Four distinguished research fellows of the Taipei City-based Academia Sinica were elected to Italy-based Academy of Sciences for the Developing World (TWAS), Academia Sinica said Oct. 3.
Three more Taiwan scholars, including one from Academia Sinica, received TWAS prizes, and one research fellow was elected a TWAS Young Affiliate at the 24th TWAS General Meeting that ended Oct. 4 in Buenos Aires, Argentina.
The four academicians are Cheng Soo-chen, director of the academy’s Institute of Molecular Biology; Hsieh Tao-shih, director of the Institute of Cellular and Organismic Biology; Lee Shih-chang, of the Institute of Physics, and Liu Shaw-chen, of the Research Center for Environmental Changes.
The three TWAS prize winners are Chang Mei-hwei, distinguished professor of the Department of Pediatrics, College of Medicine at National Taiwan University and Chairperson of the Hepatitis Research Center, National Taiwan University Hospital; Lin-chao Sue-duan, distinguished research fellow of the Institute of Molecular Biology and director of the International Affairs Office of Academia Sinica; and Mou Chung-yuan, professor of NTU Department of Chemistry and deputy minister of the ROC National Science Council.
In addition, Chai Jeng-da, an associate professor of NTU Department of Physics, was elected a young affiliate, an honor awarded annually to exceptional scientists under 40 years old.
Cheng’s research focuses on the spliceosome, or how genetic markers are split up and distributed along ribonucleic acid (RNA) molecules. Hsieh has made many contributions to the field of DNA topoisomerases and chromatin dynamics, and his work provided a mechanistic basis for the induction of DNA breaks by many powerful anticancer drugs.
Lee led a Taiwan team in the Collider Detector at Fermilab discovery of the top quark, in the A Toroidal LHC Apparatus (ATLAS) discovery of the Higgs boson-like particle and in the precision measurement of positron fraction spectrum in space by the Alpha Magnetic Spectrometer.
Liu has published more than 160 papers which have received more than 6500 citations in the fields of atmospheric chemistry, air pollution and climate change, making him one of the few Taiwan scientists listed in the Institute for Scientific Information list of highly cited researchers.
Lin-chao Sue-duan’s research interest is in the molecular mechanisms of message RNA in E. coli gut bacteria. Chang Mei-hwei studies the effect of the hepatitis B vaccine in preventing liver cancer and promotes the concept of anticancer vaccines. Mou Chung-yuan researches the synthesis of mesoporous silica materials and their catalytic and biomedical applications.
TWAS has more than 1,000 members from 90 countries, more than 85 percent of whom are from the Global South. The academy’s main mission is to promote scientific excellence and the capacity for sustainable development. (SDH)