Kenneth Lay, Ph.D.

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Kenneth heads the Laboratory of Skin Stem Cell Dynamics at A*STAR Skin Research Labs. He did his PhD training with Elaine Fuchs at Rockefeller University, where he elucidated regulatory mechanisms of skin stem cell quiescence and activation. He then trained as a postdoctoral fellow with Bruno Reversade at A*STAR, where he uncovered pathophysiological mechanisms of human genetic skin diseases.

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Kenneth's motivation for research is to improve lives through scientific discoveries. He has always been interested in the biology of stem cells, with the life-long goal of harnessing their regenerative prowess for tissue repair. Prior to his PhD work on adult tissue stem cells, he studied mesenchymal stem cells and pluripotent stem cells during his undergraduate training. He now strives to unravel skin stem cell function in health and disease so as to open new treatment portals for common skin disorders. 

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Having received close mentorship throughout his training, Kenneth looks forward to sharing his experiences with his mentees and nurturing them to be future scientific leaders in their own right. Read more about Kenneth in this interview!

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Education

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Postdoctoral fellow, Genome Institute of Singapore, A*STAR 

Ph.D. in Biological Sciences, Rockefeller University

B.Sc. with First Class Honours in Biomedical Sciences, Imperial College

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Awards

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2023, National Research Foundation (NRF) Fellowship

2022, Singapore Therapeutics Development Review (STDR) Grant

2019, Open Fund-Young Individual Research Grant (OF-YIRG)

2010, A*STAR National Science Scholarship-PhD

2009, Governors’ Prize in Biomedical Science, Imperial College

2009, Best BSc Thesis Project in Cardiovascular Science, Imperial College

2006, A*STAR National Science Scholarship-BS