Academia Sinica held its biennial Convocation of Academicians from July 2 to July 5, which focuses on electing new academicians. The list of 21 academician-elects of 2018 was published later that week, including NSRRC BOT member, Dr. Bon-Chu Chung and NSRRC User, Prof. Chien-Hong Cheng. They have been recognized and honored for their expertise in the Life Sciences and Mathematics and Physical Sciences, respectively.
Academia Sinica supports research activities in a wide variety of disciplines, ranging from mathematical and physical sciences to life sciences, engineering sciences, humanities and social sciences. Academicians are grouped into four divisions: Mathematics and Physical Sciences, Engineering Sciences, Life Sciences, and Humanities and Social Sciences. A maximum number of ten new academicians is elected in each of the four divisions during the biennial Convocation.
Dr. Bon-Chu Chung is a distinguished research fellow at Institute of Molecular Biology, Academia Sinica. Dr. Chung’s research area is in the studies of steroid functions and regulation using techniques in molecular, cellular, and developmental biology. She has delineated the mechanisms that control the synthesis of steroids in different species including human, mouse, and zebrafish. Her group also uncovered the function of steroids in zebrafish early embryogenesis.
Prof. Chien-Hong Cheng is affiliated to Chemistry, National Tsing Hua University. He runs Organometallic Laboratory and focuses on studies related organometallic and electroluminescent materials. His interest is directed to transition metal complexes as catalysts to form carbon-carbon bonds of various types and the chemistry related to these catalytic reactions.