You've probably seen those vibrant Peranakan shophouses in Joo Chiat – but how did this unique mixed-heritage community come to be in Singapore? To discover more, we speak with Prof. Roger Foo, the first Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan Professor of Medicine at the National University of Singapore. Prof. Foo was one of the researchers behind the Singapore Peranakan Genome Project. We unravel some mind-blowing research about DNA, genetics, and the human heart. We also hear a bit about Prof. Foo's personal journey to becoming a doctor (hint: involves a hit medical TV drama).Episode HighlightsWhether the science stacks up to legends about the origins of Peranakans in SingaporeThe sheer volume of data each of us possess in our genome (enough to stretch for 9000 km and fill up several thousand Bibles if written out)!How you (yes, you!) could likely be a descendant of famous historical figures like Genghis KhanThe mysteries of species evolution, or, is the fish in the wet market your distant cousin?How cells 'sing' different songs from the same DNA, leading to diverse bodily functionsGroundbreaking current research on rewiring heart cells and the potential future of regenerative medicineTimestamps00:00 Preview00:24 Intro01:27 Prof. Foo's personal journey to becoming a doctor06:56 Inception and findings of the Singapore Peranakan Genome Project15:32 Genghis Khan and genetic isopoints18:48 Is your 185th million grandfather a fish?21:02 [Mid-roll ad] Bioethics: We could, but should we? at Science Centre Singapore21:26 Paiseh question: what is DNA?23:58 Epigenetics and heart health28:02 Word association game31:08 OutroGuest BioRoger Foo is Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan Professor at the NUS School of Medicine, Vice Dean of Research, Director NUHS Cardiovascular Metabolic Disease Translational Research Programme, Cardiovascular Research Institute, Advisor to the NUHS Clinician Scientist Academy, and Senior Consultant Cardiologist, National University Heart Centre. He is an NUS med school graduate, and spent 20 years abroad on specialist training before returning to Singapore in 2013. His training was undertaken at Kings College Hospital, London, and Addenbrooke’s Hospital, Cambridge. He was Wellcome Trust Fellow at Albert Einstein College of Medicine, New York, and returned to Cambridge to start a group as British Heart Foundation Fellow and Consultant Physician, before eventually returning to Singapore. His lab was the first to publish an epigenomic map of the failing human heart. More recently, he has published an in-depth analysis of the human cardiac chromatin 3D organisation, elucidating its changes during the heart disease response. The lab deep dives into the heart epigenome in continuing aspirations to discover mechanisms of disease for new therapies or biomarkers. Today, he spends a lot of time mentoring young scientist, alongside growing research on heart disease prevention and targets for new drug development.CorrectionThe episode misstates the number of Peranakans whole-genome sequenced by the Singapore Peranakan Genome Project. The study collected blood samples from 177 self-declared Singapore Peranakan volunteers, not 700. Thanks Colin Chee for spotting!Read the full transcript & show notes at https://voiddeck.science.edu.sg/peranakan-ancestry/

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