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Foreword

Professor Ling Eng Ang was born into a rubber tapper family in Si awan, Perak, Malaysia during the Second World War. He was educated in a local Chinese High School before enrolling at the Na onal Taiwan University for a Bachelor’s degree in Zoology. In Taiwan, he literally was swept off his feet when he found his life-long love, Mrs Ling (who was also an undergraduate there). He later set foot in England and pursued a PhD degree in The Physiological Laboratory at the University of Cambridge under the tutelage of Professor EN Willmer, FRS, a superb cytologist/histologist working on the fi ne structure of the cephalic organ and proboscis of nemer ne worms using electron microscopy .His s nt at Cambridge was followed immediately by a post-doctoral fellowship at McGill University, Montreal, Canada with Professor CP Leblond, FRS, who was then the top histologist in North America.

Professor Ling joined the Department of Anatomy, University of Singapore in July 1972 as a lecturer, being the youngest ever recruited at age 26 years old, and has been teaching undergraduates and postgraduates Histology and Gross Anatomy ever since. When the academic year 1972/73 started, one of the fi rst bioscience students he taught was this author himself! His teaching has always been described as very precise, concise, me culous and comprehensive. As young undergraduates, every one of us was inspired and awe-struck by excellent and great teachers, many of whom we tried to emulate. One such a teacher is none other than Professor Ling.

In 1979, I have had the good fortune to become Professor Ling’s fi rst PhD student, jointly supervised by Dr Wong Wai Chow, formerly Head of the Anatomy Department. It was only then that I realized the research fi eld of Professor Ling-namely “MICROGLIA”. He has shown steadfastness and dogged “stubbornness” in pursuing his research without wavering from the main theme ever since he embarked on this fi eld of endeavor since the 1970s. Over the next 4 decades, he was able to lay claim as the person who discovered the “origin of microglia” from the circula ng blood monocytes employing a very simple technique of carbon labeling, using the common “Indian Ink”. Today, he is recognized

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as the most coherent and prominent researcher who has discovered the origin of the elusive microglia and their roles in neuroinfl amma on and neurodegenera on. Professor Ling was amongst the fi rst to show the transforma on of ac vated microglia into macrophages (with ensuing secre on of chemokines and cytokines) wherever there is ssue damage or injury in the central nervous system. Using the corpus callosum in the brain as a research model, he showed convincingly and conclusively that ac vated microglia transformed into phagocytes (i.e. macrophages) in the central nervous system, using some of the most elegant yet simplis c research techniques available then. Using various loci/nuclei in the brain and the spinal cord, Professor Ling further confi rmed beyond doubt that microglia transformed into macrophages to mediate wound healing, and that these ac vated macrophages were all derived ul mately from the circula ng blood monocytes.

In conclusion, let us salute and congratulate Professor Ling Eng Ang for his great achievements and countless contribu ons to Neuroscience, and for being bestowed with the “Life Time Achievement Award” by the Singapore Neuroscience Associa on.

Sam Wah, Samuel TAYAssociate Professor

Deputy Head, Department of AnatomyYong Loo Lin School of Medicine

Na onal University of Singapore

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“ Dear Professor Ling,

When I was a student in Munich I read your papers on microglia with a keen interest and now, almost 30 years later, I s ll pay a en on to your and your fellow workers’ publica ons.

Thirty years of peer respect. That is probably the biggest compliment I can make as a fellow microglia researcher.

I wish you all the best for the coming years! ”Manuel GRAEBER

ProfessorNeuropathologist

Barnet-Cropper Chair of Brain Tumor ResearchBrain & Mind Research Ins tute, Sydney Medical School

Room 204, QEII Building (D02), Western AvenueThe University of Sydney NSW 2006

AUSTRALIATel: +61 2 9114 4008

Fax: +61 2 9351 0731Email: manuel.graeber@sydney.edu.au or manuel@graeber.net

At work in his offi ce

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“ Dr. Ling is a gentleman in the neurosciences. He fosters camaraderie for collabora ons amongst his colleagues, he has a passionate desire to improve our understanding of the sciences, and he has the best interests of his colleagues and trainees in mind. Besides an interna onal reputa on as a very well respected and knowledgeable individual, Dr. Ling is foremost a neuroscien st who has made major discoveries. It has been my privilege to have interacted with Dr. Ling. ”

