An artificial intelligence (AI) tool that predicts the severity of a patient’s pneumonia through chest X-ray, and the use of deep learning algorithms to detect and verify if drugs and vaccines have adverse effects, were tools which combined health and technology developed by Koh Juan Zhen (33 years old), an analyst at Singapore’s national HealthTech agency Synapxe, during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Koh, who has contributed to the country's fight against the pandemic, is actually a "newcomer" in the HealthTech field.
After graduating from Nanyang Technological University School of Business, Koh’s first job was digital marketing in the tourism industry. Three years later, she decided to do a career switch upon discovering her interest in data analytics at work.
To decide if data analysis was suitable for her, she left her digital marketeer job and became a research assistant for a university professor.
“Analytics is about leveraging the data around us – such as the way we use our phones, the things that we do daily, etc. – and making sense of all the data collected to help improve the way we do things. During this period of time, I had the opportunity to work with different statistics and software tools. This experience has inked my interest in data analytics.”
In pursuing her passion, Koh first chose to improve her professional skills and studied for a master’s degree in analytics. However, one of her concerns was the financial burden of transitioning from a full-time worker to a full-time student.
“Fortunately, I have a supportive family, my husband has a stable job, and I also did not have any children then. So, I was confident that I could continue my studies without financial pressure… I started looking for scholarship opportunities and later received the Ministry of Health Holdings (MOHH) Scholarship.”
Upon completing her one-year master's programme, Koh joined Integrated Healthcare Information Systems (IHiS, which has been renamed Synapxe in 2023) in 2019, when the COVID-19 pandemic happened.
During this period, Synapxe’s Data and aNalytics and AI teams were actively looking for ways to develop technology to support doctors and healthcare partners in the fight against the pandemic. This provided Koh an opportunity to participate in two significant coronavirus-related projects within three years.
“I see the role of data science and data analytics akin to an accelerator. We work with healthcare professionals because they have the relevant domain knowledge, and we can help with the process of developing new tools to enhance public healthcare outcomes.”
转行医疗科技逢疫情 为对抗冠病添战“疫”利器
根据胸部X光图像预测患者肺炎严重度的人工智能工具、检测和验证药物和疫苗是否会产生不良影响的人工智能深度学习算法，这两个结合医疗与科技的工具，是全国医疗科技机构新联科技分析师许涓祯（33岁）在冠病疫情期间参与开发的。
在医疗科技领域为我国抗疫之路做出贡献的许涓祯，其实是该领域的“新人”。
从南洋理工大学商学院毕业后，许涓祯的第一份工作是在旅游业从事数码营销。三年后，她发现自己对工作上碰到的数据分析尤其感兴趣，因此有了转业的想法。
为了测试数据分析是否真的适合自己，她毅然辞职，成为了大学教授的研究助理。
“数据分析指的是我们如何利用周围的数据，例如使用手机的方式、我们每天做的事情等，为数据注入意义，从而帮助你改进做事的方式。在这段期间，我有机会接触到不同的统计数据和软件工具。这个体验肯定了我对数据分析的兴趣。”
为了追求自己的热忱，许涓祯先选择提升专业技能，攻读分析学硕士学位。不过，从全职打工族转为全职学生，经济负担是她的担忧之一。
“幸运的是，我有一个支持我的家庭，丈夫也有一份稳定的工作，当时也还没有小孩，所以我有信心可以在没有经济压力的情况下继续升学……我也开始寻找奖学金机会，并成功获得了卫生部控股奖学金。”
完成一年硕士课程后，她在2019年加入综合保健信息系统公司（IHiS，今年已更名为新联科技Synapxe），那时冠病疫情刚开始暴发。
在这期间，新联科技的数据分析和人工智能部门正在积极寻找方法，利用科技支持医生和医疗合作伙伴对抗冠病疫情。她因此能在短短三年内，参与两个重要的冠病相关项目。
“我认为数据科学和数据分析所扮演的角色就像一个加速器。我们与医疗专业人员合作，因为他们拥有相关领域的知识，但我们可以帮忙加速开发新工具的过程，提高公共医疗保健的成果。”
Source: Lianhe Zaobao © Singapore Press Holdings Limited | Reproduced with permission.
