German physicist in Macao receives nation's top award for expatriates

Erwin Neher, a German biophysicist from the Macau University of Science and Technology, has become the first expatriate scientist based in either the Hong Kong or Macao special administrative regions to receive the nation's top friendship award.

Neher, who was jointly awarded the Nobel Prize in physiology or medicine in 1991, was among 100 foreigners who were conferred with the 2024 Chinese Government Friendship Award at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, on Monday.

Established in the 1950s, the award is China's top honor to commend foreign experts for their remarkable contributions to the nation's development.

State Councilor Shen Yiqin presented the awards to the honorees at Monday's ceremony.

Shen said that the Chinese people will always remember foreign experts' outstanding contributions to the nation's modernization drive, and pledged that the Chinese government will continue to provide a broader stage for foreign experts living and working in China.

"Receiving the Chinese Government Friendship Award, indeed, a great and unexpected honor," Neher said in a written reply to China Daily.

The scientist said that beyond personal recognition, witnessing the applications of his discoveries bearing fruit in China was particularly gratifying.

Neher said he anticipates significant progress in the development of new drugs and therapies in collaboration with his Chinese colleagues.

MUST President Joseph Lee Hun-wei extended his warmest congratulations to Neher and his team. He commended the physicist's invaluable contributions to the university and to Macao, saying that the award is a well-deserved recognition of his work.

Lee praised Neher as a "role model" whose guidance has been instrumental in advancing research at MUST, believing that Neher will continue serving as a bridge to strengthen exchanges between China and Germany.

MUST will continue to collaborate with the Macao government and society to attract exceptional overseas talents to take part in propelling innovation and technology development in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area, Lee added.

A pioneer in biomedicine, Neher shared the 1991 Nobel Prize in physiology or medicine with German cell physiologist Bert Sakmann for their discoveries of the functions of single ion channels in cells. Their research has helped elaborate on the causes of heart diseases, diabetes and epilepsy, and has had a revolutionary impact on neuroscience and cell biology.

Neher joined MUST in 2016, when the university appointed him to lead a biophysics laboratory named in his honor.

The laboratory integrates ion channel research with medical research to advance the industrialization and application of traditional Chinese medicine.

Under Neher's leadership, the laboratory has achieved several research breakthroughs and acquired patents in China and Australia. The lab's research has also led to the development of a product designed to enhance antibodies for lung cancer.

The laboratory has organized several international conferences and academic lectures, and two professors from Neher's team have been recognized as top scientists in global rankings.

Neher has also led his team to engage in science education in Macao, including visiting local schools to ignite students' interest in scientific fields, and he has established in-depth collaborations with research institutions across the Greater Bay Area on high-precision physiological research methods, disease mechanism research and drug development.

stephyzhang@chinadailyhk.com