons.

Dr Ong is actively involved in medical education and training. He is Adjunct Assistant Professor at Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, and Duke-NUS Medical School. He is also a Clinical Physician Faculty for the SingHealth General Surgery Residency Program. In recognition of his contributions, Dr Ong has been awarded the Outstanding Faculty Award in 2014.

Dr Ong graduated from the National University of Singapore in 1997. During medical school, he was on the Dean’s List every year and won several medals and book prizes, including the Academy of Medicine Bronze Medal, the Beecham Book Prize for being the best student in Anatomy, and the Nestle Book Prize for the best student in Paediatric Clinical Clerkship.Upon graduation, he pursued his interest in translational science at the University of Bristol, graduating with a PhD in Immunology in 2003. He has been a Fellow in General Surgery at the Academy of Medicine, Singapore since 2007.

Patient care is of paramount importance to Dr Ong. He strongly believes that despite his many academic and administrative roles, he can continue to offer good clinical service to his patients to achieve the best clinical outcome. His efforts have not gone unnoticed, and he was given a Special Mention in Customer Service (Healthcare) category at the Singapore Experience Awards in 2009.