Voon Wee YONGProfessor

Departments of Oncology and Clinical NeurosciencesUniversity of Calgary

3330 Hospital Drive NWCalgary, Alberta T2N 4N1

Tel: (403) 220-3544Fax: (403) 283-8731

Email vyong@ucalgary.ca

Once a tennis loverWith his wife in Qingdao

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“ In 1988, as an anxious young student looking for guidance and direc ons, I was fortunate to meet a famous scholar from Singapore in a seminar and eventually convinced him to be one of my PHD technical commi ee advisors. Twenty three years have passed since I fi rst became his student. Professor Ling has always been my idol both in academic and personal characters. He not only provided great guidance and led me into the academic arena but also constantly encouraged me to stay persistent and enthusias c in this long, boring, and tough research path. Professor Ling and I were separated by a long geographical distance back then and not able to stay together every day in doing research. But through numerous mail communica ons and disserta on sugges ons from him, I discovered and learned from his academic exper se and professional passion. His constant encouragement was the major mo va on for my con nuous endeavor in the research areas over the past years. His op mism and self-belief also bring us con nuous confi dence in pursuing our academic dream. Professor Ling is the most warm, respectable, and inspiring scholar I have ever met. He believed in great academic discipline. However, he never put much pressure on students. He always appeared warm and courteous yet s ll gained tremendous respect from all students. He has many students and friends in Taiwan and always travelled frequently to help bridge academic coopera on and sharing between two countries. Many friends of mine have received Professor Ling’s help and guidance and everyone considered him as an idol as me. Everyone else probably has his own special connec on and story with Professor Ling. But to me, Professor Ling is just like a father. I will never forget his love, caring, and help through my whole academic life. I will always admire him as a true scholar, master, and father. ” CH WU

Associate ProfessorDepartment of Anatomy, China Medical University

91, Hsueh-Shih Road, Taichung 404, Taiwan

Tel: 886-4-22053366 ext 2123Fax: 886-4-22032285

E-mail: microgli@mail.cmu.edu.tw

Tiananmen Square Beijing

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“ Prof. Ling EngAng has been engaged in studies of microglial cells in the central nervous system over the years. He has made novel and important contribu ons to the understanding of the origin of microglia and their development and func ons. In addi on to his outstanding achievements and great infl uence, Prof. Ling has furnished many ideas and much inspira on for the work of others and provided constant and frui ul support to his students. I am proud to have Prof. Ling as my supervisor, and I am deeply grateful to him for his generous guidance and support. ”

AJ HAOProfessor

Head, Department of Histology and EmbryologyShandong University School of Medicine

Jinan Shandong 250012China

E-mail: aijunhao@sdu.edu.cn

With PhD supervisor Prof E N Willmer

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“ On the occasion of your being honored as the inaugural recipient of the Life Time Achievement Award sponsored by the Singapore Neuroscience Associa on, I am truly delighted to share my personal perspec ve of your outstanding accomplishments in science generally, and neuroscience in par cular. I was fi rst drawn to your elegant work on the morphology and neurochemical coding of autonomic neurons. I only found out that microglia was your true passion when I fi rst visited you in 1996. Truthfully, I failed to recognize, like many others at that me, the poten al impact microglia would have on neurons. Sixteen years later, microglia and cytokines are prominently featured in almost every major paper dealing with diseases of neural origin. A remarkable feature of your discovery is that it transcends several disciplines; and, it is not only related to the fi eld of neuroscience; an achievement few scien sts can lay claim. Life Time Achievement Award recognizes your exemplary contribu on to the fi eld of neuroscience, as well as, your mentorship to graduate students and junior scien sts. The fact that many of the facul es who serve the University were your former students or research fellows is a clear testament of your legacy in the department and faculty. On a personal note, I have valued your sound advice on scien fi c ma ers and your steadfast support over the years. I am privileged to call you a colleague and a friend. I wish you a gra fying and fulfi lling adventure in the coming years, and the good health to enjoy it for many years to come. ”

Nae J DUNProfessor

Head, Department of Pharmacology, Temple University School of Medicine,

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19140, USA.

