Congratulations to Leong Kye Siong, a Year 4 undergraduate pursuing a double degree Bachelor of Science in Biomedical Sciences and Bachelor of Chinese Medicine at NTU School of Biological Sciences (SBS) who has been recognized by the Global Undergraduate Awards (UA) 2021! He is a Highly Commended entrant and the Regional Winner for Asia in the Nursing, Midwifery & Allied Care category. His entry is titled “Effects of acupuncture on athlete performances: a systematic review and outlook”, supervised by Associate Professor Swarup Mukherjee from NTU Physical Education & Sports Science (PESS).
The UA is cited as the ultimate championship of high-potential undergraduates and often referred to as a “junior Nobel Prize”, the Global Undergraduate Awards is the world’s largest international academic awards programme, recognising excellent research and original work across the sciences, humanities, business and creative arts.
Why did you choose to study in NTU SBS?
I chose to enroll in the double degree Biomedical Sciences and Chinese medicine course as it offered me a unique opportunity to pursue both of my interests in biology and Chinese medicine. The course also offers a range of modules which harbours the essential values and vision of scientific enquiries. These modules are based strongly on century old breakthroughs and atavistic research or theoretical models. This helps to remind us, the young science students to always go back to the roots even when navigating through today’s new technologies and findings.
What is your awarded project about?
My awarded project is exploring the usage of acupuncture to enhance athlete performances, such as various strength or endurance parameters. In the past few decades, acupuncture has grown in prevalence across the globe in many different areas and it is extensively used for recovery, pain management and rehabilitation in sports medicine. However, there has not been much emphasis on using acupuncture to directly enhance athlete performances, and hence the choice for my project. We conducted a systematic review based on PRISMA-P terminologies and evaluated the effects of acupuncture on athlete performances based on the existing RCTs and possible mechanisms of action. The review is by no means comprehensive, but it seeks to pave a new way ahead for the betterment of athletes and individuals, regardless competitive or non-competitive.
I was also given the opportunity to present the findings of my research on at 2 international conferences, namely, the 7th ASEAN Council of Physical Education and Sport (ACPES) Conference in June 2021 and the International Conference of Undergraduate Research (ICUR) in September 2021.
What made you submit your research for the Global UA Awards?
When I first embarked on the proposed URECA project with my professor, it was not in our plan to submit or to win at any awards. We only decided to submit the project for the Global UA after the completion of the project. Besides, there were also many challenges which surfaced throughout the project, being a cross-disciplinary between TCM and Sports medicine, where I had to deepen my existing knowledge of acupuncture and gain new knowledge in Sports medicine. Thankfully, I had support from my supervisor, Associate Professor Swarup Mukherjee, guided me very patiently throughout the project.
Any advice you might have for others interested to submit their research for the Global UA Awards?
As the learning curve in research is steep and never-ending, having the raw hunger for new knowledge is the key to success stories. “A nice accolade should merely be the cherry on the cake.” I would recommend students who are interested to submit their work at the Global UA to just focus on their respective research and put in the work to enjoy the joys and pains of scientific inquiry. After the project is completed, then, sit down with your supervisor to discuss about the submission, read through the FAQs on the UA website and prepare the manuscript accordingly.
To add on, I would also strongly recommend all students who have an interest about research or who are simply interested to know how research is to join the URECA programme or the various other research experience which NTU SBS offers, such as the RE module and the UAEB. For students who have a genuine interest in any specific research area, you can also look for professors to propose on a project which you wish to pursue.
What are your future plans? Are there any other projects that you are currently working on?
While I still have 2 more years before I graduate, my current plan is to be both a clinician and researcher in TCM. Eventually, I hope that my peers and myself can help further bridge the gaps between TCM and conventional medicine. I believe that this modernisation of alternative medicine is very exciting, and it can potentially benefit medical advancement and improve the lives of patients.
I have recently completed my FYP project on integrative treatment of an autoimmune disease, and I am currently working on 2 other projects, one which aims to analyse the relationships between acupuncture and various biomechanical indicators, and the other which uses machine learning algorithms to elucidate core acupoints combinations to treat a particular disorder.
NTU SBS is currently commemorating their 20th anniversary. Do you have a message that you would like to share with the school?
I am thankful to the school for providing an ideal environment where ideologies and beliefs could be openly expressed despite not being the mainstream ones. It has motivated me to engage in more reading and research to deepen my understanding towards the topics in hand and thus, be a stronger advocate for my interest of study. Here is a quote from Malcolm which I find it very relatable, “Learning from and helping one another, growing and pushing past limits with my friends, indulging and organising fun and enriching school activities, easily accessible research experiences” – that’s how I would sum up my life in SBS. Happy 20th anniversary SBS! 🙂
The Global Undergraduate Awards 2022 Programme is now accepting submissions till 27 May 2022, 12PM IST (Irish Standard Time). Find out how to submit your work here.