Dr. Michael Chee
michael.chee at
duke-nus.edu.sg
Professor/Principal
Investigator | | Dr. Michael Chee is a Professor at Duke-NUS Medical School and Principal Investigator of the Cognitive Neuroscience Lab. He is a member of the Neuroscience and Behavioral Disorders Program at Duke-NUS Medical School.
Dr. Chee earned a MBBS from the National University of Singapore and trained in internal medicine and neurology. He was a Fellow in Epilepsy and Clinical Neurophysiology at The Cleveland Clinic Foundation in Ohio, USA and after some years in clinical practice, undertook a research fellowship at the Massachusetts General Hospital NMR Center in Boston.
His early research using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) involved several seminal contributions in the study of the bilingual brain, specifically the study of English-Chinese bilinguals. Intrigued by the effects of numerous trans-meridian flights he had taken, he began studying cognition in the setting of short-term total sleep deprivation - a research area that has been his principal focus since 2003. The goals of this research are to uncover the cognitive weak links contributing to performance decline in the sleep-deprived state and to examine the basis for inter-individual variation in tolerance of sleep deprivation. Two areas of his current interest are the effects of sleep deprivation on visual attention and processing capacity, and on decision-making.
In addition to sleep deprivation research, Dr. Chee investigates healthy brain aging in the elderly population. Since 2005, his lab has been following a cohort of healthy elderly volunteers using structural brain imaging, neuropsychological tests and a battery of blood markers with a view to characterize healthy cognitive aging in a cohort of ethnic Chinese. This aging study is currently the only one in East Asian followed up using brain imaging.
Dr. Chee has served on the program committee of the Organization for Human Brain Mapping. He is on the editorial boards of Sleep, Neuroimage and Frontiers in Sleep and Chronobiology and has been the recipient of research support from The Shaw Foundation, Biomedical Research Council, Defense Science and Technology Agency, National Medical Research Council, and National Institutes of Health (US) and Glaxo Smith Kline PLC. Among his awards are the SingHealth Investigator Excellence Award (2004), the inaugural Singapore Translational Research Investigatorship (STaR) and the National Outstanding Clinician-Scientist Award (2009).
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| Post Doctoral Fellows |
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Ong Ju Lynn
julynn.ong at
duke-nus.edu.sg | | I'm interested in applications of image processing and pattern recognition in medical contexts. Being able to 'see through' the body using different imaging modalities to aid diagnosis and a better understanding of anatomy and physiology presents a never-ending series of exciting research questions. I previously worked on methods for polyp detection in CT colonography and am now trekking the pathways of fMRI and cognitive neuroscience.
I am also a bit of a photo junkie (anything from a blue sky to a crawling snail) for lots more freestyle image processing! |
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Stijn Massar
stijn.massar at
duke-nus.edu.sg | | As a work and organizational psychologist, I am interested in how our brains enable us to do our daily jobs. As a neuroscientist, I am interested in how real life situations can inform us about our cognitive organization and brain functions.
During my undergraduate and PhD work at the universities of Nijmegen and Utrecht in the Netherlands, I have studied how cognitive and motivational functions can be affected by the state of mental fatigue induced by long periods of work. I have also studied how rewards and threats can guide cognitive functions such as learning and attention.
In Dr. Michael Cheeâs lab, I am continuing the line of research on sleep deprivation and decision-making that has been initiated in collaboration with Dr. Scott Huettelâs group at Duke University. |
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June Lo
june.lo at
duke-nus.edu.sg | | As a cognitive psychologist, I am interested the role of sleep in cognitive performance. At the Cognitive Neuroscience Laboratory, I have been investigating the influence of sleep in brain and cognitive aging in a cohort of relatively healthy older adults (the Singapore-Longitudinal Aging Brain Study), as well as the cognitive impact of sleep loss in adolescents.
Other than doing research and sleeping, I enjoy playing with my cats and watching them sleep. |
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Irma Kurniawan
irma.kurniawan at
duke-nus.edu.sg | | My research background is in the area of decision making, particularly in how action costs such as physical effort is anticipated and can influence value and choice. The effects of SD and healthy aging on preferences and decisions are relatively underexplored. My aims are to uncover specific aspects in decision making that could be affected by SD and/or by healthy aging processes.
Currently, we are developing a sleep deprivation protocol to investigate SD effects on risk-taking and strategic thinking.
More details about me can be found here.
