Dr Zhong Youjia graduated with MBChB from the University of Edinburgh (UK) in 2011, with honours. She completed her specialist training in Paediatric Medicine at the National University Hospital (NUH), with a particular focus on Allergy and Clinical Immunology. Subsequently, she pursued a PhD in Vaccine Immunology in Duke-NUS Medical School on the A*STAR MBBS-PhD scholarship. She is currently a Consultant in the Division of Allergy, Immunology & Rheumatology, KTP-NUCMI and an Assistant Professor at the Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore (NUS).
In her clinical practice, she sees all General Paediatric conditions, with a special focus on children with allergic conditions such as atopic dermatitis (eczema) and food allergy, inborn errors of immunity such as severe combined immunodeficiency, and secondary immunodeficiences such as hypogammaglobulinaemia from B-cell depleting therapies. In 2025, she started the clinical service for subcutaneous immunoglobulin infusion in NUH.
Dr Zhong is also a Clinician-Scientist who leads a laboratory in vaccine immunology, with a focus on respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), T cell responses, and mucosal immunity in the paediatric population. She has been awarded several national grants, including the NMRC Transition Award (TA), MOE Tier 1 grant, and NMRC-Clinician Scientist – Individual Research grant – New Investigator Grant. Her work has been published in high-impact journals such as Blood, Allergy and Nature Medicine. Additionally, Dr Zhong also enjoys teaching; she mentors medical students as well as science students at undergraduate and postgraduate levels.
A mother of two, Dr Zhong is passionate about child health and wellness. A believer that an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure, she is an advocate for sleep, nutrition and vaccines for immune health.
Major grants as Principal Investigator:
2024: Defining innate immune drivers of T cell responses to mRNA vaccination in children
Funding agency: NMRC Transition Award
2025: Capsule antibodies of pneumococcal serotypes under laboratory examination (CAPSULE)
Funding agency: MOE Tier 1
2026: Characterising natural RSV-specific adaptive immune responses in children
Funding agency: NMRC Clinician-Scientist New Investigator Award
Clinical trial as Principal Investigator
2026: Responses Against Paramyxoviruses in T cells with crOss Reactivity (RAPTOR)
Funding Agency: MOH PREPARE
2024 - Singhealth Duke-NUS Research Team Award - First Prize
2017 - Exxon-Mobil-NUS Research Fellowship for Clinicians
2015 - MOH Healthcare Research Scholarship
2006 - A*STAR MBBS-PhD scholarship
1. Yiyu Liao, Hoong Chua, ..., Keisuke Ejima, Youjia Zhong. Mechanisms underlying immunodynamics of layered defences elicited by mRNA vaccination in children BMC Medicine 2026
2. Yamashita Motoi,..., Youjia Zhong,..., Kanegane Hirokazu. Healthcare resources for inborn errors of immunity in the Asia-Pacific region Journal of Human Immunity 2025, 1 (2): e20250023
3. Youjia Zhong,..., Elizabeth Tham, Eng Eong Ooi. Correlates of protection against symptomatic SARS-CoV-2 in vaccinated children Nature Medicine 2024, 30, 1373-1383
4. Chrissie K. Lim, Youjia Zhong, ..., John E. Connolly. Natural killer cell memory precedes HLH in monozygotic twins discordant for chronic active Epstein-Barr virus disease. Blood 2023, 141 (17): 2151–2155
5. Youjia Zhong, ..., Elizabeth Tham. Emollients in infancy to prevent atopic dermatitis: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Allergy 2022, 77(6):1685-1699
6. Su-Wan Bianca Chan, Youjia Zhong, ...Woei Kang Liew. Implementation of Universal Newborn Screening for Severe Combined Immunodeficiency in Singapore While Continuing Routine Bacille-Calmette-Guerin Vaccination Given at Birth. Frontiers of Immunology 2022, 12: 794221
7. Youjia Zhong, ..., Hui-Lin Chin. Childhood vaccinations: Hidden impact of COVID-19 on children in Singapore. Vaccine 2021, 39(5):780-785
8. Jia Ming Low, ..., Youjia Zhong. Codominant IgG and IgA expression with minimal vaccine mRNA in milk of BNT162b2 vaccinees. npj Vaccines 2021, 6: 105
9. Youjia Zhong, ..., Bee Wah Lee. A Novel X-Linked Inhibitor of Apoptosis Deficient Variant Showing Attenuated Epstein-Barr Virus Response. Journal of the Pediatric Infectious Diseases Society 2020, 10(3): 345-348
10. Kent Mun Loh, Youjia Zhong, ..., Louis Yi Ann Chai. When to Test for Anti-Interferon-γ Autoantibody? Clinical Infectious Diseases 2020, 71 (7): e199
Asia Pacific Society for Immunodeficiencies (APSID)
Allergy and Clinical Immunology Society (Singapore)
Academy of Medicine (Singapore)
Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health (RCPCH)
