A*STAR Institute for Human Development and Potential (A*STAR IHDP)

Last month, the A*STAR Institute for Human Development and Potential (A*STAR IHDP) had the pleasure of hosting researchers from the University of Tsukuba's TriStar programme, a prestigious initiative designed to cultivate "transborder advanced researchers." By leveraging the cutting-edge research environment of Tsukuba Science City, the programme brings together universities, national laboratories, and industry partners to drive innovation and collaboration. Keen on exploring potential collaborations with researchers across A*STAR's Research Institutes, Dr Takashi Matsui and Dr Insung Park from the TriStar programme had a fruitful exchange with our researchers. Dr Matsui presented his fascinating work on the neurobiology of sports, exploring the connections between exercise, martial arts, and e-sports, while Dr Park shared his research on the role of the orexin system in energy metabolism. From A*STAR IHDP, Dr Shirong Cai gave insights into sleep research from various cohorts, and Dr Suresh Anand Sadananthan and Dr Navin Michael presented their studies on adiposity, muscle health, and obesity trajectories in adolescence from the GUSTO cohort. Find out more about our research: https://lnkd.in/gJ7ezHgm #ASTAR_IHDP #collaboration #research #excellentscience #humanpotential 

Despite the cultural acceptance and prevalence of strict discipline in Singapore, recent research challenges the notion that such methods effectively promote child development. A study led by Associate Professor Peipei Setoh from Nanyang Technological University Singapore and A*STAR Institute for Human Development and Potential (A*STAR IHDP) has found that childhood psychological aggression and severe physical discipline are related to young adults’ current behavioural problems. The research team surveyed 449 Singaporean young adults. Participants reported on their childhood experience of harsh discipline from their parents (psychological aggression, minor physical discipline, and severe physical discipline). They also answered about their current attachment towards their parents and behavioural problems (aggression, rule-breaking behaviours, anxiety, depression). While parents’ intentions for using harsh discipline may be to correct children’s misbehavior and promote moral internalisation, this study suggests that, paradoxically, it confers no benefits to children. This study found that psychological aggression and severe physical discipline are related to greater behavioural problems, in part because harsh discipline creates emotional distance and hinders open communication with parents. Minor physical discipline, however, may have less adverse consequences in this context, when other co-occurring disciplinary methods are considered. The research team emphasises the importance of fostering non-violent discipline to promote positive parent-child relationship and child development. Read the paper: https://lnkd.in/gqhhvnxw #ASTAR_IHDP #childpsychology #childdevelopment #discipline #parenting #asianculture #singapore #socialsciences #humanpotential

Mark your calendars! ✏️ The next session of The A*STAR IHDP Seminars: Human Potential series which will be held on 29 April, Tuesday, 3pm at A*STAR Institute for Human Development and Potential (A*STAR IHDP), 30 Medical Drive, Brenner Centre for Molecular Medicine, and it will also be live-streamed via Zoom. Titled 'Brain, Language and Literacy Development: How Analyses of Monolingual and Bilingual Brains and Families can inform Science and contribute to Policies for Healthy and Happy Biligual Children in Singapore', the speaker for this seminar is Professor Twila Tardif. She is a Visiting Professor at NUS Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine's Department of Paediatrics; Professor Emerita of Psychology and Asian Languages and Cultures, Faculty Associate at Lieberthal- Rogel Center for Chinese Studies and Center for Russian and Eastern European Studies at the University of Michigan. In this seminar, Prof Tardif will introduce data on how different aspects of language are processed in the brain for monolingual and bilingual children learning different spoken and written languages. Children’s early language development is fundamentally tied to dynamic changes in brain structure and function, with early environmental input shaping neural networks that support language processing. While parental education and input are correlated with children’s language development and with structural and functional differences in children’s brains, the role that varying exposure to different languages has on brain development is understudied. The GUSTO study provides opportunities to understand both malleability and resilience of areas of the brain that come to specialise in processing language- and literacy-based information in the face of differing linguistic and environmental challenges. This session aims to stimulate conversation and interest in these topics and to mutually explore how these questions may be further examined in GUSTO and other longitudinal samples of Singaporean children’s development. You will have the opportunity to ask the speaker live questions during the session. Please feel free to share this post. All are welcome to join! No registration required if attending onsite and refreshments will be provided after the seminar. To join via Zoom, click on the following link to register: https://lnkd.in/g2DVJcXs #ASTAR_IHDP #TheASTARIHDPSeminars #linguistics #language #childdevelopment #braindevelopment #bilingual #parenting #seminar #webinar #humanpotential