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Amiya Patanaik
amiya at
duke-nus.edu.sg | | I am interested in the fusion of technology and science to further our understanding and solve interesting problems that can have significant impact on society. My broad level interests lie in statistical modeling and machine learning applied to behavioral, psychological and imaging data. Currently I am involved in the multi-modal study of sleep. Many interesting patterns are expected to be uncovered connecting vigilance, attention, memory and behavioral performance with different micro-architectures of sleep. I am also looking at possible predictive markers of vigilance and drowsiness.
There are no clear boundaries between my professional and personal interests; in my own time I like to explore the broader applications of my research. I am a part time entrepreneur and an amateur photographer who loves to travel. In my spare time I love watching movies and TV series, reading, cooking and talking with friends on myriad of topics. More details .
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James Cousins
james.cousins at
duke-nus.edu.sg | | Why do we sleep? This profound alteration in consciousness and brain activity remains one of the most intriguing unsolved questions in biology.
There is now compelling evidence that memories are replayed during sleep, which serves to stabilize, enhance and integrate memory traces within existing networks. The reorganizing properties of sleep may be critical to adapt newly learned information and maximize its utility to direct future behavior. My research aims to uncover the many ways in which memories are transformed during sleep.
My PhD research at the University of Manchester in England used a technique of reactivating memory traces during sleep by replaying sounds associated with learning. Currently I am developing new paradigms that utilize this method to explore the role for reactivation in spatial memory, problem solving and creativity. My work also takes advantage of modern neuroimaging techniques such as fMRI and EEG, which offer a unique opportunity to peer inside the previously hidden world of sleep.
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Lee Su Mei
sumei.lee at
duke-nus.edu.sg | | I am broadly interested in the neural mechanisms that underlie social cognition. My past work has focused on understanding the role of the pSTS at the TPJ - a region involved in biological motion processing and action/intention understanding, but also associated with other functions such as multisensory integration, attention reorienting and stimulus evaluation. Here at CNL, I am interested in how the lack of sleep affects aspects of social cognition such as empathy. Additionally, I am also interested in how the brain coordinates between internally- and externally-directed cognition and how the lack of sleep might affect this coordination/balance.
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| Image Analysis and Methods Team |
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Jesisca Tandi
jesisca.tandi at
duke-nus.edu.sg | | In this lab, my main task is to support the lab with issues related to fMRI image preprocessing and analysis.
My main interest is related to image processing and analysis, especially in MRI. More specifically, I like to think about how to improve currently available methods, to make it better in terms of accuracy and efficiency. |
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Zhu Wanzheng
wanzheng.zhu at
duke-nus.edu.sg | | I am interested in machine learning and big data related technology, such as computer vision and natural language processing. As a research assistant, I develop novel techniques for biomedical image/video analysis and understanding, assist in server maintenance and trouble shooting. I am eager to find out how our brains are functioning, since this could be a great step to machine learning development.
I enjoy playing piano and guitar in my free time. Music makes me relaxed. I also enjoy hanging out with my friends, having hot-pot, BBQ and so on. |
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| Sleep Team |
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Vinod Shanmugam
vinod.ks at
duke-nus.edu.sg | | I am a research assistant in the sleep team.
Neuropathology and human consciousness are topics that greatly interest me. I am a believer in Science and I am a believer in possibilities. While rhetorically and empirically, the case of an embodied mind is strong, I also feel there are aspects of human consciousness that are unaccounted for. My hope is that I will be in a position to better answer these uncertainties to myself, personally, and to others, professionally.
I am also interested in cultural anthropology, cellular physiology and progressive-technical-blackened-death metal music. |
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Cher Weishan
weishan.cher at
duke-nus.edu.sg | | As a research assistant in the sleep team, my main responsibilities involve recruiting participants and conducting experiments that are related to sleep deprivation. In addition, I assist in the assessment of elderlyâs sleep using polysomnography for a longitudinal study that is carried out by the aging team and I provide support to the scanner operator whenever necessary.
Playing new age music is my favourite past time as it allows me to express myself freely. Some of my favourite new age pianists include David Lanz, Maksim and Jim Brickman. |
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Bindiya Raghunath
bindiya.raghunath at
duke-nus.edu.sg | | I am a research assistant for the sleep team. My job involves assisting the research fellows with their research work. This includes data collection, helping out with the analyses, and ensuring that the goals of the research study are achieved. On top of all this, I get to learn new things about research and the brain everyday!
