Professor Lee Yung Seng is head of the Khoo Teck Puat - National University Children's Medical Institute (KTP-NUCMI), with clinical interests in endocrinology and diabetes. Within KTP-NUCMI, he is head of the Department of Paediatrics, and a practicing senior consultant paediatrician of the paediatric endocrinology service looking after children with problems in growth, puberty and hormonal abnormalities such as diabetes. He received his clinical training at NUH and specialist training in clinical paediatric endocrinology at the Cambridge University Department of Paediatrics at Addenbrooke's Hospital as well as research training at the University of Cambridge.
Prof Lee is also the head and tenured professor of the Department of Paediatrics, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore. He was the president (2020-2022) of the Asia Pacific Paediatric Endocrine Society (APPES), and the president (2021-2023) of the College of Paediatrics and Child Health, Academy of Medicine, Singapore.
His clinical and research interest is in obesity, diabetes, and growth. His research is focused on obesity, insulin resistance, and mediators of obesity related morbidities. His research approach to elucidate the biological susceptibility to human obesity and related morbidities is three pronged, by studying the 1) genetics, 2) In-utero and early life developmental factors (developmental origins of health and disease), and 3) role of gut microbiome. He has also research interest in engineering probiotics to confer health benefits and disease treatment. His other clinical research also encompasses various paediatric endocrine disorders. He has more than 250 publications in local and international journals (as of June 2024).
In the recent years, Prof Lee has focused his efforts on developing programmes and strategies to advance child and maternal health, promoting healthy living for families, and improving health equity through his leadership role at the National University Centre for Women and Children.