About Rayner Kay Jin Tan
Dr Rayner Kay Jin TAN is Assistant Professor and leads The Courage Lab at the Saw Swee Hock School of Public Health, National University of Singapore. He is also an Affiliate at the Centre for Behavioural and Implementation Science Interventions (BISI) and Research Associate at the Centre for Family and Population Research at NUS, and Visiting Research Fellow at the National Centre for Infectious Diseases, Singapore. He is an implementation and socio-behavioural scientist whose work spans areas of stigma and health, community engagement, and health equity.
Rayner was a recipient of the ASEAN Youth Fellowship 2024, Fulbright Visiting Research Scholarship 2022/2023, and the HIV, Infectious Disease and Global Health Implementation Research Institute (HIGH-IRI) fellowship at Washington University in St. Louis. He is currently deputy editor of a leading HIV scientific journal, the Journal of the International AIDS Society, and an Associate Editor at the International Journal of Behavioral Medicine.
He also actively contributes to international conferences, including being Program Chair of the Asia-Pacific AIDS and Co-Infections Conference (APACC) 2026, and has served on committees for the International AIDS Society (IAS) Conference, International Union Against Sexually Transmitted Infections (IUSTI) World Congress, APACC, and the International Congress of Behavioral Medicine.
He currently is board member of Project X, serving the health and social needs of sex workers in Singapore, and Head of Research at The Greenhouse Community Services Limited, a charity providing substance use recovery services for vulnerable and marginalized groups in Singapore. He also currently serves as the Treasurer for the Society of Behavioural Health, Singapore and is a co-lead at SG Mental Health Matters. He is currently a co-lead of Project Hayat, a community-led initiative to develop a national suicide prevention strategy in Singapore. He is a representative on the Ministry of Health Agency for Care Effectiveness (ACE) Consumer Panel.
Academic Appointments
Assistant Professor (Tenure Track) | Saw Swee Hock School of Public Health, NUS, Singapore (2023 - Present)
Scientific Mentor/Faculty | Capacity development for HIV and mental health research in Asia (CHIMERA) D43, Foundation for AIDS Research, NY, United States (2025 - Present)
Affiliate | Centre for Behavioural and Implementation Science Interventions, School of Medicine, NUS (2024 - Present)
Research Associate | Centre for Family and Population Research, Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences, NUS (2024 - Present)
Visiting Research Fellow | Infectious Diseases Research and Training Office, National Centre for Infectious Diseases, Singapore (2021 - Present)
Postdoctoral Fellow | Project China, Institute of Global Health and Infectious Disease, Guangzhou, China (2021 - Present)
Visiting Research Fellow | Saw Swee Hock School of Public Health, National University of Singapore, Singapore (2021 - Present)
Fulbright Visiting Research Scholar | University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, NC, United States (2023 - 2023)
Visiting Scholar | Columbia Population Research Centre, Columbia University in the City of New York, New York, United States (2021 - 2021)
Postdoctoral Fellow | Saw Swee Hock School of Public Health, National University of Singapore, Singapore (2021 - 2021)
PhD Candidate | Saw Swee Hock School of Public Health, National University of Singapore, Singapore (2017-2021)
Administrative Leadership
Communications Director | International Union against Sexually Transmitted Infections (2025-Present)
Board Member | Project X Society (2025-Present)
Head of Research | The Greenhouse Community Services Ltd (2025-Present)
Treasurer | Society of Behavioural Health, Singapore (2024-Present)
Co-Lead | SG Mental Health Matters (2020-Present)
President | Project X Society (2021-2025)
Advisor | Rainbow+ (2023-2024)
Advisor | HeHealth.ai (2021-2024)
Chairman & Director | The Greenhouse Community Services Ltd (2020-2025)
Vice President | Society of Behavioural Health, Singapore (2022-2024)
