The healthcare needs of Singapore's rapidly ageing population will be the focus of research conducted by the newest medical school here.

Nanyang Technological University's Lee Kong Chian School of Medicine, which welcomed its first batch of 54 students in August last year, announced its long-term research strategy on Tuesday.

NTU added that it will increase intake at the school over the next few years, starting with at least 66 students for the second batch later this year.

Jointly set up by NTU and Imperial College London, the school has identified four key areas of research: metabolic diseases, neuroscience and mental health, dermatology and skin biology, and infectious diseases such as dengue.

NTU also introduced Professor Philip Ingham FRS, a Fellow of the Royal Society and the British Academy of Medical Sciences, as the school's vice-dean of research.