Outstanding Researcher Award

"I would like to nurture our young and talented clinicians and scientists to aspire to greater heights and contribute significantly to biomedical research."

• Stem cell biology and regenerative medicine
• Tissue engineering of musculoskeletal tissues
• Human motion (gait) analysis
• Paediatric Orthopaedics & Rehabilitation

• A pioneer in the study of mesenchymal stem cells for the repair and regeneration of chondral (articular cartilage) defects in adults and physeal (growth plate) defects in long bones of children – now at the stage of clinical application
• The use of bioresorbable 3-D scaffolds as carriers for cells and growth factors to promote healing and repair of musculoskeletal tissues

• Passion for discovering new knowledge to provide and improve medical care to those suffering from growth arrest and cartilage defects
• Persevering efforts to develop innovative solutions to clinical problems

• Co-edited a book titled Stem Cells: From Bench to Bedside in 2005
• Published extensively in international journals such as Tissue Engineering and Stem Cells and Cell Transplantation as well as other peer-reviewed clinical journals such as American Journal of Sports Medicine and Journal of Bone and Joint Surgery

• Member of International Paediatric Orthopaedic Think Tank, a prestigious group of the world's top 70 paediatric orthopaedic surgeons
• Member of the American Orthopedic Association
• Member, Editorial Board, Journal of Paediatric Orthopaedics A (American) and B (European), premier journals in the field of paediatric orthopaedics, and Gait and Posture, the premier international journal on Gait Analysis
• Reviewer for the Journal of Bone and Joint Surgery and Journal of Orthopaedic Research, top clinical and research journals in orthopaedics
• Presidential Guest Speaker for the 2004 meeting of the British Orthopaedic Associaton in United Kingdom

• Awarded the President's Social Service Award in 2004, Public Administration (Silver) Medal in 2003 and Public Service Medal (PBM) in 1998 for his dedicated involvement in various voluntary welfare organisations for over two decades
• The only person outside of North America to win research awards twice from the Paediatric Orthopaedic Society of North America – the David H Sutherland Pioneer Award (1993) and the Robert B Salter Scientific Paper Award (1996) – for Most Outstanding Basic Science Research Paper
• Gallie-Bateman Prize for Research in Basic Science, University of Toronto (1979)