Clinical trials

Emotional regulation is a key component of reducing parenting stress, a sense of self-efficacy, and thus successful parenting, child outcomes, and productivity amongst working parents. However, few interventions begin building these necessary components in pregnancy prior to the extremely stressful period immediately post-partum, where little trait and behavioural modification occurs. More importantly, most interventions overlook the importance of having both partners, despite fathers/partners playing a significant role in influencing maternal stress and mood symptoms. This goal of this study is to examine whether short weekly exercises delivered through a mobile app can help first-time parents feel better emotionally during pregnancy. These exercises are designed to help people manage their emotions and stress. Researchers want to know if doing these exercises, along with getting weekly feedback and encouragement, can reduce signs of depression and improve emotional control. Expecting mothers and fathers who are having their first child may be able to join the study if they meet certain conditions. Participants should be planning to stay in Singapore for the next two years and be comfortable using a smartphone and answering questions in English. Participants may benefit from learning new ways to manage stress and emotions, which could help improve their mental health. Participants will wear a Fitbit watch to track activity. They will complete a short weekly survey about their well-being during pregnancy and a monthly survey about their work productivity until six months after the baby is born. They will also answer online surveys about their health, relationships, and background at the start, three times during pregnancy, and three times after birth. In addition, they will visit the research lab twice to take part in tasks that measure thinking and behaviour.

Type 2 Diabetes (T2D) represents a critical public health challenge in Singapore, with prevalence projected to reach one million residents by 2050. This epidemic is largely driven by a distinct "Asian phenotype" characterized by reduced insulin secretion capacity even at lower BMIs and a diet heavily centered on high-glycemic index (GI) white rice. While brown rice offers superior nutritional benefits, its global and local adoption remains low due to entrenched cultural preferences, shorter shelf life, and sensory barriers. While the link between high-GI carbohydrates and metabolic dysfunction is well-documented, there is limited clinical evidence on the effects of "functional" white rice varieties specifically those engineered to combine low GI properties with significantly enhanced protein content on long-term glycemic control, metabolic and gut microbiome health in Asian populations. The importance of this research lies in its evaluation of a culturally seamless substitution strategy. By replacing conventional white rice with Low-GI (LGI) and High-Protein Low-GI (LGI-HP) varieties, the HARVEST study addresses the metabolic burden of prediabetes without requiring major behavioral shifts. The findings will provide vital mechanistic insights into glucose regulation, insulin sensitivity, and microbial dysbiosis, to provide the evidence based for nutritional strategies for T2D prevention and management.

Background: Mindfulness research faces two structural problems. First, weak active control conditions make it impossible to isolate specific mechanisms from expectancy and non-specific effects. Second, most protocols systematically exclude low-socioeconomic status (SES) populations through design assumptions that presuppose high literacy, quiet private spaces, and familiarity with contemplative practice. Objective: This study validates the Standardized Open-source Mindfulness Architecture (SOMA), the first modular, open-source stimulus library purpose-built to address both challenges simultaneously. SOMA comprises 88 distinct audio assets organized around 16 sensory practice modules, each paired with a structurally equivalent active control script engineered to induce analytically orthogonal cognitive processing. Design: Pre-registered randomized controlled trial using a 2×2 mixed design (Condition \[Mindfulness vs. Active Control\] × Measure \[State Mindfulness Scale vs. Analytical Engagement Scale\]), with quota sampling to ensure equal representation of participants with and without a university-level degree (n = 180 per SES stratum). Setting: Online, via Prolific Academic recruitment platform and Qualtrics survey software. Participants: N = 360 English-proficient adults aged 18 years and older (or the applicable minimum age of majority in the participant's country of residence) without a current mental health diagnosis or treatment, and without a current meditation practice. Intervention: Each participant listens to a single 12-minute audio-guided exercise. Participants are randomly assigned to either the Mindfulness condition or the Active Control condition, and within that condition to one of 16 practice scripts. Mindfulness scripts guide bottom-up experiential awareness; Active Control scripts guide top-down analytical processing of the same everyday activities. Primary Outcomes: (1) Credibility and expectancy equivalence between conditions (H1: Two One-Sided Tests on Credibility and Expectancy Questionnaire composite, equivalence bounds d = ±0.40); (2) mechanistic double dissociation - higher state mindfulness in the Mindfulness condition and higher analytical engagement in the Active Control condition (H2: 2×2 mixed ANOVA, interaction term as primary criterion). Exploratory Outcome: SES-related differential experiential accessibility (H3: independent-samples t-test plus equivalence test on Semantic Differential composite by SES group).

This study investigates the role of multivitamin and multimineral (MVM) supplementation in improving metabolic, musculoskeletal, and mental health among midlife Asian women aged 40-60 years, a critical period marked by hormonal and physiological transitions from pre- to post-menopause. Evidence from the GUSTO cohort in Singapore has shown that higher plasma levels of vitamins B6, B9, B12, and D are associated with better metabolic profiles, insulin sensitivity, and mental wellbeing, while deficiencies are linked to increased metabolic and psychological risks. Given that vitamin insufficiency and central obesity are highly prevalent among Asian women even at lower BMI, this randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial will evaluate whether 12 months of daily MVM supplementation can reduce MetaboAge and improve metabolic, mental, and muscle health outcomes compared with placebo. Findings will inform preventive strategies for extending health span and mitigating chronic disease risks among midlife women in Asia.

This study aims to understand child health during adolescence. We will examine the role of lifestyle (e.g. physical activity), growth trajectories and other environmental factors that can influence the development of phenotypes in adolescence which confer risk for later physical and mental disorders. With this study, we will develop a deeper understanding of adolescent health and well-being and their main determinants in the local Singaporean context, identify levers for early interventions to mitigate challenges to adolescent health and well-being and enhance protective factors for adolescents to do well in life, contribute to society and maximize their potential.

Brief Summary The goal of this observational study is to learn how environmental factors, lifestyle choices, and social conditions affect the timing of menopause in Asian women aged 40-50 years living in Singapore. The main aims of the project are the following: * Do environmental pollutants and lifestyle exposures contribute to earlier menopause in Asian women? * What biological changes occur when women are exposed to harmful environmental factors during menopause transition? Participants will be followed for 18 months and will complete questionnaires about their health history, lifestyle, diet, and environmental exposures. Participants will provide blood, urine, stool, hair, and nail samples for laboratory analysis and undergo basic health assessments including weight, blood pressure, and bone density measurements. Participants will wear activity monitors and air pollution sensors for 7 days and attend follow-up visits at 6 months, 12 months, and 18 months to track changes in their health. This data will be obtained during the baseline visit.