Bulletin No. 1, 2009

Honours and Recognition   37 Honours and Recognition Two Scholars Twice Conferred State Natural Science Award P rof. Xie Zuowei (left), Professor of Chemistry, and Prof. Chan Hsiao- chang (right), Li Ka Shing Professor of Physiology and director of the Epithelial Cell Biology Research Centre, were each conferred a second-class award of the 2008 State Natural Science Award (SNSA) in recognition of their achievements. Previously, in 1997, Prof. Xie and Prof. Chan were also conferred awards by the SNSA. Prof. Xie Zuowei was honoured for the projec t ‘Carboranes and Metallacarboranes: Synthesis, Structure and Reactivity’ he solely conducted, which focuses on the research at the interface of organic and inorganic chemistry. Prof. Chan Hsiao-chang was honoured for her collaboration with Prof. Zhang Yonglian of the Shanghai Institute of Biochemistry and Cell Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences in ’Molecular Mechanism Underlying Sperm Maturation in the Epididymis’. Their pioneering discoveries contribute significantly to the understanding of molecular mechanisms regulating male fertility. Organized by the State Council, the award is the highest honour given by the central government in recognition of advancement in basic scientific research.