Treasurer | Society of Behavioural Health, Singapore (2019-2022)
Pro-Tem Treasurer | Society of Behavioural Health, Singapore (2018-2019)
Advisory Boards, Expert Panels, and Expert Opinion
Member | Real Impact Advisors Advisory Council (2025-Present)
Member | Stigma and Rare Diseases Task Force, International Rare Diseases Research Consortium (2025-Present)
Member | Department Ethics Review Committee, Saw Swee Hock School of Public Health, NUS (2024-Present)
Member | Agency for Care Effectiveness Consumer Panel (2024-Present)
Member | Octava Foundation White Paper on Mental Health and Wellbeing for Children Advisory Panel (2025-2025)
Member | National University of Singapore Institutional Review Board (2024-Present)
Member | Department Ethics Review Committee, Saw Swee Hock School of Public Health, NUS (2024-Present)
Grant Panellist | Ministry of Health Office for Healthcare Transformation Movements for Health (M4H) (2021-Present)
Young Impact Leader Advisory Committee Member | AVPN Asian Youth Mental Wellbeing Fund (2023-2024)
Member | Global Black Gay Men Connect Sustainability Caucus (2024-2024)
Expert Consultant | Wellcome Trust Mental Health Translation Team (2024-2024
Grant Reviewer | Wellcome Trust (2024-2024)
Grant Reviewer | United Kingdom Medical Research Council (2024-2024)
Member | TREAT Asia (American Foundation for AIDS Research) Community Advisory Board
Reviewer | China Medical Board Fellowship Training Program, University of North Carolina Project-China (2024-2024)
Steering Committee Member | Go Youth! Global Open Call on Youth Voices, SESH Global (2022-2022)
Expert Witness | Opinion on stigma and discrimination towards men who have sex with men in Singapore
Expert Witness | Opinion on the effect of viral suppression on the risks of HIV transmission through sexual contact
Member | Department Ethics Review Committee, Saw Swee Hock School of Public Health, NUS (2020-2021)
Lead | Persons Who Use Drugs, Blueprint to End HIV (AFA) (2019-2020)
Contributions to Scientific Conferences and Events
Program Chair | Asia-Pacific AIDS & Co-Infections Conference (APACC) 2026 (2025-Present)
Community Outreach Chair | IUSTI World Congress 2026 Organising Committee (2025-Present)
Member | Asia-Pacific AIDS & Co-Infections Conference (APACC) Scientific Committee (2022-Present)
Member | Asia-Pacific AIDS & Co-Infections Conference (APACC) 2022 Organizing Committee (2022-Present)
Scientific Program Committee Member | International Congress of Behavioral Medicine 2025 (2024-Present)
Member | Asian Society for Implementation Science Planning Committee (2024-Present)
Co-Chair | Singapore AIDS Conference 2024 (2024-Present)
Member | AIDS 2024 Key Population Pre-Conference Planning Committee (2024-2024)
Early Career Researcher Committee Co-Chair | IUSTI World Congress 2024 Organising Committee (2023-2024)
Member | Singapore AIDS Conference 2022 Organizing Committee (2022-2022)
Abstract Reviewer | Asia-Pacific AIDS & Co-Infections Conference (APACC) 2022 (2022-2022)
Abstract Reviewer | 12th International AIDS Conference (2022-2022)
Member | Asia-Pacific AIDS & Co-Infections Conference (APACC) 2021 Organizing Committee (2021-2021)
Rapporteur | Rapporteur (Track D: Social, behavioral and implementation science), 11th International AIDS Society Conference on HIV Science (2021-2021)
Mentor | Imagine the World Anew: A Call for Youth Voices on COVID-19 in Malaysia, Impact Hub (2021-2021)
Mentor | Asia-Pacific Public Health Challenge 2021, International Pharmaceutical Students’ Federation (2021-2021)
Member | Singapore AIDS Conference 2020 Organizing Committee (2020-2020)
Abstract Mentor | 11th International AIDS Society Conference on HIV Science (2020-2020)
Abstract Mentor | 23rd International AIDS Conference (2019-2019)
Abstract Mentor | 10th International AIDS Society Conference on HIV Science (2018-2018)
Honors, Scholarships & Fellowships
ASEAN Youth Fellowship 2024 | National Youth Council and Singapore International Foundation
Gilead HIV Research Scholarship 2023 | Gilead Sciences
Fulbright Visiting Scholar Award 2022-2023 | United States Department of State