With PhD graduates (Department of Anatomy, NUS)

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“ Professor Ling is a pioneer in microglia research and he has been widely acknowledged for his work interna onally. I did my PhD under his supervision inves ga ng the origin of microglia. The guidance, support and advice that I received from him over the years have helped me to carve out my own niche in academia and be where I am today. ”

Charanjit KAURProfessor

Department of AnatomyYong Loo Lin School of Medicine

Na onal University of Singapore

With PhD graduate Ms Yingnan and Professor Bay Boon Huat

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“ Professor Ling Eng-Ang, the Head of Anatomy Department from Na onal University of Singpore, was invited by the President Feng to visit Kunming Medical University in Oct, 2003. President Feng has reached a consensus with Anatomy Department of NUS to help our school on the development of young teachers and graduate students, Professor Ling was invited to be an Honorary Professor of Kunming Medical University. Professor Ling has given great support and help on the development of young teachers and graduate students during the past decade. He has visited our school many mes and gave guidances on the scien fi c research and teaching of our school. Professor Ling also took 11 teachers, 5

Laboratory Technician of Anatomy and 2 graduate students with him to study at NUS, which has greatly improved their scien fi c research abili es. A er they returned to China, 7 teachers’ research were funded by the Na onal Natural Science Founda on of China, 5 teachers’ projects were funded by Provincial Natural Science Founda on of Yunnan and 23 papers were indexed by SCI. In 2011, with the help of Professor Ling, NUS accepted another 16 teachers to study on English teaching and greatly improved their ability to teach in English. Professor Ling is an important envoy in the communica ons and coopera ons between our school and NUS. ”

Jun SUNProfessor

Dean, Faculty of Basic Medical SciencesKunming Medical University

Yunnan 650500China

sunjun6661@126.com

With collaborators at Shanghai Second Military Medical University

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“ Professor Eng-Ang Ling has been at the forefront of experimental neuroscience research for almost forty years. He has been a pioneer in studies on the development of microglia and its pivotal role in several major neurological pathologies. He has also made signifi cant contribu ons to other aspects of the fi eld of neurodegenera on. Thanks to his studies, we now have a be er understanding of how interac ons between neurons and glia, in par cular microglia, impact the progression of diseases and injuries in the central nervous system. ”

Håkan ALDSKOGIUSProfessor of Medical Structural Biology, Uppsala University

Department of NeurosciencePO Box 587

SE-751 23 UppsalaSweden

Tel: +46-18-471 4111Fax: +46-18-55 90 17

Email: Hakan.Aldskogius@neuro.uu.se

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“ Professor Ling Eng Ang-Mentor ExtraordinaireMy fi rst encounter with Prof Ling was in 1977 when I started Medical School at the Faculty of Medicine, University of Singapore. He was known as an excellent Histology lecturer who bore some resemblance to the then Deputy Prime Minister of Singapore, Dr. Toh Chin Chye. Li le was I to know that our paths would cross again some 15 years later, when I joined the academia. He is not just a revered senior colleague but a person who has gone out of his way to make a diff erence in my life. Many tenets of life which I hold dearly (such as the value of team spirit) are inspired by Prof Ling. A world authority on microglia, he would easily qualify as one of the “scien fi c whales” which Singapore is trying to a ract (if he were a foreign talent). Yet, he is a man who has never forgo en his humble origin. He used to enthrall us with stories of his encounters with snakes as a young boy, when he had to tap rubber trees in the early hours of the morning in his hometown, Si awan, Perak and how he struggled to master the English language as a doctoral student in Cambridge as he was from the Chinese stream. He is indeed the epitome of the Medical School’s mo o: “Not by pride of knowledge but by humility of wisdom”.Under his leadership, the Department of Anatomy has been transformed to its present state. But perhaps the most important legacy that Prof Ling is leaving behind is the mul ple lives that he has touched. He is a mentor who would go the extra mile to help a junior staff in mes of need. Many of us have benefi ed immensely from his wise counsel and guidance.In my recent travel abroad, I saw a boat moored at the river bank. Although one part of the river was tranquil, there were also swirling waters downstream (see photograph a ached). It reminds me of our lives where at mes, we may encounter turbulent waters but it is comfor ng to know that there are people like Prof Ling who are on the boat, ever ready to extend their hands to pull us to safety. ” Boon Huat BAY

