Dr Wai Chun Hang, Daniel

  • Endocrinology

Language

English, Mandarin Chinese, Bahasa Melayu, Bahasa Indonesia, Cantonese Dialect

Qualifications

MBBS, MRCP (UK), MMed (Int Med)

Background

Dr Wai was born in Hong Kong and took the Ministry of Education scholarship to study in Singapore, and had decided to make Singapore his home since then. He obtained his Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery degree from the National University of Singapore in 1998. He obtained his membership of the Royal College of Physician (United Kingdom) and Master of Medicine (Internal Medicine) Singapore in 2001. He subsequently had his advanced specialist training in the Singapore General Hospital and completed it in 2006. From 2007 to 2008, he went to the Alfred Hospital and Baker Heart Research Institute in Melbourne, Australia for further training in management of lipid disorders. He ran the Lipid Clinic upon his return, treating many patients with hard-to-treat cholesterol problems. In 2010, he was made the Director of the Obesity and Metabolic Unit of his department, leading a team of doctors, dietitian, physiotherapist and psychologists to provide the medical and surgical treatment for obesity and cholesterol problems.

Dr Wai had given over 135 local and international lectures over the years, on topics on diabetes, cholesterol, obesity and thyroid. The audience ranged from the public, medical students, physiotherapists, dietitians, traditional Chinese physicians, ca-rdiologists, ophthalmologists and other internal medicine specialists. He was Adjunct Assistant Professor of the medical faculty of the National University of Medicine from October 2010 to Dec 2011.

Dr Wai was active in research and was principle investigator of studies in genetics of cholesterol, visceral fat, ca-rdiovascular risk factors and thyroid eye disease, with funding from the National Medical Research Council and Biomedical Research Council. He was also regularly invited by those research institutes as a reviewer of research grant application, as well as reviewer of research papers in local and international journals.

As interesting as leadership, teaching and research are, Dr Wai remains most passionate about patient care. He was awarded the Service with A Heart Award by the Singapore General Hospital 3 times, in recognition of the excellent service he had given to his patients. He speaks English, Mandarin, Cantonese and Bahasa Indonesia. He was regularly interviewed by the Media regarding topics on obesity, diabetes and cholesterol care (see Media section).

PROFESSIONAL APPOINTMENTS & SOCIETY MEMBERSHIPS

  • Member, Singapore Medical Association, 1999 until now
  • Member, Endocrinology & Metabolic Society of Singapore, 2008 until now
  • Member, Singapore Association of the Study of Obesity, 2010 until now
  • Clinical Tutor, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, Naitonal University of Singapore, 2005-2010
  • Clinical Teacher, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, Naitonal University of Singapore, June-Oct 2010
  • Adjunct Assistant Professor, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, Naitonal University of Singapore, 2010-2011

AWARDS

  • Travel Grant for 13th International Symposium on Atherosclerosis, 2003
  • Health Manpower Development Plan Fellowship Award, Ministry of Health, 2006
  • Service With A Heart Award, Singapore General Hospital, April 2007
  • Service With A Heart Award, Singapore General Hospital, March 2009
  • 10 Years Long Service Award, Singapore General Hospital, August 2009
  • Service With A Heart Award, Singapore General Hospital, Dec 2010

PUBLICATIONS

  1. Wai DC, Ho SC, Seah LL, Fong KS, Khoo DH. Severe Graves’ ophthalmopathy after retrobulbar anesthesia for cataract extraction in a patient with mild stable thyroid eye disease. Thyroid. 2003 Aug;13(8):823-6.
  2. Tan CE, Ma S, Wai D, Chew SK, Tai ES. Can we apply the National Cholesterol Education Program Adult Treatment Panel definition of the metabolic syndrome to Asians? Diabetes Care. 2004 May;27(5):1182-6
  3. Kekulawala JR, Murphy A, D’Souza W, Wai C, Chin-Dusting J, Kingwell B, Sviridov D, Mukhamedova N. Impact of freezing on high-density lipoprotein functionality. Anal Biochem. 2008 Aug 15;379(2):213-5.
  4. Khoo CM, Tan M, Wu Y, Wai CH, Tavintharan S, Lee J, Tai ES. Central obesity and smoking are key modifiable risk factors for elevated C-reactive protein in Asian individuals who are not eligible for statin therapy. Nutrition & Diabetes (in press).
  5. Tan HC, Tai ES, Sviridov D, Nestel P, Ng C, Chan E, Teo Y, Wai DCH. Relationships between cholesterol efflux and high-density lipoprotein particles in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus. Journal of Clinical Lipidology. 2011 Nov;5(6):467-73. Epub 2011 Jun 28.
  6. Lee SY, Lim CH, Pasupathy S, Poopalalingam R, Tham KW, Ganguly S, Wai CHD, Wong WK. Laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy: a novel procedure for weight loss. Singapore Med J 2011; 52(11): 794.
  7. Tham KW, Wai DCH, Dr Eng AEK, Pasupathy S. Metabolic Surgery: A New Approach in the Treatment of Metabolic Disease of the 21st Century. The Singapore Family Physician; 37(4): (Supp 2): 29-34.
  8. Tan M, Wai D, Chng CL, Hwang W. Acarbose is an effective treatment for severe hypertriglyceridemia secondary to L-asparaginase and dexamethasone». Leuk Lymphoma. 2011 Dec 9. [Epub ahead of print]
  9. 23 Scientific Paper Presentation in Scientific Meetings