The Academy of Sciences for the Developing World (TWAS) announced the election of three Academia Sinica academicians among its 2009 list of new members on October 20. In addition, a further four scholars from Taiwan received awards from the Academy. The 11th General Conference and 20th General Meeting of TWAS were held from October 20 to 23 in Durban, South Africa.

The three new TWAS members are Academician Wen-Hsiung Li, Director of the Biodiversity Research Center; Academician Che-Kun James Shen, Distinguished Research Fellow of the Institute of Molecular Biology; and Academician Lih J. Chen, Deputy Minister of the National Science Council.

In addition, two other scholars from Academia Sinica and a further two Taiwanese scholars received awards from TWAS: Dr. Huey-Lang Yang, Distinguished Professor of the Institute of Biotechnology and the Director of Center of Biotechnology of National Cheng Kung University was awarded the Agricultural Science Prize, and the Deputy Dean of the College of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science and the Distinguished Professor of Graduate Institute of Electronics Engineering of National Taiwan University, Dr. Liang-Gee Chen received an Engineering Sciences Award. From Academia Sinica, Academician Cheng-Wen Wu was awarded the TWAS Regional Prize; and Dr. Che Alex Ma, Assistant Research Fellow of Genomics Research Center was elected as a 2009 TWAS Young Affiliate, an honor given each year to exceptional scientists below 40.

Academician Li Wen-Hsiung is the Director of the Biodiversity Research Center and also the professor of Ecology & Evolution Department at the University of Chicago, specializing in bioinformatics and the use of informatics tools and techniques to study the field of evolutionary biology.

Dr. Che-Kun James Shen's research focuses on the mammalian globin gene switch and genes that play roles in learning and memory in specific neurodegenerative diseases.
Dr. Lih J. Chen’s major research interests are the synthesis and applications of low-dimensional nanomaterials, atomic scale structures and dynamic processes of advanced materials and the metallization in integrated circuits devices.

Dr. Huey-Lang Yang's expertise includes biotechnology, vaccines, and diagnostics. His success in the development of fish oral vaccine and its application in the prevention of viral disease in aquaculture have won international recognition.

Dr. Liang-Gee Chen's research interests are multimedia digital signal processing algorithms, architectures, and IC design.

Dr. Cheng-Wen Wu's research focuses on the molecular mechanisms of lung cancer initiation, progression and metastasis, and Dr. Che Alex Ma's expertise is the study of membrane protein structural biology and its application to drug discovery.

TWAS is the world's leading academy for scientists from the developing world and an autonomous international organization. Its membership currently consists of more than 900 eminent scientists, more than 80 percent of whom live and work in the South. Founded and based in 1983 in Trieste, TWAS also sponsors a large number of research and training programs for scientists from the developing world. The main mission of TWAS is to promote scientific excellence and capacity in the South for science-based sustainable development.