Emeritus Prof Dr Cheong Soon Keng and his co-researchers were awarded the
prestigious Malaysia Toray Science Foundation (MTSF) Science & Technology
Award 2021. This award is only given out every year to two outstanding
Malaysian scientists/researchers in the country in recognition of
outstanding achievements, discoveries or contributions in Science and
Technology. Each award comes with the prize of RM30,000.
Emeritus Prof Dr Cheong, Dean of UTAR
Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences,
and his co-researchers in the Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Prof
Dr Choo Kong Bung, Prof Dr Ong Han Kiat, Dr Leong Pooi Pooi and Dr Teoh Hoon
Koon, won the award based on their research on induced pluripotent stem
cells and mesenchymal stem cells.
Prof Cheong and his team of researchers are the first in the country to
derive IPSC-cancer cell lines from multiple cancers and establish a biobank
for these cell lines for research purposes.
Prof Dr Cheong said that, “The Award is an honour to the group of
researchers and a recognition of our stem cell research which has been
conducted in the UTAR medical faculty for the past decade.”
UTAR President congratulates the Prof Cheong and his co-researchers, “UTAR
is proud of the group’s achievements and the MTSF award. UTAR is one of the
few private universities in the country which has set up the medical
equipment and facilities for stem cell research, and I am happy to see that
the researchers’ commitment and immense efforts have come to fruition and
are recognised through this MTSF Award.”
Among the general criteria for selecting the two winners (in the country) of
the annual MTSF Science & Technology Award is that the winners must have
made an original, revolutionary and important invention or a major
scientific discovery or discoveries which contributed to the enhancement of
scientific knowledge, or the provision of a solution to a major technology
problem with an economically viable solution.
The Malaysia Toray Science Foundation was established in 1993 through an
endowment by Toray Industries Inc, Japan. The Foundation is registered with
and is recognized by the Malaysian authority as a charitable organization
formed to promote and advance science and technology in Malaysia.
UTAR congratulates Prof Cheong and his co-researchers on this prestigious
MTSF Science & Technology Award 2021.
UTAR will continue with its focus on teaching and R&D excellence, and will
continue to contribute to the progress of science and technology in
Malaysia. With nine endowed chairs which are research focused, 35 research
centres, the Global Research Network and close to 500 international and
local MoU partners, UTAR will continue with its various R&D initiatives and
its support for studies and research in science, technology, engineering and
mathematics.
Screenshot of the announcement by MTSF at its e-ceremony
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