A professor who helped lay the groundwork for research into infectious diseases in Singapore was yesterday honoured for his efforts. Professor Ranga Krishnan, 64, received a medal under the President's Science and Technology Awards - the highest recognition for exceptional research scientists and engineers here - from President Halimah Yacob at the Istana. Prof Ranga, who is now chairman of the Health Ministry's National Medical Research Council, had helped establish the emerging infectious diseases programme at Duke-NUS Medical School when he was dean from 2008 to 2015. One of the school's five signature programmes, it has since yielded many breakthroughs during various outbreaks of infectious diseases, including the current Covid-19 pandemic.