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| National Science & Technology Awards 1996 | | | National Science Award 1996
For their outstanding contributions in photoelectron spectroscopic investigations of the structures and properties of polymers.
| Prof Tan Kuang Lee
A/Prof Kang En Tang
A/Prof Neoh Koon Gee
National University of Singapore |
Since 1988, A/Prof Kang, A/Prof Neoh and Prof Tan have investigated extensively into the important characteristics of polymeric and macromolecular materials through the use of surface analytical techniques, in particular the X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. The team's contribution lies in the important and significant advancement to the understanding of the characteristics of polymers, as well as the development of techniques for facilitating the study and investigations of the structures of materials.
Regarded as one of the leading research teams in the field of surface science of polymers, the team has published over 120 publications in refereed international journals on the subject and was invited to contribute chapters in three advanced science and handbook series. In addition, the team was invited to contribute to special journal issues and to present plenary, keynote and invited lectures in numerous international conferences and symposia.
A comprehensive understanding of the properties of materials is vital to the discovery of their new applications. In this respect, the team's research has immense industrial significance, as testified by the several patents being awarded or are pending. In addition, research collaboration or consultancy with local R&D organisations like the Institute of Microelectronics and overseas institutes and companies have been initiated. This is an unequivocal endorsement of the importance of their work to the research community and industry.
The team exemplified the spirit of multi-disciplinary research in the University. Since the establishment of the Surface Science Laboratory in NUS in 1988, the team has been instrumental in promoting surface and materials science research in a multi-disciplinary context. Their efforts have paved the way for closer cooperation among researchers of different disciplines in academic institutions and in industry.
For their outstanding contributions in photoelectron spectroscopic investigations of the structures and properties of polymers, A/Prof Kang En Tang, A/Prof Neoh Koon Gee and Prof Tan Kuang Lee are awarded the 1996 National Science Award.
National Science Award 1996
For their outstanding contributions in research of gene immunotherapy in gynaecological cancers
| Dr Tay Sun Kuie, Singapore General Hospital
Dr Ang Peng Tiam, Singapore General Hospital
Dr Hui Kam Man, Institute of Molecular and Cell Biology, NUS |
Dr Tay, Dr Ang and Dr Hui have made important contributions to cancer treatment using gene immunotherapy. Beginning in 1984 when Dr Hui was one of the members in a group to elucidate on the transfer of genes into cancer cells, the team's work has brought the discovery a step further by the completion of the human Phase I/II clinical trial.
Clinical trials indicated a remarkable 50% regression of tumours of the ovary and cervix with no detectable side-effects. This result is even more significant in view of the fact that the patients have demonstrated resistance to treatment by chemotherapy. In this respect, the gene immunotherapy may herald a new and potent method of treating cancer, an addition to our arsenal of conventional cancer treatment like chemotherapy and radiotherapy.
The impact of the team's work to the worldwide scientific community is exemplified by its citing in an editorial published in Lancet, a prestigious medical journal. Besides numerous publications on the subject on the mechanisms by which cancer cells are destroyed through gene immunotherapy, the team has developed pharmacotherapeutic preparations for gene therapy, the composition of which is dependent on the tissue types of the patient. The results of their work form the basis for future studies and development of new modality of human cancer therapy in gynaecological cancers and other types of malignancies.
The achievement of the team has gained worldwide recognition, and has given credibility to Singapore as a key research centre for cancer treatment by gene therapy. For their outstanding contributions in research in gene immunotherapy in cancers, Dr Tay Sun Kuie, Dr Ang Peng Tiam and Dr Hui Kam Man are presented the 1996 National Science Award.
National Technology Award 1996
For their outstanding contributions in the development of the Chinese Dictation Kit
| Mr Daniel Lau Chin Hua, Apple Computer Limited
Mr Yuan Baosheng, Apple-ISS Research Centre
Mr He Liang, Apple Computer Limited
Mr Lin Zhiwei, Apple-ISS Research Centre |
Launched in October 1995, the Chinese Dictation Kit has been hailed as a breakthrough in speech recognition. It is a speech dictation system that converts Mandarin speech into text and was developed to address the difficulty of entering Chinese characters for computing. The combined research and development by the team from Apple Computer and Apple-ISS Research Centre paid off in the form of a mainstream product.
The conventional methods of entering Chinese characters are less than ideal as they are either slow or require much training on the part of the user. To address this problem, Mr Daniel Lau, Mr Yuan, Mr He, Mr Lin and their teams at Apple Computer and Apple-ISS Research Centre have come out with an ingenious solution - entering the Chinese characters through speech. The Chinese Dictation Kit thus epitomises a shift in paradigm, away from the restrictions imposed by the Roman keyboard to a new and exciting avenue of character entry through speech.
The Chinese Dictation Kit has been highly acclaimed and internationally recognised. This is testified by the 'Best Software Product' and the highest honour 'Best of Best' Award given in Comdex/Asia 95, and numerous rave reviews by computer professionals.
The product is being marketed in Singapore, China and Taiwan, and in view of the huge Chinese market, it has the potential to set the industrial standard for such products. With future upgraded versions in the pipeline, the stage is for the Chinese Dictation Kit to prove itself in technological innovation and commercial success.
For their outstanding contributions in the development of the Chinese Dictation Kit, Mr Daniel Lau Chin Hua, Mr He Liang, Mr Yuan Baosheng and Mr Lin Zhiwei are awarded the 1996 National Technology Award.
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