Digital International Society for Sexually Transmitted Diseases Research Champion | International Society for Sexually Transmitted Diseases Research
HIV Infectious Disease and Global Health Implementation Research Institute (HIGH IRI) Fellow | Washing University in St. Louis (2022)
Social Innovation in Health Initiative Youth Champion 2022 | Social Innovation in Health Initiative (2022)
Fulbright Visiting Research Scholar Award 2022-2023 | United States Department of State (2022)
Prestige 40 Under 40 Laureate 2021 | Prestige Singapore (2021)
Asia-Pacific AIDS & Co-Infections Conference (APACC) Fellowship | Virology Education (2020)
Singapore Population Health Improvement Centre (SPHERiC) Fellowship | National University Health System (2019)
The Courage Fund Ph.D. (Infectious Disease) Scholarship | The Courage Fund Limited (2017)
Ho See Beng Scholarship (Social Sciences) | Singapore Management University (2016)
Other Academic Awards
SSHSPH Graduate Student Teaching Award | National University of Singapore (2021)
NUS Society (NUSS) Medal for Outstanding Achievement, Class of 2021 | National University of Singapore (2021)
SSHSPH Infectious Disease Programme Symposium Best Presenter | National University of Singapore (2020)
SSHSPH Graduate Student Teaching Award | National University of Singapore (2020)
SSHSPH Graduate Research Student Award (Epidemiology) | National University of Singapore (2019)
DBS Bank School Valedictorian Award in Social Sciences | Singapore Management University (2016)
Singapore Management University CIRCLE Award | Singapore Management University (2016)
Ho See Beng Excellence Award (Top sociology graduate) | Singapore Management University (2016)
Helen Chua Chin Xiang Best Senior Thesis in Sociology | Singapore Management University (2016)
Professor Tan Teck Meng Endeavour Award | Singapore Management University (2015)
Luxasia Vitality Innovativeness & Enterprising Spirit (VIE) Award | Singapore Management University (2015)
Dean’s List, School of Social Sciences | Singapore Management University (2015)
Standard Chartered Best First Year Business Student Award | Singapore Management University (2010)
Dean’s List, Lee Kong Chian School of Business | Singapore Management University (2010)
Editorial Boards
Associate Editor | International Journal of Behavioral Medicine (2024-Present)
Deputy Editor | Journal of the International AIDS Society (2023-Present)
Academic Editor | PLOS Global Public Health (2023-2024)
Perspectives Panel | Sexually Transmitted Infections (2019-2024)
Associate Editor | Social Determinants of Health, BMC Public Health (2020-2023)
Teaching Experience
Course Coordinator | SSHSPH, NUS: SPH5409Qualitative Methods in Public Health (2024-Present)
Course Co-Coordinator, SSHSPH, NUS: SPH5007 Implementing Public Health Programmes and Policies
Guest Lecturer | Duke-NUS: GMS5154 Adolescent Health in Asia
Guest Lecturer | SSHSPH, NUS: SPH3402 Mental Health: An Interdisciplinary Approach (2023-Present)
Guest Lecturer | SSHSPH, NUS: SPH2005 Health, Society and the Social Determinants (2021-Present)
Guest Lecturer | SSHSPH, NUS: Qualitative Methods in Public Health (Observational methods) (2020-Present)
Facilitator | SSHSPH, NUS: Introduction to Qualitative Methods Workshop (2021-2021)
Guest lecturer | SSHSPH, NUS: Social Theory Training Workshop (2021-2021)
Teaching Assistant | SSHSPH, NUS: Health, Society and the Social Determinants (2018-2021)
Guest Lecturer | Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences, NUS: Medical Sociology (Social epidemiology) (2020-2020)
Guest Lecturer | SSHSPH, NUS: Public Health in Singapore (HIV) (2020-2020)
Teaching Assistant | SSHSPH, NUS: Public Health Research Methods (2019-2020)
Guest Lecturer | SSHSPH, NUS: Health, Society and the Social Determinants (Ageing; Gender) (2018-2020)
Teaching Assistant | SSHSPH, NUS: Public Health in Action (2018-2018)
Co-Facilitator | Tan Tock Seng Hospital: Techniques for in-depth interviews and focus group discussions (2018-2018)
Teaching Assistant | School of Social Sciences, SMU: Public Management in Developing Countries (2016-2016)
Teaching Assistant | School of Social Sciences, SMU: Gender and Family (2016-2016)