6 February 2025
Changing the Game for the Greater Good
Medical
technology trailblazer Mr Simranjit Singh (Science ‘04) has built a career around
a common thread: using his knowledge and expertise to improve lives.
Mr Simranjit Singh. Photo: Corporate Communications, NUS Faculty of Science.
WHO HE IS: Mr Simranjit Singh is the CEO of Guardant Health AMEA and a leader in precision oncology. As the recipient of the 2024 Outstanding Science Alumni Award, he is helping transform how cancers are diagnosed and treated.
Mr Singh, pictured in his childhood years with his mother
For Mr Simranjit Singh, the National University of Singapore (NUS) wasn’t just a place to study; it was practically a second home. Long before he became an innovator in cancer detection, he was a little boy roaming the halls of the university, where his mother worked in administration. “She worked there for over 30 years,” Mr Singh recalled. “I’d follow her to the campus on Saturdays, and she would leave me in the library while she worked. I’d spend hours flipping through books far beyond my age. It was her way of keeping me safe, but it invariably became a space where I started to dream big.”
Mr Singh’s mother never had the chance to attend university herself, having had to leave school to support her family after her own father’s passing. “She always wanted to go to university but couldn’t. So when it came to me, she was determined I’d graduate from NUS. Her dream became mine,” said the proud father of three.
SAVING THE WORLD THROUGH SCIENCE
Even as a young student, Mr Singh gravitated towards science, inspired by teachers who encouraged him to see it as a tool for solving real-world problems. “I was lucky to have a biology teacher who made science exciting,” he said. “It wasn’t just about memorising facts — it was about applying knowledge to make things better.”
This passion deepened at NUS, where he pursued biomedical sciences. “I’ve always been drawn to the practical side of science — finding ways to use it to make life better,” Mr Singh explained.
A pivotal moment came during his first year when Mr Philip Yeo, a pioneer civil servant and key architect of Singapore’s BioPolis, spoke to Mr Singh’s cohort about the future of biomedical science. “He talked about the need to not just do research but to commercialise it. That stuck with me,” Mr Singh shared.
This belief was further crystallised when he joined the NUS Overseas College (NOC) programme at the University of Pennsylvania. There, Mr Singh worked at a biotech startup while taking business courses. “It was life-changing,” he says. “I learned how start-ups work, pitched to venture capitalists, and saw the potential to turn scientific ideas into solutions that could impact lives.”
Inspired by the experience, Mr Singh and a fellow NOC participant co-founded their first startup. Focused on developing diagnostic technology, their venture showed early promise, winning accolades from Startup Singapore and the Lee Kuan Yew Business Plan Competition. Yet, the realities of turning an idea into a market-ready product soon set in, and the start-up eventually fizzled due to funding challenges and technical hurdles. “My dad wasn’t too pleased about the money I borrowed from him to start the venture,” Mr Singh recalled with a laugh. “He still reminds me of it.” Despite the setback, this experience taught him invaluable lessons in resilience and the complexities of the biotech industry, ultimately shaping his approach to future ventures.
REDEFINING DIAGNOSTICS
Mr Singh’s career took him through public service and consulting roles before he joined the clinical research industry. But a turning point came in late 2017, when a personal health scare shifted his perspective. “I had a cancer scan, and the doctors found a growth in my throat. I had to go for a PET scan and then a biopsy. The growth needed to be removed, but the complications from the diagnostic process were worse than I expected,” he recalled. “I developed a blood clot in my throat, had to be rushed to the hospital, and it turned into a lot of trauma.”
Looking back, however, he calls it a moment of serendipity. “That experience made me realise just how invasive and risky traditional biopsy procedures can be for patients,” he said. Shortly after, he encountered Guardant Health, a company pioneering liquid biopsy technology — a revolutionary method that uses blood samples to detect tumour DNA instead of requiring tissue extraction. He joined the company as its Chief Executive Officer for Asia, the Middle East and Africa shortly after.
Mr Singh. Photo: Corporate Communications, NUS Faculty of Science.
