Dr. Ivan Tan obtained his B.Eng. (First Class Honours) in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Newcastle, Australia, in 2003, and completed his Ph.D. in Materials Science and Engineering at Nanyang Technological University, Singapore, in 2013. He currently serves as Division Director at the Institute of Materials Research and Engineering (IMRE), part of the Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR). In this role, he oversees the development of around 80 research scientists and engineers, focusing on Advanced Biomaterials, Biosensors, and Flexible Electronics for MedTech applications.

Previously, Dr. Tan was Head and Principal Scientist of IMRE's Soft Materials Department from 2020 to 2023. During his tenure, his leadership played a pivotal role in securing multiple competitive grants for his team, including one NRF-CRP, two NRF Fellowship, seven A*STAR Career Development Funds, two Young Individual Research Grants, and four Central Research Funds.

In addition to his role at A*STAR, Dr. Tan is an Associate Faculty member at the Singapore Institute of Technology (SIT), where he lectures master’s students, and serves as an Industry Advisory Panel Member and Mentor at PSB Academy. He also leads IMRE’s Mentoring Masterclass Programme (MMP), which includes an online self-diagnostic tool and structured mentoring framework. This framework fosters a multi-level mentorship culture, enhancing communication and career support across the organization.

Dr. Tan has made significant contributions to Singapore’s COVID-19 response, collaborating with public agencies to develop science-based solutions that supported safe reopening policies. For these efforts, he and his team were recognized with the Ministry of Trade and Industry’s FireFly Borderless Silver Award in 2021. In 2023, he received the National Commendation Award and COVID-19 Resilience Medal for his impact on public health. Additionally, he co-founded Plasma Science Pte Ltd, an A*STAR spinoff that launched the Trident Air Purifier with Trident Airdome Technology, a highly effective solution for dust, virus, odors, moulds and bacteria elimination.