TMU Honors Outstanding Alumni for Academic Year 2024

Since its founding over 65 years ago, TMU has nurtured more than 50,000 alumni who have excelled in many fields and made significant contributions around the world. In acknowledgment of their achievements and contributions, TMU specially commended them with the Outstanding Alumni Awards.

This year, Vice Superintendent Wei-Chen Lee of Linkou Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, Chairwoman Ching-Lan Lee of Yi Hsiang Medical PR Agency, and President Michael Chiang of Panion & BF Biotech Inc. were honored as outstanding alumni in the Academic Achievement Category, the Public Service Category, and the Business Management Category, respectively, for their notable contributions in each sector.

█ Academic Achievement Category

Dr. Wei-Chen Lee—an alumnus of the 22nd class of the School of Medicine—currently serves as Superintendent and Professor of General Surgery at Linkou Chang Gung Memorial Hospital. Dr. Lee is one of the pioneers of transplantation in Taiwan, with decades of dedicated work in liver transplantation and general surgery.

In 2003, Dr. Lee performed Taiwan’s first split liver transplant for two adults. In 2006, he made groundbreaking contributions to the field of medicine by successfully performing living donor liver transplantation between individuals with different blood types. The surgery overcame the challenges of immune rejection and blood type incompatibility, giving many families dealing with liver issues new hope. The technique has gained worldwide recognition and Dr. Lee has been invited to present on his research at many international conferences in Japan, the United States, South Korea, and more.

In 2011, Superintendent Lee published the “Lee Formula” used for the measurement of liver lobe volume ratios. Not only has it become an essential tool for living donor and split liver transplantation programs, but it has also been validated and adopted by the Lahey Clinic Medical Center in Burlington, Massachusetts, USA. With nearly 200 medical articles published as of today, Dr. Lee remains actively engaged with professional organizations. Dr. Lee’s over 30 years of groundbreaking work and dedication have had a profound impact on the transplantation field in Taiwan.

█ Public Service Category

Chairwoman Ching-Lan Lee—an alumna of the 8th class of the School of Nutrition and Health Sciences—holds a Master of Science in Nutrition from the Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons at Columbia University. Combining her medical expertise with media communication skills, Ms. Lee founded Yi Hsiang Medical PR Agency in 2004 and has demonstrated a strong sense of social responsibility through her long-term commitment to advocating for rare diseases, cancer, and healthcare policy.

In 2018, Ms. Lee joined the South-Link Medical Foundation, founded by Dr. Chao-Pin Hsu (also a TMU alumnus), as chairwoman. During the period, she devoted to resolving the long-standing issues of insufficient medical resources in the south link region of Taitung. Her contributions have included establishing home care centers and clinics and promoting mobile healthcare, home care, and rehabilitation services, with support from hospitals such as Chi Mei Medical Center and E-Da Healthcare Group, in the hope of realizing the vision of “aging in place.” Additionally, she signed an MOU with National Taitung University for the South Link Talent Cultivation and Retention Program, aiming to nurture healthcare talent in the local community and create a sustainable healthcare system.

In addition to all this, Ms. Lee has also been actively involved in TMU affairs. She served as President of the TMU Alumni Association from 2022 to 2023, as well as Rotating Chairperson of the USTP United Alumni Association in 2023. During her tenure, not only did she organize multiple forums on innovation and global health, but she also participated in nearly 200 events, which effectively built alumni strength both at home and abroad.

█ Business Management Category

Mr. Michael Chiang—an alumnus of the 6th class of the School of Pharmacy—currently serves as the President of Panion & BF Biotech Inc., and is also a key figure in Taiwan’s biotechnology and pharmaceutical industries. His previous work at the US-based Bristol-Myers Squibb and UK-based Johnson & Johnson provided him with a global perspective and experience, leading him to co-found Panion with eight of his classmates from the TMU School of Pharmacy. Today, the company’s subsidiaries have become cornerstones of Taiwan’s health industry.

In response to the challenge of insufficient raw material supplies during the COVID-19 outbreak, he had the foresight to acquire and secure 16 drug approvals for active pharmaceutical ingredients (API), both domestically and internationally. By doing so, he achieved vertical integration in the critical supply chain and sustained the company’s competitiveness in the global market. President Chiang not only demonstrates business excellence of an entrepreneur, but also embodies the spirit of innovation, professionalism, and social responsibility of a TMU alumnus.

By presenting the Outstanding Alumni Awards, TMU continues to recognize the exemplary achievements of alumni and expresses anticipation for accomplishments by alumni in even more sectors, ultimately leading the way into a new era of health.