The nation’s first brain bank opened in Taipei yesterday, with Premier Chen Chien-jen (陳建仁) expressing his hopes that it would also make Taiwan a bellwether in neuroscience in Asia.
National Taiwan University’s (NTU) College of Medicine yesterday hosted a plaque unveiling ceremony for the Taiwan Brain Bank, which was attended by Chen, National Health Research Institutes president Sytwu Huey-kang (司徒惠康), NTU vice president Chang Shan-chwen (張上淳), Minister of Health and Welfare Hsueh Jui-yuan (薛瑞元) and Taiwan Brain Bank Association chairman Hsieh Sung-tsang (謝松蒼).
“Many chronic diseases affecting the nation’s increasingly aging population — such as dementia and Parkinson’s disease — are related to the brain,” Chen said.
Photo: Lin Hui-chin, Taipei Times
“The establishment of the Taiwan Brain Bank would help scientists study various cerebral diseases, which could help prevent people from getting them and enable medical experts to begin patients’ treatment early,” he said. “This would also make Taiwan a bellwether in brain science in Asia.”
The brain bank belongs to the nation, not NTU, Chang said.
“Today is only the beginning, and the brain bank cannot sustain itself with the budget allocated to the medical school alone. We are calling for long-term financial support from the government,” Chang said.
Photo: George Tsorng, Taipei Times
In the past, the focus of neuroscience was studying data gathered through neuroimaging, Hsueh said, adding that the brain bank would allow neuroscientists to analyze brains directly.
“We understand that funding is needed to maintain the operations of the brain bank, so part of the technology budget would be used for this purpose. Another challenge would be to encourage voluntary donations of brains, which requires joint cooperation of the medical community and different patient groups,” Hsueh said.
“People need to know the importance of organ donations and give their consent to donate while they are alive. Their families should also give their consent,” he said.
There are about 150 brain banks worldwide, Hsieh said, adding that having brain banks is an indicator of prosperity.
“Unlike brain banks in other countries that were established by the government, the Taiwan Brain Bank was initiated by patients and their relatives who wanted to contribute by donating their brains for research,” Hsieh said.
Hsieh began leading a workforce to establish the brain bank in 2017, when they faced the challenge of finding a legal basis for such an institution. The problem was resolved after the Ministry of Health and Welfare issued interpretations of relevant regulations.
The brain bank also spent three years training its personnel and installing relevant facilities before it was officially established yesterday.
FREEDOM OF NAVIGATION: The UK would continue to reinforce ties with Taiwan ‘in a wide range of areas’ as a part of a ‘strong unofficial relationship,’ a paper said The UK plans to conduct more freedom of navigation operations in the Taiwan Strait and the South China Sea, British Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs David Lammy told the British House of Commons on Tuesday. British Member of Parliament Desmond Swayne said that the Royal Navy’s HMS Spey had passed through the Taiwan Strait “in pursuit of vital international freedom of navigation in the South China Sea.” Swayne asked Lammy whether he agreed that it was “proper and lawful” to do so, and if the UK would continue to carry out similar operations. Lammy replied “yes” to both questions. The
‘OF COURSE A COUNTRY’: The president outlined that Taiwan has all the necessary features of a nation, including citizens, land, government and sovereignty President William Lai (賴清德) discussed the meaning of “nation” during a speech in New Taipei City last night, emphasizing that Taiwan is a country as he condemned China’s misinterpretation of UN Resolution 2758. The speech was the first in a series of 10 that Lai is scheduled to give across Taiwan. It is the responsibility of Taiwanese citizens to stand united to defend their national sovereignty, democracy, liberty, way of life and the future of the next generation, Lai said. This is the most important legacy the people of this era could pass on to future generations, he said. Lai went on to discuss
AMENDMENT: Climate change is expected to increase the frequency of high-temperature days, affecting economic productivity and public health, experts said The Central Weather Administration (CWA) is considering amending the Meteorological Act (氣象法) to classify “high temperatures” as “hazardous weather,” providing a legal basis for work or school closures due to extreme heat. CWA Administrator Lu Kuo-chen (呂國臣) yesterday said the agency plans to submit the proposed amendments to the Executive Yuan for review in the fourth quarter this year. The CWA has been monitoring high-temperature trends for an extended period, and the agency contributes scientific data to the recently established High Temperature Response Alliance led by the Ministry of Environment, Lu said. The data include temperature, humidity, radiation intensity and ambient wind,
SECOND SPEECH: All political parties should work together to defend democracy, protect Taiwan and resist the CCP, despite their differences, the president said President William Lai (賴清德) yesterday discussed how pro-Taiwan and pro-Republic of China (ROC) groups can agree to maintain solidarity on the issue of protecting Taiwan and resisting the Chinese Communist Party (CCP). The talk, delivered last night at Taoyuan’s Hakka Youth Association, was the second in a series of 10 that Lai is scheduled to give across Taiwan. Citing Taiwanese democracy pioneer Chiang Wei-shui’s (蔣渭水) slogan that solidarity brings strength, Lai said it was a call for political parties to find consensus amid disagreements on behalf of bettering the nation. All political parties should work together to defend democracy, protect Taiwan and resist
RSS