Michael M. C. Lai facts for kids
Michael Ming-Chiao Lai (Chinese: 賴明詔; pinyin: Lài Míngzhào; born 8 September 1942) is a famous scientist from Taiwan. He is a virologist, which means he studies viruses and how they affect living things.
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Early Life and Education
Michael Ming-Chiao Lai was born in Tainan, Taiwan, on September 8, 1942. He went to National Tainan First Senior High School. After that, he studied medicine at National Taiwan University.
Later, he traveled to the United States to continue his studies. He earned his advanced degree, a doctorate, from the University of California, Berkeley in 1973.
A Career in Science
After finishing his studies, Dr. Lai joined the faculty at the University of Southern California (USC) in 1973. He worked there for many years, until 2003.
During his time at USC, Dr. Lai was recognized for his important work.
- In 1992, he was chosen as a member of Academia Sinica. This is a top academic organization in Taiwan that honors leading scholars.
- In 2002, he became a fellow of the American College of Microbiology.
- From 1990, he was also a Howard Hughes Medical Investigator. This is a special role for top scientists who do important research.
When he returned to Taiwan in 2003, Academia Sinica honored him again as a distinguished fellow. In 2006, he became a fellow of The World Academy of Sciences, which is a global academy for scientists in developing countries.
Research on Viruses
Dr. Lai is especially known for his work on coronavirus. This is a type of virus that can cause illnesses, including severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS). Many people call him the "father of coronavirus research" because of his important discoveries.
He returned to Taiwan in 2003, right when the 2003 SARS outbreak was happening. He immediately started researching ways to create vaccines against SARS. He worked with another famous scientist, Ding-Shinn Chen, on this important project.
Leadership Roles
In July 2003, Dr. Lai became the vice president of Academia Sinica, taking over from Sunney Chan. He held this leadership position until 2006.
The next year, in 2007, he became the president of National Cheng Kung University (NCKU). During his time as president:
- NCKU started working with IBM Taiwan on research into nanotechnology. This is a field that deals with very tiny things.
- In 2009, researchers at NCKU made history by flying the first unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV), or drone, across the Taiwan Strait.
- Dr. Lai supported ideas to let students from China study at universities in Taiwan. He also worked to keep top professors at NCKU.
- In 2010, NCKU started an English-language medical program.
- Later that year, a team at NCKU announced new ways to use special tools called "Artificial Targeting Light Activated Nano Scissors" for gene manipulation.
Dr. Lai finished his term as NCKU president in 2011, and Hwung Hwung-hweng took over. In 2013, Dr. Lai was named a distinguished professor. He continued his important virus research, studying the H7N9 virus when it appeared in China in 2013.
Awards and Recognition
Dr. Lai has received many awards for his contributions to science:
- In 2009, he received a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Society of Chinese Bioscientists in America.
- The government of Taiwan gave him the Presidential Science Prize in 2013. This is one of the highest honors for scientists in Taiwan.
- In 2017, he won the Nikkei Asia Prize in science and technology. This award recognizes achievements that help improve people's lives in Asia.
