Dr Tay Chee Kiang Melvin

Dr Melvin Tay serves as a Senior Consultant and Director of Interventional Pulmonology (IP) within the Department of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine at Singapore General Hospital (SGH). He is also affiliated with SingHealth Duke-NUS Lung Center, National Cancer Center in Singapore, and KK Women's and Children's Hospital.

He graduated from the National University of Singapore (NUS) in 2006, receiving the Dermatology Book Prize. In 2010, Dr. Tay obtained his Master of Medicine in Internal Medicine from NUS and became a Member of the Royal College of Physicians in the UK. He completed fellowships in Respiratory Medicine in 2013 and Intensive Care Medicine in 2015.

Between 2015 and 2016, Dr Tay served as an international fellow at Samsung Medical Center (SMC) in Seoul, Korea, on a scholarship from Singapore's Ministry of Health. At SMC, he subspecialized in IP and Extracorporeal Life Support (ECLS). Upon returning to Singapore, he played a key role in establishing a dedicated, intensivist-led Venovenous Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation Team and in expanding the IP service at SGH. Dr Tay also served as Deputy Director of Interventional Pulmonology until January 1, 2020, when he assumed his current role as Director.

His first love is the therapeutic aspect of IP, i.e., rigid bronchoscopy, because patients experience immediate improvement and the procedure involves less uncertainty. His research interests include IP, ECLS, and critical care physiology. Dr Tay has authored numerous peer-reviewed publications and book chapters. He is also actively involved in educating medical students, residents, fellows, and nursing staff. He frequently leads workshops and speaks at conferences on IP across the Asia-Pacific region. Dr. Tay greatly values these opportunities, recognizing that knowledge sharing could be scaled significantly to improve patient outcomes in the region.

Dr. Tay believes that the practice of good clinical medicine should incorporate logic, rationality, and behavioral economics. In recognition of his scholarly contributions, Dr. Tay was elected a Fellow of the Royal College of Physicians on August 1, 2024. He is fluent in English, Chinese, and Teochew.

• 2010 Member of the Royal College of Physicians (MRCP), London
• 2010 Master of Medicine [Internal Medicine], National University of Singapore
• 2006 Bachelor of Medicine and Surgery (MBBS), National University of Singapore
  

• Fellow, Royal College of Physicians (FRCP)
• Lead, Pulmonary Chapter, Southeast Asian Thoracic Society (SEATS)
• Regional Member, Asian Pacific Interventional Pulmonology Alliance (APIPA)
• Member, World Association for Bronchology and Interventional Pulmonology (WABIP)
• Member, Singapore Thoracic Society
  

• Senior Educator Award 2019, Medicine Academic Clinical Programme Education Awards (supported by Seah Cheng Siang Professorship in Medicine)
• Singapore General Hospital Long Service Award 2017
• Service with A Heart Award 2017
• Residency in SingHealth Excels (RiSE) Outstanding Faculty Award 2017
• Health Manpower Development Plan (HMDP) Award 2015
• Role Model Award, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine 2013
• University Cluster Best Teacher Award 2012
• Dermatological Society of Singapore Book Prize 2006
  

