Our Team
Meet the researchers and students behind our innovations.
Chair
Melissa Lim
Melissa Lim is the Founder and President of the Brain Tumour Society (Singapore) [BTSS]. In 2019, at the International Brain Tumour Alliance Summit (IBTA) in Maryland, Melissa gathered a group of representatives of patient tumour organisations in Asia Pacific to form an informal network. The group named ‘Asia Pacific Brain Tumour Alliance’ started meeting regularly online to share knowledge and offer support to build capability and advocacy in member organisations. At the Nov 2025 IBTA Summit in Rome, Melissa was named as the first Chairperson of APBTA for a 2 years’ team. For her term, Melissa aims to raise the visibility of APBTA to appeal for support and funds to strengthen leadership and capability building in APAC countries for the brain tumour cause, especially in countries that do not have patient-led organisations. In addition, through the establishment of the APBTA Secretariat, she hopes to lay the foundation for regional projects that will open access to treatment and clinical trials in APAC. She also hopes to connect regional clinicians and researchers to collaborate in mapping out data strategies for APAC which will be useful for brain tumour registries and regional healthcare strategies. Melissa’s mission to support brain tumour patients and caregivers was born out of deeply personal experiences — first, as a caregiver to her late mother who had terminal brain cancer, and later as a brain tumour survivor herself. These encounters inspired Melissa to turn adversity into purpose by providing hope, encouragement, and community to others walking a similar journey. In Singapore, under her visionary and inspiring leadership since 2014, BTSS has grown into a vibrant support network serving over 300 families, offering befriending and peer support groups, community bonding events, as well as financial and practical assistance. Beyond her work with BTSS, Melissa actively contributes to local patient initiatives in partnership with various Singapore public healthcare institutions and agencies. She has been honoured as the Winner of People of Good (Open), President’s Volunteerism & Philanthropy Awards 2025. This is the highest recognition for volunteerism in Singapore. Other recognition conferred to Melissa for her work include the Singapore Health Inspirational Patient Award (2015), while BTSS received the Singapore Health Inspirational Patient Group Award (2020). As a patient leader and advocate, she has often been invited to share her lived-in expertise and insights as a speaker and panellist in local and international medical conferences and healthcare events. Professionally, Melissa is a facilitator and senior consultant supporting global organisations and government agencies in the assessment and development of talent for leadership and succession planning.
Secretariat
Reuben Li
Reuben is a patient advocate and father of three based in Japan. Following his eldest child’s diagnosis with a brain tumor (ependymoma) at age seven in 2020, he became passionate about supporting families navigating similar paths. A Singaporean who has lived in Japan for over a decade years, he would like to bring his unique perspective to the community. Professionally, he specializes in data science within the pharmaceutical sector. While Reuben is employed in the pharmaceutical industry, he serves this association in a purely personal volunteer capacity. The views expressed here are his own and do not reflect those of his employer.
