AsianScientist (Jan. 19, 2017) – Professor Jackie Y. Ying, founding executive director of the Institute of Bioengineering and Nanotechnology (IBN), has won the 2017 Abdeali Tayebali Lifetime Achievement Award. Ying, who is the first woman to receive the award since it was launched in 2012, was recognized for her contributions to society through research and for nurturing future generations of Singapore researchers.
“I am very fortunate to work in a field that allows me to contribute towards improving peoples’ lives. Scientific research paves the way for technological breakthroughs that have the potential to transform healthcare and benefit society,” said Ying. “I am deeply honored that our efforts are recognized outside the scientific community and I hope that this would inspire more young people to pursue research.”
Mr. Ameerali Abdeali, Chairman of the Abdeali Tayebali Family Trust, said, “Prof. Jackie Ying was selected to be the fifth Recipient of the Award as the selection panel was deeply impressed by her extraordinary achievements in her career in the field of nanotechnology. She serves as a role model and an inspiration to young Singaporeans to pursue excellence in science and technology.”
Established in the memory of the late philanthropist Mr. Abdeali Hj. Tayebali, the award seeks to recognize individuals who inspire others through their courage, spirit of adventure, inter-cultural tolerance, compassion and dedication to serving the community. Past winners include Dr. William Wan, who founded the Singapore Kindness Movement, Mr. Wan Hussin Zoohri, a founding member of Mendaki, Mr. K V Veloo, pioneer of social service development in Singapore, and Dr. Kumaran Rasappan, the first Singapore Indian to scale Mount Everest.
Ying is internationally renowned for her research in nanotechnology, which has wide-ranging applications in drug delivery, cell and tissue engineering, biosensors and diagnostics, pharmaceuticals synthesis, green chemistry and energy. Her award-winning inventions include a glucose-responsive delivery insulin system for diabetic patients, miniaturized portable devices for rapid and accurate diagnosis of infectious diseases, as well as paper-based assays for dengue detection with saliva.
Among her many global accolades are the American Institute of Chemical Engineers’ “One Hundred Engineers of the Modern Era,” Technology Review’s TR100 Young Innovators Award, World Economic Forum’s Young Global Leader, Singapore Women’s Hall of Fame, and the Mustafa Prize Laureate for Top Scientific Achievement. Ying was also selected by The Muslim 500 in 2012, 2013, 2014 and 2015 to be one of the world’s 500 most influential Muslims.
The Abdeali Tayebali Lifetime Achievement award was presented to Ying by Speaker of Parliament, Madam Halimah Yacob, who was the Guest-of-Honor at the award presentation ceremony on January 14, 2017.
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Source: A*STAR; Photo: IBN.
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