1. Tay CK, Anantham D, Gonuguntla HK, Kim H. A Mechanistic and Morphologic Approach to Managing Benign Central Airway Obstruction. Respirology. 2026 Jan;31(1):105-106. doi: 10.1002/resp.70186. Epub 2025 Dec 12. PMID: 41387333.
2. Wong, S.Y.P., Tay, C.K. and Saw, K.M.E. (2025), Airway obstruction caused by functional failure of a tracheal stent. Anaesthesia Reports, 13: e70032. https://ddei5-0-ctp.trendmicro.com:443/wis/clicktime/v1/query?url=https%3a%2f%2fdoi.org%2f10.1002%2fanr3.70032&umid=53641B44-56C8-6206-A511-016BD3983B1A&auth=1e4be8166c0e95fa5701eaa3515f34fbdd8d125c-1cc5c2eaf81bcaef74f407682c5508864a8900e9
3. Phua CK, Tay CK, Leong CKL. Bronchial Dieulafoy: Diagnostic Utility of Endobronchial Ultrasound. Respirol Case Rep. 2025 Jul 16;13(7):e70282. doi: 10.1002/rcr2.70282. PMID: 40678425; PMCID: PMC12266949.
4. Phua CK, Toh MR, Tay CK. Traumatic Pneumatoceles Mimicking Pulmonary Tuberculosis. Arch Bronconeumol. 2025 Dec;61(12):801-802. English, Spanish. doi: 10.1016/j.arbres.2025.06.006. Epub 2025 Jun 16. PMID: 40651935.
5. Ling L, Li A, Phua J; MOSAICS II Study Group; Asian Critical Care Clinical Trials Group. Limitation of life-sustaining treatments in Asian ICUs: theory versus practice. Crit Care. 2025 Jan 6;29(1):9. doi: 10.1186/s13054-024-05241-2. PMID: 39762907; PMCID: PMC11705690.
6. Tay CK, Kumar A, Hsu AAL, Lee P. Whole lung and sequential bronchoscopic lavage for pulmonary alveolar proteinosis. Curr Opin Pulm Med. 2025 Jan 1;31(1):41-52. doi: 10.1097/MCP.0000000000001138. Epub 2024 Nov 21. PMID: 39569652.
7. Tenda ED, Henrina J, Setiadharma A, Felix I, Yulianti M, Pitoyo CW, Kho SS, Tay MCK, Purnamasari DS, Soejono CH, Setiati S. The impact of body mass index on mortality in COPD: an updated dose-response meta-analysis. Eur Respir Rev. 2024 Nov 27;33(174):230261. doi: 10.1183/16000617.0261-2023. PMID: 39603663; PMCID: PMC11600125.
8. Gan E, Tay CK. Pleuroparenchymal sarcoidosis: A rare manifestation mimicking metastatic lung cancer. Respirol Case Rep. 2024 Jul 30;12(8):e01438. doi: 10.1002/rcr2.1438. PMID: 39086724; PMCID: PMC11288722.
9. Li A, Cove ME, Phua J, Puah SH, Ng V, Kansal A, Tan QL, Sahagun JT, Taculod J, Tan AY, Mukhopadhyay A, Tay CK, Ramanathan K, Chia YW, Sewa DW, Chew M, Lew SJW, Goh S, Dhanvijay S, Tan JJ, See KC; SICM-NICER Group. Expanding the utility of the ROX index among patients with acute hypoxemic respiratory failure. PLoS One. 2022 Apr 26;17(4):e0261234. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0261234. PMID: 35472205; PMCID: PMC9041854.
10. Chua TH, Takano A, Yao YJ, Chow SY, Devanand A, Tay CK. Autoimmune pulmonary alveolar proteinosis with a history of vaping and vitamin E-positive bronchoalveolar lavage. Respirol Case Rep. 2021 Nov;9(11):e0864.
11. Puah SH, Li A, Cove ME, Phua J, Ng V, Kansal A, Tan QL, Sahagun JT, Taculod J, Tan AY, Mukhopadhyay A, Tay CK, Ramanathan K, Chia YW, Sewa DW, Chew M, Lew SJW, Goh S, Dhanvijay S, Tan JJ, See KC. High-flow nasal cannula therapy: A multicentred survey of the practices among physicians and respiratory therapists in Singapore. Aust Crit Care. 2021 Sep 10;. doi: 10.1016/j.aucc.2021.08.001. [Epub ahead of print] PubMed PMID: 34518063.
12. Tan YH, Tay CK. Phenotyping in COVID-19: Making the case for why science needs philosophy. Ann Acad Med Singap. 2021 Sep;50(9):669-670. PubMed PMID: 34625753.
13. Kansal A, Dhanvijay S, Li A, Phua J, Cove ME, Ong WJD, Puah SH, Ng V, Tan QL, Manalansan JS, Zamora MSN, Vidanes MC, Sahagun JT, Taculod J, Tan AYH, Tay CK, Chia YW, Sewa DW, Chew M, Lew SJW, Goh S, Tan JJE, Ramanathan K, Mukhopadhyay A, See KC. Predictors and outcomes of high-flow nasal cannula failure following extubation: A multicentre observational study. Ann Acad Med Singap. 2021 Jun;50(6):467-473. PubMed PMID: 34195753.
14. Wong I, Lim J, Goh J, Tan Q, Tay C. Thyroid storm rescued by extracorporeal membrane oxygenation support, plasmapheresis and thyroidectomy: a case report. Journal of Emergency and Critical Care Medicine. 2021 April; 2021(5):19. doi: 10.21037/jeccm-20-147.
15. Chokkappan K, Leong S, Tay CK, Sewa DW, Too CW. A Novel Method of Percutaneous Non-Targeted Spray Application of Fibrin Glue in a Case of Extensive Pneumocystis Jirovecii Bronchopleural Fistulae. Cardiovasc Intervent Radiol. 2021 Jan 3. doi: 10.1007/s00270-020-02708-x. Epub ahead of print. PMID: 33392677.
16. Goh KJ, Tan QL, Tay CK, Sewa DW, Lee KCH, Phua GC. Impact of an Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation Intensivist-Led Multidisciplinary Team on Venovenous Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation Outcomes. Crit Care Explor. 2020 Nov 24;2(12):e0297. doi: 10.1097/CCE.0000000000000297. PMID: 33251521; PMCID: PMC7688254. *Goh KJ, Tan QL are co-1st authors*