My interest lies in understanding the human brain and its extraordinary capacity. Apart from that, I love playing tennis, directing plays, and choreographing dances! One day, I shall make the whole lab dance (Bollywood style!).
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Pearlynne Chong
pearlynne.chong at
duke-nus.edu.sg | | I am a research assistant in the sleep team. Some of my responsibilities include operating the MRI scanner, assisting in polysomnography, data collection and preprocessing. I also manage the social media platforms of the laboratory.
My research interests span across the fields of cognitive neuroscience and developmental psychology. Specifically, the factors influencing cognitive abilities, and the neurocognitive development of infants and children.
Work aside, I am an experience-seeker and an adrenaline junkie. Also, I am an avid fan of yoga, backpacking, and scrapbooking. As the tiniest in the lab, my height is a constant joke among the RAs.
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Nicholas Chee
nick.chee at
duke-nus.edu.sg | | I am a research assistant for the sleep team. My responsibilities in the lab include recruiting subjects, conducting experiments involving MRI scans and polysomnography, and assisting with data analysis. Additionally, due to my height, I am the labâs self-propelled stepladder. My research interest is in the modulation of memory, such as the enhancement of memory via brain stimulation. In the pursuit of understanding how the brain functions, I view the experimental manipulation of brain physiology to produce tangible changes in cognitive function as the clearest proof of understanding.
Outside the lab, I pursue mountaineering, and am constantly aiming for new, more technical climbs in distant peaks around the world. There is nothing comparable to pushing oneself on the snow-covered slopes of mountain high above the clouds.
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Karen Sasmita
karen.sasmita at
duke-nus.edu.sg | | As a Research Assistant in the sleep team, my responsibilities include operating the MRI and EEG machines, data collection, analysis and the many more exciting assignments that follow brain research. My main interest lies in the intersection between decision making theories and neuroimaging. I find it fascinating to look at human behaviours through the neural lens. Working as an RA, the ultimate goal would be to contribute to the advancement of psychological research and to inspire others about the amazing capacity of the human mind.
In my free time, I enjoy reading books, watching films and baking. At the top of my bucket list: I'd love to travel the world.
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Lee Xuan Kai
leexuankai at
duke-nus.edu.sg | | I am an RA working as part of the sleep team. My responsibilities include data collection from behavioural and fMRI experiments, along with assisting the Research Fellows in acquisition of relevant knowledge from the scientific literature, and data analysis. My research interests, partly formed by my undergraduate work, include aspects of vision and perception, and how these can be affected by sleep. I also have basic knowledge of, and interests in, psychophysical research methods and statistics.
In my free time, I enjoy practising self-defence and martial arts, travelling, and enjoying the occasional dram of whisky (or three).
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| Aging Studies Team |
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Lydia Teo
lydia.teo at
duke-nus.edu.sg | | As a member of the ageing team, my main responsibilities include data collection, operating the MRI scanner and analyses. In general, I am interested in the relationship between ageing and sleep, as well as the differences, structurally and cognitively, between healthy individuals and people afflicted with psychological disorders.
Whenever time permits, I enjoy travelling to colder climates, reading books of any genre and spending time at home with my family.
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| Secretary |
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Shirley Kok
shirley.kok at
duke-nus.edu.sg | | I provide secretarial services and administrative support to Dr. Michael Chee and the lab. Efficiency is my middle name!
Part of my daily routine includes having afternoon tea. My day at work will not be complete without it. |
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| Graduate Student |
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Poh Jia Hou
| | In our daily life, we are constantly bombarded with copious amount of information from the external world. Despite our limited processing capacity, we are able to efficiently direct this finite amount of resources to relevant information for effective functioning. But yet at the same time, numerous instances have illustrated the limitations of our cognitive abilities and when they might fail, such as when required to perform multiple task at the same time.
With consistent lack of sleep being a prevalent issue in modern society, I seek to understand how sleep deprivation can further sap our limited cognitive capacity, affecting our daily functioning, particularly in changing how we might make decisions on various issues.
Apart from research, I enjoy dissecting MMA (mixed-martial arts) matches, appreciating the finesse and strategic complexity underlying the apparent violence. |
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Scanner Operator
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Annalissa Tiu Munoz
annalissa at
duke-nus.edu.sg | | I'm the scanner operator who's the most sleep-blest (or bliss) of the rest. I'm a lark whose main work is in providing daytime support in MRI operation.
I'm a chaplain's wife with two lovely children, a Mac Air, a Nespresso and a Kindle. |
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