It's an undisputed fact that nutrition can significantly impact sperm quality, but how much can diet impact sperm on a genetic level and in turn, the health of future generations? A recently published study led by researchers from A*STAR Institute for Human Development and Potential (A*STAR IHDP) shows that short-term diet intervention comprising of olive oil, vitamin D, and omega-3 fatty acids can alter the small non-coding RNA (sncRNA) landscape of human sperm. The study explored the effects of a six-week healthy dietary intervention on the expression of the three most abundant small non-coding RNA species (miRNAs, tRFs, and piRNAs) in human sperm. In the intervention arm, participants received a diet enriched in olive oil, vitamin D, and omega-3 fatty acids to investigate the effect of diet beyond fertility parameters. Findings discovered several diet-altered miRNAs found to target genes enriched in fatty acid biosynthesis and metabolism pathways, suggesting that the effects of short-term dietary exposures can be captured as "environmental messages" in the form of altered sncRNA expression profiles in the male germline. If these changes occur around conception, they could potentially be transmitted to the next generation. This study demonstrates how the "sperm RNA code" is highly sensitive to environmental and lifestyle factors and has the potential to transmit the acquired effects to the next generation. "We are motivated to expand on this research and explore strategies to minimise the transmission of negative effects while promoting positive outcomes for future generations," shares lead author Dr Candida Vaz from A*STAR IHDP. Read the paper: https://lnkd.in/gPhbA-MT #ASTAR_IHDP #malefertility #spermhealth #epigenetics #nutrition #research #study #excellentscience #reproductivehealth #generationalhealth #preventivehealth #humanpotential

Selamat Hari Raya Puasa to our Muslim colleagues, friends and collaborators, from all of us at A*STAR Institute for Human Development and Potential (A*STAR IHDP)! 🌙 On this special day, may your hearts be filled with gratitude and your homes with laughter. #ASTAR_IHDP #hariraya2025 #celebration #family #humanpotential

Filial piety – the respect, duty, and care children show toward parents – is often misconceptualised despite its important role in intergenerational relationships and ageing societies globally. A recently published paper led by Associate Professor Peipei Setoh from A*STAR Institute for Human Development and Potential (A*STAR IHDP) and Nanyang Technological University Singapore challenges three prevalent misconceptions and proposes an innovative, integrative framework that draws from cross-cultural and developmental research. 1) Filial piety isn't just about blind obedience to parents. The paper emphasises its dynamic and reciprocal nature by highlighting reciprocal elements such as mutual affection. It also discusses the multidimensionality of filial piety, where beliefs, values, and behaviours have evolved in response to demographic and socioeconomic shifts. By highlighting its dynamic evolution, the framework underscores the potential for more adaptive intergenerational relationships amid the changing needs of modern intergenerational relationships. Policies that promote filial piety based on mutual understanding could support more sustainable caregiving systems, improving the quality of life for both older adults and their child caregivers. 2) It's not exclusive to Asian cultures. While traditionally linked to Confucianism, the principle of family primacy is observable across diverse cultural contexts. These cross-cultural variations indicate that although the value of filial piety may be universally shared, its manifestations are culturally shaped. This view suggests that universal principles of family care can be leveraged to fit diverse cultural contexts, leading to more inclusive, culturally sensitive policies aimed at supporting both older adults and their child caregivers. 3) It extends beyond caregiving for elderly parents. Filial piety can be conceptualised as a dynamic, developmental construct that is socialised in early childhood and evolves over the lifespan. Understanding filial piety as part of the broader developmental trajectory encourages further exploration into the changing nature of filial piety across different stages of life and how these shifts influence family functioning. By highlighting the developmental and culturally contingent nature of filial piety, the framework provides a solid basis for designing social policies that better reflect the realities of intergenerational care and enables policymakers to design interventions that accommodate the shifting nature of filial responsibilities – from early socialisation of values to later-life caregiving – thereby promoting more effective intergenerational support systems. Read the paper: https://lnkd.in/gbBKirSW #ASTAR_IHDP #filialpiety #socialsciences #research #excellentscience #intergenerationalcare #familydynamics #caregiving #healthyageing #asianculture #ageingsociety #singapore #policymakers #humanpotential

The next session of The A*STAR IHDP Seminars: Human Potential series is happening next Tuesday, 25 March, 3.30pm at A*STAR Institute for Human Development and Potential (A*STAR IHDP), 30 Medical Drive, Brenner Centre for Molecular Medicine. It will also be live-streamed via Zoom. Titled 'Enhancing Depression Diagnosis and Treatment Prediction with Functional Near-infrared Spectroscopy and Machine Learning', Dr Cyrus SH Ho, a Senior Consultant Psychiatrist at the National University Hospital and an Assistant Professor in the Department of Psychological Medicine at NUS Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, will be highlighting the potential of functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) combined with machine learning as a scalable neuroimaging tool for diagnosing depression and predicting treatment response. He will discuss findings from his study involving 242 healthy controls and 216 patients with major depressive disorder (MDD), where fNIRS-based classification achieved 80.9 percent accuracy in diagnosing MDD and 78.6 percent accuracy in severity staging. Additionally, Dr Ho will present longitudinal data from 64 MDD patients tracked over six months, demonstrating that the task change of total haemoglobin in the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex correlates with treatment response, enabling a treatment prediction AUC of 0.77. These findings underscore the potential of fNIRS and machine learning to provide cost-effective, objective markers for MDD, paving the way for improved clinical diagnosis and personalised treatment strategies. No registration required if attending onsite and refreshments will be provided after the seminar. To join via Zoom, click on the following link to register: https://lnkd.in/gWthncah #ASTAR_IHDP #TheASTARIHDPSeminars #depressionn #MDD #neuroimaging #fNIRS #mentalhealth #psychiatry #diagnosis #treatment #seminar #webinar #humanpotential

