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2024/01/25
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A/Prof Ong Hian Tat

Photo of A/Prof Ong Hian Tat

Designations:

  • Head & Senior Consultant, Division of Paediatric Neurology, Department of Paediatrics, Khoo Teck Puat - National University Children's Medical Institute, National University Hospital
  • Senior Consultant, NUWoC Children's Clinic, Ng Teng Fong General Hospital
  • Associate Professor, Department of Paediatrics, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore

Qualifications:

MBBS (S'pore), MMed (Paeds) (S'pore)

Specialties/Sub-specialties:

Paediatric Medicine

Clinical Disciplines/Programmes:

Paediatric Neurology (Epilepsy, Brain & Spine Conditions)

Special Interests:

Paediatric epilepsy and neurophysiology, Ketogenic diet and modified Atkins diet for paediatric refractory epilepsy, Paediatric neurorehabilitation

Biosketch

A/Prof Ong Hian Tat is currently Senior Consultant and Head of the Division of Paediatric Neurology at NUH. 

He graduated from NUS in 1987. His general paediatric training was undertaken principally in NUH with a short stint in Tan Tock Seng Hospital. He obtained qualification for Master of Medicine in Paediatrics in 1993. His advanced specialist training continued at NUH before he went to Cleveland Clinic Foundation in Cleveland, USA, for his HMDP Fellowship by the Ministry of Health in paediatric neurology and epilepsy from 1997 to 1998. Following the overseas training, he developed the paediatric epilepsy monitoring service at NUH.

Together with the paediatric rehabilitation and paediatric orthopaedic teams, A/Prof Ong helped to set up a combined programme for the management of cerebral palsy. He is experienced in the use of intra-muscular botulinum toxin type A injection for both upper and lower limb spasticity in children with cerebral palsy. He obtained a team Academic Medicine Development Award (AMDA) by the Ministry of Health in 2016/2017 to bring a combined team of paediatricians specialising in neurology, paediatric physiotherapist and occupational therapist to look at recent advances in paediatric neuro-rehabilitation and robotic-assisted therapy in Canada. He completed the observership programme from February to March 2017 at the Holland-Bloorview Kids Rehabilitation Hospital, Toronto, and various child rehabilitation facilities in Montreal, including Montreal Children's Hospital, Shriners Hospital for Children and the Maire Enfant Rehabilitation Centre.

His research interests include paediatric epilepsy and neurophysiology, as well as paediatric neurorehabilitation.

Current Research:

  1. A novel robotic device for the upper limb rehabilitation and assessment for children with physical disability.
  2. Evaluation of Robotic-assisted Treadmill Therapy and Nutritional Optimisation on Gait Performance in Adolescents with Cerebral Palsy
  3. A Randomised, Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled, Parallel Group, Multi-Center Trial Of Pregabalin as Adjunctive Therapy In Paediatric And Adult Subjects With Primary Generalized Generalised Tonic-Clonic Seizures.

Journals & Publications

  1. Ong HT, Wyllie E (2000). Benign childhood epilepsy with centrotemporal spikes: is it always benign? Neurology, 54(5):1182-5.
  2. Lee WL, Ong HT (2001). The Epidemiology of West syndrome in Singapore. Brain and Development, 23(7):584-5.  
  3. Ong HT, Lim KJ, Low PC, Low PS (2004). Simple instructions for partial sleep deprivation prior to pediatric EEG reduces the need for sedation. Clinical Neurophysiology: Official Journal of the International Federation of Clinical Neurophysiology, 115(4):951-5.
  4. Lee WL, Ong HT (2004). Afebrile seizures associated with minor infections: Comparison with febrile seizures and unprovoked seizures. Pediatric Neurology, 31(3):157-64. doi: 10.1016/j.pediatrneurol.2004.03.022
  5. Chong SC, Chan YH, Ong HT, Low PS, Tay SK (2010). Headache diagnosis, disability and co-morbidities in a multi-ethnic, heterogeneous paediatric Asian population. Cephalalgia: An International Journal of Headache, 30(8):953-61. doi: 10.1177/0333102409356327
  6. Chua K, Tan CY, Chen Z, Wong HK, Lee EH, Ong HT, … Hui JH (2016). Long-term Follow-up of Pulmonary Function and Scoliosis in Patients With Duchenne's Muscular Dystrophy and Spinal Muscular Atrophy. Journal of Pediatric Orthopedics, 36(1):63-9. doi: 10.1097/BPO.0000000000000396
  7. MLN Tan, SH Quak, HT Ong, MM Aw. Cyclical vomiting syndrome in children: potential role of electroencephalogram in the diagnostic evaluation. International Journal of Gastroenterology, Hepatology, Transplant & Nutrition, 1(i): 41-43.
  8. Ong HT, Tong LZ, Tan JX, Lin J, Burdet E, Teo CL, Ge SS. Pediatric rehabilitation of upper limb function using nove robotic device REACHMAN2. 12th IASTED International Conference on Biomedical Engineering.

Professional Memberships

  • Council Member, College of Paediatrics and Child Health, Singapore (CPCHS)
  • Treasurer, Singapore Epilepsy Society
  • Treasurer, Asian Oceanian Child Neurology Society

2024/05/02
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