Associate Professor Martin Buist

Deputy Dean
Education

Martin joined NUS in June 2004, having obtained his Bachelor’s degree in Engineering Science (Hons, 1996), and his Doctor of Philosophy (2002) from The University of Auckland in Auckland, New Zealand. Before joining NUS he worked as a Research Scientist at the Bioengineering Institute at the University of Auckland, and was a Consultant for Auckland Uniservices Ltd.

His research interests centre on the creation of digital humans, which are currently known as digital twins, to transform healthcare. To this end he has created mathematical and computational models of the heart, co-authoring the book “Mathematically Modelling the Electrical Activity of the Heart” which was published by World Scientific, and the gastrointestinal tract. More recently he has developed a collaboration with the Singapore Eye Research Institute (SERI), using what he has developed to advance eye health.

Martin has received a numerous teaching awards at the Faculty and University levels, including being awarded the Annual Teaching Excellence Award (ATEA) on two occasions. He was the Assistant Dean for Graduate Programmes at the Faculty of Engineering, before being asked to become Vice Dean of Undergraduate Programmes for the Faculty in 2020, helping to navigate our undergraduate programmes through COVID-19 and then through the formation of the College of Design and Engineering (CDE). He was a key part of the team that designed the CDE undergraduate curriculum structure and common curriculum. He was also a member of the NUS General Education Committee, and was on his Department’s Curriculum Committee for 15 years, most of these looking after the graduate curriculum.

Outside work, he is married to a dentist and has two school-aged children. He has a keen interest in sports and attempts to play the guitar.