HomeDate: 2018-08-01
On July 19, 2018, Academician Ding-Shinn Chen was bestowed the Order of Brilliant Star, Second Rank, by President Tsai Ing-wen in recognition of his seminal contributions to hepatitis research and especially for promoting hepatitis prevention throughout Taiwan..
In 1973, Dr. Chen found direct evidence showing that hepatitis B causes hepatocellular carcinoma (the most common type of liver cancer among the Taiwanese people) and also confirmed its route of transmission. This major discovery prompted Taiwan to carry out a large-scale hepatitis prevention and control program, making the island the first country in the world to initiate universal vaccination against hepatitis B in newborn babies. In 1996, Dr. Chen and his research team made additional breakthroughs, and published their findings regarding treatment for chronic hepatitis C through combination therapy. This resulted in the successful treatment of more than 300 million patients infected with hepatitis C.
Dr. Chen served as Dean of the College of Medicine at National Taiwan University, and was the founding director of the Hepatitis Research Center at National Taiwan University Hospital. Throughout his distinguished career, he has been honored with numerous prestigious awards, including the Ministry of Education Academic Award, Presidential Science Prize, and Baruch. S. Blumberg Prize awarded by the Hepatitis B Foundation in the United States. Dr. Chen currently serves as Distinguished Visiting Chair Professor at the Genomics Research Center of Academia Sinica, and Distinguished Chair Professor at the Department of Internal Medicine of the College of Medicine, National Taiwan University. In 1992, he was elected as an Academician of Academia Sinica.
The Order of Brilliant Star (景星勳章) is a civilian order of the Republic of China awarded by the Presidential Office to recognize outstanding contributions to the nation’s development. According to the Orders Act, this honor can be conferred on both ROC citizens and foreign nationals.
