An academic with the nation’s top research body, Academia Sinica, was selected as one of this year’s seven recipients of the US’ prestigious National Medal of Science.
US-based Chien Shu (錢煦), 80, was named by US President Barack Obama on Sept. 27 as a recipient of the medal for his “pioneering work in cardiovascular physiology and bioengineering,” according to the White House.
The National Medal of Science is the highest honor bestowed by the US government on scientists, engineers and inventors.
The recipients are scheduled to receive their medals at a White House ceremony on Oct. 21, along with five recipients of a “sister medal,” the National Medal of Technology and Innovation.
“Each of these extraordinary scientists, engineers and inventors is guided by a passion for innovation, a fearlessness even as they explore the very frontiers of human knowledge and a desire to make the world a better place,” Obama said while naming the award recipients.
Chien is a medical physiologist and a biomedical engineer who has conducted pioneering work in cardiovascular physiology and bioengineering, which has had a major impact in the fields of microcirculation, blood rheology and mechanotransduction in human health and disease, according to Academia Sinica.
“I accept this great honor with a deep sense of humbleness and gratitude to my colleagues, including many in Academia Sinica and other institutions in Taiwan, who have contributed importantly to what I have accomplished in my research,” Chien said upon hearing he had been selected as a recipient of the prestigious award.
“The purpose of pursuing a career in science is to generate new knowledge and explore the truth, educate the next generation and benefit our society and humankind. This is consistent with President Obama’s announcement,” he added.
Previously, six other Academia Sinica researchers have been awarded the medal: Lee Yuan-tseh (李遠哲, 1986); Yang Chen-ning (楊振寧, 1986); Paul Chu (朱經武, 1988); Alfred Cho (卓以和, 1993); Yau Shing-tung (丘成桐, 1997); and Fung Yuan-cheng (馮元楨, 2000).
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