Alexandre Chan, Pharm.D., MPH, FCCP, BCPS, BCOP, is assistant head and associate professor at the Department of Pharmacy, Faculty of Science at National University of Singapore (NUS). He is also jointly appointed as an associate professor at Duke-NUS Graduate Medical School in Singapore and adjunct faculty at the University of California, San Francisco School of Pharmacy and University of the Pacific Thomas J. Long School of Pharmacy and Health Sciences. Chan earned his Pharm.D. degree from Rutgers University Ernest Mario School of Pharmacy and his M.S. degree in public health from National University of Singapore. He completed a pharmacy practice residency (PGY1) at the University of California, San Francisco School of Pharmacy and an oncology specialty residency (PGY2) at the University of California, Davis Medical Center. Currently, he is dually board certified in pharmacotherapy and oncology pharmacy.

Chan moved to Singapore to begin his academic career in 2006, where he established a clinical pharmacy service with the lymphoma and sarcoma team at the National Cancer Center in Singapore. Through his clinical service, Chan has been providing direct patient care and drug optimization to patients with cancer, ensuring drug efficacy and safety. Today, Chan’s clinical service also provides experiential learning opportunities for pharmacy students and residents in Singapore and different parts of the world. As a strong advocate of clinical pharmacy education, Chan has cowritten several textbook chapters, including the lymphoma chapter in Pharmacotherapy: A Pathophysiologic Approach. He is also a program director for the National Oncology Pharmacy Residency Program in Singapore.

As a clinician-scientist, Chan is heavily involved in cancer research. He has great interest in cancer supportive care with an emphasis on understanding the biological mechanisms, clinical prediction, and management strategies of chemotherapy-induced and cancer-related toxicities in patients with cancer and survivors. He also has a strong interest in cancer pharmacoepidemiology, medication safety in oncology, and clinical pharmacy education. Chan has published more than 110 full-length peer-reviewed manuscripts in a wide array of cancer supportive care topics, including chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting, myelosuppression, cognitive impairment, dermatological toxicities, and cancer-related fatigue. Chan supervises Ph.D. students and fellows, and his research program has attracted more than $1.7 million in funding support from numerous agencies and pharmaceutical companies at the national and international level. Chan was the recipient of the Young Scientist Award from National University of Singapore in 2013 and was elected as an American College of Clinical Pharmacy (ACCP) Fellow in 2014.

Chan has served as a leader in various regional, national, and international organizations. He has served on many committees and task forces with ACCP, as well as organized numerous conferences and workshops in Asia to advocate for ACCP. With the International Society of Oncology Pharmacy Practitioners (ISOPP), he has served as a chair for the education committee, as well as the scientific co-chair for the 2014 and 2016 biannual meetings. Chan is also an associate editor for the Journal of Oncology Pharmacy Practice, the official journal for ISOPP. He is currently serving his second term as a board member with the Multinational Association of Supportive Care in Cancer (MASCC) while also chairing the neurotoxicity study group and membership committee. Chan has served on numerous guideline panels for MASCC, including two clinical management guidelines for dermatological toxicities associated with EGFR inhibitors and radiation dermatitis. Chan has also served in various capacities for other organizations, including the Asian Conference on Clinical Pharmacy and the Ministry of Health, Singapore.

Chan firmly believes that his mentors have influenced and inspired him greatly throughout his career. These individuals include Drs. Jacky Olin, Robert Ignoffo, Andrea Iannucci, Jeanne Reede, William Dager, William Kehoe, and Gary Yee. He is very grateful for their valuable guidance, both personally and professionally. He has also learned the meaning of mentorship from them, and he hopes to follow their footsteps to provide great mentorship to his trainees and students.

Chan encourages everyone to be adventurous and not fearful of changes and challenges. He could have taken a safe and conservative route to develop his career in the United States. Instead, he made a bold, yet conscious, decision to move to Singapore to develop his academic career. He saw great opportunities, and he was determined to expand the presence of clinical pharmacy in Asia. Today, Chan is a leader in pioneering clinical pharmacy practice, research, and education in Asia. He is grateful to have met many wonderful colleagues in Singapore and Asia who share his vision. Chan believes that his career successes to date would not have been possible without these colleagues. He urges everyone to cultivate a broader mindset, step out of his or her comfort zone, and embrace the challenges lying ahead.

Chan’s favorite quotation is, “Nothing great was ever achieved without enthusiasm.” He is a firm believer that we must be passionate and enthusiastic about what we do, and it is important that we continue to network and surround ourselves with like-minded individuals. Chan believes that ACCP has given him many wonderful opportunities. He strongly encourages everyone to stay active within ACCP and to find his or her niche within this excellent organization.