Professor Kay-Tee Khaw is an amazing Singaporean British physician and academic. She is known for her contributions to understanding health maintenance in later life and the prevention of chronic diseases. Are you interested in pursuing a medical or research career? Get inspired and learn more below!
Education
After Kay-Tee’s early education, she embarked on her medical journey at Girton College, University of Cambridge. She then continued her medical studies at Cambridge and St. Mary’s Hospital Medical School, obtaining her Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery degrees! To further specialise, she pursued a Master of Science (MSc) in Epidemiology at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine.
Career
Professor Khaw has made many significant academic and research achievements! From 1979 to 1984, she held a Wellcome Trust Research Fellowship, working in many places such as the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, St. Mary’s Hospital in London, and the University of California, San Diego. In 1985, she also served as an assistant professor at the UC San Diego School of Medicine.
After this, she became a senior registrar in community medicine at the University of Cambridge’s School of Clinical Medicine. Her dedication and expertise led to her appointment as Professor of Clinical Gerontology. Since 1991, she has been a Fellow of Gonville and Caius College, Cambridge, and in 2015, she was honoured as a Jeffrey Cheah Professorial Fellow.
Professor Khaw’s research focuses on the maintenance of health in later life and the causes and prevention of chronic diseases, including cardiovascular disease, cancer, and osteoporosis, with a particular emphasis on nutrition and hormones. She was a principal investigator in the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer in Norfolk, part of a ten-country, half-million-participant research collaboration over three decades!
Awards and Honours
Throughout her career, Professor Khaw has received many awards, such as:
- Fellow of the Academy of Medical Sciences (FMedSci): Elected in 1999 for her outstanding contributions to medical science.
- Bisset Hawkins Medal: Awarded by the Royal College of Physicians in 2001, recognising her significant work in public health.
- Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE): Appointed in the 2003 Queen’s Birthday Honours for her services to medicine.
- World Heart Federation Award: In 2020, she was honoured for her outstanding contribution to cardiovascular health.
Kay-Tee: An Inspiration
Professor Kay-Tee Khaw’s journey is all about dedication, resilience, and excellence in the medical field. Her achievements highlight how rigorous education and passionate research can make big changes. For everyone aspiring to enter medicine and research, her story serves as a testament to the possibilities that lie ahead with commitment and hard work.
