Vivian Yam
Vivian Yam Wing-wah | |
|---|---|
| Born | February 10, 1963 British Hong Kong |
| Occupation(s) | Chemist, Professor |
| Years active | 1988–present |
| Known for | Research on light-emitting substances, solar energy harvesting, OLED technology |
Professor Vivian Yam Wing-wah (born 10 February 1963) CSci, CChem, FRSC, is a distinguished chemist from Hong Kong and holds the distinction of being the youngest woman inducted into the Chinese Academy of Sciences. In 2011, she received the prestigious L'Oréal-UNESCO Awards for Women in Science for her pioneering research on light-emitting substances and innovative approaches to solar energy harvesting.
Early years and education
Originating from British Hong Kong, Yam’s passion for science emerged independently of familial influence. She completed her studies at an Anglican grammar school before obtaining both her B.Sc. in chemistry (1985) and PhD (1988) from the University of Hong Kong (HKU). During her time at HKU, she was actively involved with the badminton team and conducted doctoral research under the guidance of Chi-Ming Che.
Career
In 1988, Yam began her academic career at the Department of Applied Science at City Polytechnic of Hong Kong, where she played a key role in developing foundational chemistry educational materials such as textbooks and laboratory apparatus. Towards the end of the 1980s, she pursued excited state spectroscopy research at Caltech under Harry B. Gray. Following a stint at the University of Rochester in 1990, she advanced her expertise in organometallic synthesis at Imperial College London with Nobel laureate Geoffrey Wilkinson until 1992. Her work there concentrated on luminescent metal–metal complexes and involved studying tetraethyllead, which was still employed as a petrol additive at that time.
Yam’s specialized research focuses on metals including osmium, platinum, and ruthenium. In 2001, she joined the University of Hong Kong faculty as the Philip Wong Wilson Wong Professor of Chemistry and Energy and was awarded a Fulbright Scholarship in 2007. Her laboratory concentrates on creating novel photoactive organometallic compounds that integrate metal atoms with organic ligands to efficiently absorb or emit light.
At just 38 years old, Yam was inducted into the Chinese Academy of Sciences in 2001 as its youngest female member, surpassing the previous record held by her mentor Che. She was honored as a Fellow of the Academy of Sciences for the Developing World in 2006 and later elected as a Foreign Associate of the U.S. National Academy of Sciences in 2012.
Application
Yam’s advancements in organic light emitting diodes (OLEDs) have contributed to producing brighter and more energy-efficient displays for devices such as smartphones and laptops. These OLED technologies are adaptable to various substrates including plastics and glass, enhancing applications like automotive headlights and large flat-panel televisions. Considering that lighting accounts for nearly one-fifth of global electricity usage, Yam highlights that improving efficiency through metal-based chemical lighting could substantially lower energy consumption, with potential internal quantum efficiencies reaching up to 100%.
Awards and honors
Her numerous recognitions include the HKU Outstanding Researcher Award (1999–2000), Croucher Foundation Senior Research Fellowship (2000–01), Ten Outstanding Young Persons of Hong Kong (2002), Outstanding Women Professionals and Entrepreneurs Awards (2005, 2008), State Natural Science Award (Second Class, 2005), Royal Society of Chemistry Centenary Lectureship & Medal (2005/06), Japanese Photochemistry Association Lectureship Award (2006), HKU Distinguished Research Achievement Award (2006/07), Ho Leung Ho Lee Prize for Scientific and Technological Progress (2011), L'OREAL-UNESCO Women in Science Award (2011), the 13th World Outstanding Chinese Award (2013), and the Royal Society of Chemistry's Ludwig Mond Award (2015). Additionally, asteroid 83363 Yamwingwah, discovered in 2001, bears her name. In 2016, she was listed among the Asian Scientist 100 laureates.
Personal life
In 1990, she wed Patrick Shing-Tat Mak, who was also a researcher in Che's lab. Together, they have two daughters.