A recent study led by researchers from A*STAR Institute for Human Development and Potential (A*STAR IHDP), featured as the cover article by EBioMedicine, suggest that the genotypes associated with obesity are linked to early-life language development in children. This association is likely due to a shared genetic basis between obesity and language-related skills rather than a causal effect of obesity. The study followed approximately 400 Singaporean children from the GUSTO cohort who had available genotyped data, language development assessment, and plasma proteomics measures. The team leveraged trans-ancestry polygenic predictions of body mass index (BMI) to understand the causal effects of early-life BMI on child language development and its effects on molecular and neuroimaging measures. They also performed genetic analyses using large genome-wide association studies (based on individuals of European ancestry) to provide insight into the causal relationship and genetic correlation between obesity and language development. Although the study reveals that obesity and language development in children are genetically linked, a causal relationship is not supported. "This study demonstrates the potential of examining early-life proteomics in conjunction with deep genotyping and phenotyping to enhance the understanding of child health and development at the molecular level," says the study's lead author Dr Jian Huang. Dr Huang also recently contributed to a book chapter titled “Connecting Cardiometabolic and Neurocognitive Health from a Life Course Perspective: Biological, Behavioral, and Social Mechanisms” (Read it here: https://lnkd.in/gWbKgzvx). Read the paper: https://lnkd.in/gTxHhBcm #ASTAR_IHDP #GUSTO #obesity #earlylife #childdevelopment #languagedevelopment #genotype #proteomics #humanpotential

Today is World Sleep Day, and as it turns out, good sleep may start from within a mother's womb. 🤰 💤 A study led by researchers from A*STAR Institute for Human Development and Potential (A*STAR IHDP) found that babies of mothers with poor mental health during pregnancy were awake longer at night. The findings were based on the analysis of data from 797 mother-child pairs enrolled in the GUSTO cohort, and included maternal mental health assessments during late pregnancy and three months postpartum, as well as infant sleep patterns in the first year. Changes in the foetal hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis, could be one explanation, potentially affecting brain functions related to sleep. “This suggests in utero exposure to poor maternal mental health has a programming effect on the foetus and subsequent behaviours,” shares lead author Dr Shirong Cai from A*STAR IHDP. However, the study also found that maternal sleep quality could mediate the impact of postpartum mental health on infant sleep. While poor maternal mental health at three months postpartum was linked to longer night awakenings in infants, this association weakened when the mother’s sleep quality was considered. The theme for this year's World Sleep Day ' Make Sleep Health a Priority' is a timely reminder to improve our sleeping habits. It could go a long way in improving not just your health and well-being, but also that of your unborn child's. Sleep well tonight! 💤 Read the full story: https://lnkd.in/giPTa6zY #ASTAR_IHDP #WorldSleepDay #sleephealth #goodsleep #sleepquality #maternalmentalhealth #postpartum #infantsleep #childsleep #childdevelopment #preventivehealth #humanpotential

Congratulations to CHILD (Centre for Holistic Initiatives for Learning and Development) on a successful conference! 🎊 Held from 26 to 28 February at Orchard Hotel Singapore, CHILD Conference 2025 brought together thought leaders, researchers, policymakers, and practitioners to explore actionable insights on adopting evidence-informed approaches and effective implementation, ensuring every child gets the best start in life. The keynotes delivered during the conference outlined how effective translation of research and scientific evidence into policies and practice can have transformative effects on children’s development, especially in their formative years. Among the keynote speakers were Professor Wei-Jun Jean Yeung from A*STAR Institute for Human Development and Potential (A*STAR IHDP) and NUS Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine who spoke about the usefulness of population-based research such as the Singapore Longitudinal Early Development Study (SG-LEADS) in translating empirical evidence into policies and practices to promote early childhood development. Meanwhile, Dr Keri McCrickerd and Dr Anna Fogel from A*STAR IHDP ran a pre-conference workshop on "Finding, Understanding and Using Quality Research Evidence for Policy Making and Practice" which debunked common misconceptions about research and data insights, while working to build the skills and confidence needed to better identify, understand and challenge data insights from across health, social and education fields of early childhood research. Freda Giam, research officer with A*STAR IHDP, also shared at a session focusing on fathers about the "Perceptions of Singapore Fathers’ Role in Child Development from Pregnancy to Early Childhood". A*STAR IHDP is honoured to be partnering CHILD to build a stronger and more supportive community for children and their families, and looks forward to the next CHILD Conference in 2027! #ASTAR_IHDP #CHILDConference2025 #CHILDSG #EarlyChildhoodDevelopment #EarlyChildhood #ResearchToPolicy #ResearchForImpact #EvidenceBasedPolicy #policymakers #partnership #preventivehealth #humanpotential