Dr Donavan Marcus NEO

Biography

Donavan Marcus Neo, PhD, is a Pharmacy-trained Chemical Biologist, Microbiologist and Pharmaceutical Educator. He pursued an undergraduate degree in Pharmacy at NUS, funded by the A*STAR Undergraduate Scholarship (AUS). This was followed by a brief stint as a Teaching Assistant at the department before he embarked on postgraduate studies in Harvard University. During his PhD, he trained with Professor Deborah Hung in the interface of chemical biology and microbiology, developing new tools for genetic manipulation and drug screening in bacteria (specifically Mycobacterium abscessus). In 2024, he returned to NUS as a Lecturer in the Department of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences. His professional interests include infectious diseases, antibiotic drug discovery and resistance, chemical biology, molecular biology, as well as pharmaceutical and interdisciplinary education.

Current Teaching Activities

• HS2926 CRISPR: Saving Lives or Playing God? (Semester 2)
• PHS1101 The Billion-Dollar Pill: Bench to Bedside Drug Development (Semester 1)
• PHS2102 Physicochemical and Biochemical Principles of Drug Action (Semester 2)
• PHS2191 Laboratory Techniques in Pharmaceutical Science I (Semester 2)
• PR1153 Pharmacy Foundations: Science & Therapeutics II (Semester 2)
• PR3151 Infection: Optimising Prevention & Treatment (Semester 1)

Previous Teaching Activities 

• LS1A An Integrated Introduction to the Life Sciences: Chemistry, Molecular Biology, and Cell Biology (AY19/20 Sem 1) (at Harvard University)
• MD1902/MD1902C Professional Practice 1: The Foundations of Health Professionalism (AY23/24 Sem 2)
• PR1110 Foundations for Medicinal Chemistry (AY17/18 Sem 1)
• PR2114 Formulation & Technology I (AY17/18 Sem 1)
• PR2115 Principles of Medicinal Chemistry (AY17/18 Sem 2)
• PR2143 Pharmaceutical Analysis for Quality Assurance (AY1718 S2)
• PR3116 Concepts in Pharmacokinetics and Biopharmaceutics (AY17/18 Sem 1)

Current Research Interests

• Education/Pedagogy:
  
  • Integration of multiple disciplines for interdisciplinary learning
  • Problem-based learning with authentic case discussions
  • Creating supportive learning environments for student development
• Disciplinary/Microbiology & Infectious Disease:
  • Mycobacterium abscessus antibiotic discovery and resistance
  • CRISPR-based tools for (myco)bacterial genetic manipulation and engineering