Academic breast cancer research, breast conservation surgery, and clinician-led medtech translation.
Dr Chia’s research and innovation work is grounded in breast cancer surgery, with a particular focus on improving safe and appropriate breast conservation. His academic publications span oncoplastic and minimally invasive breast surgery, breast reconstruction, older women with breast cancer, margin strategy, surgical education, and digital health.
His innovation work builds on this clinical and academic foundation, translating real problems in breast cancer care into digital health, medtech, workflow and education solutions. This includes experience through Singapore Biodesign, venture exposure through ClavystBio, and clinician-led projects such as REBORN, intra-operative margin assessment and tissue-conscious surgical technologies.
Academic publication themes
Rather than a complete publication list, the themes below summarise the main academic areas within Dr Chia’s breast cancer research portfolio.
Research focused on improving breast-conserving surgery, including surgical margin assessment, re-excision reduction, specimen orientation, localisation of non-palpable lesions and tissue-preserving operative decision-making.
Academic work around oncoplastic breast conservation, partial breast reconstruction, aesthetic outcomes, and minimally invasive or endoscopic-assisted approaches that may support breast preservation and patient-centred outcomes in selected patients.
Research on breast cancer care in older women, including treatment decision-making, surgical fitness, primary endocrine therapy versus surgery, geriatric principles, quality of life, and the role of AI and decision support.
Publications addressing breast reconstruction, enhanced recovery pathways, implant-based reconstruction, patient outcomes and recovery after breast cancer surgery.
Academic and translational work involving digital tools for patient education, reconstruction counselling, shared decision-making, patient-reported outcomes and more personalised breast cancer care pathways.
Research and educational work around surgical teaching, medical student learning, Telegram-based education, gamified learning and transdisciplinary education through LOTTE.
Publication profile
Dr Chia’s full publication profile is available on ResearchGate.
View ResearchGate profileInnovation and translation experience
Dr Chia’s innovation work is shaped by formal biodesign training, venture exposure and real-world clinical test-bedding. The emphasis is not technology for its own sake, but translating unmet clinical needs in breast cancer care into solutions that can be evaluated, implemented and scaled.
Formal innovation training through Singapore Biodesign, with exposure to needs finding, stakeholder discovery, clinical immersion, market assessment, product strategy, regulatory thinking, reimbursement considerations and medtech translation.
Venture and commercial exposure through ClavystBio, strengthening the link between clinician-led innovation, market understanding, investability, product-market fit and translation beyond the hospital setting.
Founder of REBORN, a digital health platform supporting breast cancer and reconstruction education. REBORN reflects Dr Chia’s interest in patient education, decision support, digital implementation and patient-centred innovation.
Clinician-led translation around intra-operative margin assessment, low-thermal surgical devices, tissue-conscious surgery, precision localisation, workflow redesign and tools that may support safer breast conservation pathways.
Research-to-translation pathway
Unmet needs are identified through breast clinics, operating theatre workflows, patient counselling, multidisciplinary care and surgical outcomes.
Research and publications define the clinical problem, evidence gaps, patient outcomes and potential value of better solutions.
Digital health, medtech or workflow solutions are developed through needs finding, prototyping, user feedback, industry collaboration and implementation planning.
Promising solutions are evaluated responsibly within real clinical pathways, with attention to safety, usability, outcomes, workflow fit and scalability.
Collaboration
Dr Chia welcomes academic, clinical, industry and venture-aligned collaborations around breast conservation, oncoplastic surgery, digital health, surgical education, intra-operative margin assessment and medtech translation.
“Breast conservation through evidence, implementation and responsible innovation.”