17. Huang CF, Tay CK, Zhuang YF, Liu J, Sewa DW. Rationale and significance of patient selection in awake prone positioning for COVID-19 pneumonia. Eur Respir J. 2020 Sep 10;56(3):2002173. doi: 10.1183/13993003.02173-2020. PMID: 32631837; PMCID: PMC7338402.
18. Huang CF, Sun PT, Tay CK. Bronchiolitis and Potential Pathophysiological Implications in Coronavirus Disease 2019 Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome Patients With Near-Normal Respiratory Compliance. Crit Care Med. 2020 Oct;48(10):e993-e994. doi: 10.1097/CCM.0000000000004470. PMID: 32541570; PMCID: PMC7314321.
19. Goh KJ, Takano A, Koh MS, Tiew PY, Chong CS, Tay CK. A 53-Year-Old Man Presenting With Diplopia and Cavitary Lung Nodules. Chest. 2019 Apr;155(4):e107-e112. doi: 10.1016/j.chest.2018.10.021. PMID: 30955581.
20. Min JJ, Tay CK, Gil NS, Lee JH, Kim S, Kim CS, Yang JH, Jun TG. Ultrasound- guided vs. palpation-guided techniques for radial arterial catheterisation in infants: A randomised controlled trial. Eur J Anaesthesiol. 2019 Mar;36(3):200-205. doi: 10.1097/EJA.0000000000000926. PMID: 30431501.
21. Tay CK, Cho YH, Park J, Yang JH, Chung CR, Sung K, Cho J, Kang D, Park H, Suh GY. Extracorporeal membrane oxygenation in Korea - Trends and impact of hospital volume on outcome: Analysis of national insurance data 2009-2014. J Crit Care. 2019 Feb;49:1-6. doi: 10.1016/j.jcrc.2018.09.035. Epub 2018 Oct 2. PMID: 30326390.
22. Min JJ, Tay CK, Ryu DK, Wi W, Sung K, Lee YT, Cho YH, Lee JH. Extracorporeal cardiopulmonary resuscitation in refractory intra-operative cardiac arrest: an observational study of 12-year outcomes in a single tertiary hospital. Anaesthesia. 2018 Dec;73(12):1515-1523. doi: 10.1111/anae.14412. Epub 2018 Sep 26. PMID: 30255929.
23. Goh KJ, Koh MS, Tay CK. The Aftermath of Relieving an Upper Airway Obstruction. A Case of Postobstructive Pulmonary Edema. Am J Respir Crit Care Med. 2018 Oct 15;198(8):e106-e108. doi: 10.1164/rccm.201712-2448IM. PMID: 30040910.
24. Tay CK, Cho YH. Clinical Physiology and Venovenous Extracorporeal Life Support Management Are Inextricably Linked. ASAIO J. 2019 Feb;65(2):e26. doi: 10.1097/MAT.0000000000000820. PMID: 29863629.
25. Tay CK, Chua YC, Takano A, Min Chee MY, Lim WT, Lim C, Koh MS. Primary pulmonary lymphoepithelioma-like carcinoma in Singapore. Ann Thorac Med. 2018 Jan-Mar;13(1):30-35. doi: 10.4103/atm.ATM_304_17. PMID: 29387253; PMCID: PMC5772105.
26. Tay CK, Jeong BH, Kim H. Angulated Stents-A Novel Stent Improvisation to Manage Difficult Post-tuberculosis Bronchial Stenosis. ASAIO J. 2018 Jul/Aug;64(4):565-569. doi: 10.1097/MAT.0000000000000692. PMID: 29045278.
27. Tay CK, Sung K, Cho YH. Clinical Pearls in Venovenous Extracorporeal Life Support for Adult Respiratory Failure. ASAIO J. 2018 Jan/Feb;64(1):1-9. doi: 10.1097/MAT.0000000000000657. PMID: 28885377.
28. Tay CK, Yoo KH, Cho YH. Intraaortic Balloon Pulsation in Peripheral Venoarterial Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation: More Is Not Always Better. Crit Care Med. 2016 Dec;44(12):e1251. doi: 10.1097/CCM.0000000000002031. PMID: 27858822.
29. Tay CK, Koh MS, Takano A, Aubry MC, Sukov WR, Folpe AL. Primary angiomatoid fibrous histiocytoma of the lung with mediastinal lymph node metastasis. Hum Pathol. 2016 Dec;58:134-137. doi: 10.1016/j.humpath.2016.07.022. Epub 2016 Aug 18. PMID: 27544801.
30. Tay CK, Ng YL. A breath from Houdini - A case of giant bullous emphysema. Respir Med Case Rep. 2014 Dec 18;14:30-3. doi: 10.1016/j.rmcr.2014.12.003. PMID: 26029573; PMCID: PMC4356045.
31. Phua J, Ngerng W, See K, Tay C, Kiong T, Lim H, Chew M, Yip H, Tan A, Khalizah H, Capistrano R, Lee K, Mukhopadhyay A. Characteristics and outcomes of culture-negative versus culture-positive severe sepsis. Crit Care. 2013 Sep 12;17(5):R202. doi: 10.1186/cc12896. PubMed PMID: 24028771; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC4057416.
32. Phua J, Lim HF, Tay CK, Aung NW. Public awareness of sepsis and stroke in Singapore: a population-based survey. Ann Acad Med Singap. 2013 Jun;42(6):269-77. PMID: 23842767
    

BOOK CHAPTERS

1. Management Principles of Nonmalignant Airway Obstruction
   September 2025
   DOI: 10.1007/978-3-031-49583-0_33-1
   In book: Principles and Practice of Interventional Pulmonology
   
2. Diagnostic Interventional Pulmonology. A Case-Based Approach to Interventional Pulmonology: A Focus on Asian Perspectives. (2023)
   DOI:10.2174/97898151240021230101