“We are piecing it together like a jigsaw puzzle,” explained Mr Singh. Using fragments of tumour DNA from blood samples, Guardant’s machine learning algorithms analyse 3.2 billion permutations to identify the tumour’s origin and the genetic mutations driving the cancer. This allows doctors to tailor treatments specifically to the patient’s cancer profile. “We’re like a GPS for cancer therapy,” Mr Singh added, noting that biopsies done through blood tests eliminate the need for tissue biopsies, which can bring complications.
FROM STARTUP TO GLOBAL PLAYER
Over the last few years, Mr Singh has been leading Guardant’s growth into a transformative force in cancer care. Under his leadership, the company introduced its groundbreaking liquid biopsy technology across more than 40 countries, benefiting over 50,000 cancer patients in Asia, the Middle East and Africa.
Guardant’s innovations have set global benchmarks. The company became the first to receive approval from Singapore’s Health Sciences Authority, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and Japan’s Ministry of Health for its comprehensive genomic profiling of solid tumours. “We’ve changed the way cancer is detected, monitored and treated,” Mr Singh said.
Guardant’s tests now cover the full spectrum of cancer care — from early detection to recurrence monitoring and guiding treatment decisions. Most recently, the company launched a blood test for early colorectal cancer detection, which could replace invasive colonoscopies or unpleasant faecal tests “Early detection is the key to bending the mortality curve for cancer,” Mr Singh said.
Mr Singh with his wife and parents at the Faculty of Science 95th Anniversary Gala Dinner in November 2024. Mr Singh was honoured with the NUS Outstanding Science Alumni Award at the event.
COMING FULL CIRCLE
In 2024, Mr Singh received the NUS Outstanding Science Alumni Award, an honour that brought his journey full circle. But for him, the true highlight wasn’t the award itself — it was what it meant for his parents, especially his mother. “When they honoured me with the award, I got the chance to bring my parents,” he said. “That was so special.”
For his mother, however, it was more than just a ceremony — it was a homecoming. “A lot of the people there were her old friends,” Mr Singh shared. “She knew so many of them. And I think she had the best time.” More than that, it was the realisation of a lifelong dream. Having never been able to attend university herself, she had poured her hopes into her son’s education. Watching him stand on stage, being recognised for his contributions to science, was a moment of immense pride and fulfilment.
Beyond his work at Guardant, Mr Singh remains closely connected to NUS, mentoring students from the Faculty of Science and supporting startups from the NUS Overseas Colleges programme. “I’ve been fortunate to have mentors who shaped my career, and I want to pay it forward,” he said. Reflecting on his journey, he added, “Science isn’t just about research. It’s about finding ways to make a difference in people’s lives. And that’s what keeps me going every day.”
MAPPING HIS JOURNEY
2002: Seeds of Innovation
Through the NUS Overseas College programme at UPenn, Mr Singh gains hands-on experience in a biotech startup, exploring diabetic and skin cancer models. This immersion in cutting-edge research and entrepreneurship sparks his passion for turning science into real-world solutions.
2004: Graduation from NUS
Mr Singh earns his degree in biomedical sciences at NUS, fulfilling a personal milestone and his mother’s long-held dream of seeing him graduate from the university she served for decades.
2005: Public Service
At the National Environment Agency, Simranjit plays a pivotal role in managing Singapore’s Innovative Environmental Sustainability fund, developing grant frameworks that support environmental technologies and sustainability efforts.
2006-2009: Management Consulting in Healthcare
Mr Singh managed the healthcare division at Frost & Sullivan for Asia Pacific and provided strategic consulting for healthcare providers, medical device companies, biopharmas and Clinical Research Organisations (CROs) in the region
2009-2017: IQVIA
Mr Singh established the global business unit for medtech and diagnostics at IQVIA and provided clinical research services, regulatory services, strategic consulting and market analytics to medical device and diagnostics companies.
2017: Cancer Scare
A personal cancer scare alters the course of Mr Singh’s career, leading him to focus on patient-friendly diagnostic solutions and the advancement of liquid biopsy technologies.
2024: A Moment of Pride
Mr Singh is recognised for his transformative contributions to precision oncology with the NUS Outstanding Science Alumni Award, a celebration of his impact in healthcare and his enduring connection to NUS.