Professor Head, Department of Anatomy

Yong Loo Lin School of MedicineNa onal University of Singapore

With Professor Satkunanantham and colleagues in International Anatomical Sciences and Cell Biology Conference 2010

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“ As one of his many mentees, I am indeed proud to write this statement. Prof Ling always maintains a strong and passionate interest in microglia research and has made signifi cant eff orts to pass his valuable knowledge and interest to the next genera on of scien sts. Over the years, he has achieved many accolades including Faculty Research Excellence Award and held several high profi le administra ve posi ons. Nevertheless, he is simple and approachable and always keeps his doors open for discussions for all levels of people, from students to high profi le administrators. I feel that he, from his simple life style, off ers a lot for the young genera on to learn: simplicity, leadership, sustained thirst for knowledge, proud to be Asianic and more. Not only is Prof Ling a great neuroscien st but he is also a gem of a person. It is only fi ng that this gem enjoys all the adula on and respect of the en re neuroscience community in Singapore and beyond. May he be blessed with all the appropriate things for his extraordinary personality! ”

S Thameem DHEENAssociate Professor

Assistant Head, Department of AnatomyYong Loo Lin School of Medicine

Na onal University of Singapore

Enjoying ice-cream bars with Prof Lu Jia in Nanjing

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“ Prof Ling has been a constant pillar of support and encouragement since my early research days as his PhD student. He was always concerned about the progress of my work and even came into the laboratory to supervise and demonstrate techniques to me. His mentorship never ceased even when I went on to become a Principal Inves gator and we have con nued to collaborate on countless occasions. His selfl ess dedica on to and passion in the fi eld has allowed him to con nuously pursue excellence in neuroscience. As a teacher, he is always generous with his guidance, and I am truly grateful to have benefi ed from Prof Ling’s teaching. He is certainly a commi ed mentor who has le an indelible impact in my life. ”

Jia LUAssociate Professor

DSO Na onal Laboratories (Kent Ridge)27 Medical Drive,

#12-01 Singapore 117510(65) 6485 7204

antlj@nus.edu.sg; ljia@dso.org.sg

With collaborators in Guangzhou

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“ When I fi rst got to know Professor Ling Eng Ang as a junior colleague in the Department of Anatomy more than 30yrs ago, he was to soon impress me with his enthusiasm for teaching and a great sense of curiosity that was to spur him on in his research endeavours. As a colleague, he was quick to connect as a congenial and caring person who was very willing to off er help in his capacity as a more experienced staff member. Indeed, I have benefi ted from his mentorship in research which helped me greatly with my very fi rst publica on in a reputable Anatomical Jounal.Prof Ling quickly established himself as a much liked teacher of Anatomy and a er many years it was common to see older medical graduates, taught by him, asking about their” favourite Histology teacher”. Notable among his traits was a simple outlook in life and importantly, a strong sense of discipline. Combined with a strong passion for his fi eld of research, he soon established himself on the world map as a leader in the study of microglia. In this capacity, he has helped and inspired countless students both locally and abroad.His strength as an administrator was to emerge when he was appointed head of the Department of Anatomy more than ten years ago. In this capacity, he was able to steer the Department into prominence in both teaching and research. This was made possible by his sense of foresight and ability to understand and exploit the strengths of individual staff members.An outstanding development during his tenure as head was the renova on and upgrading of the Anatomy Museum which not only provides for the educa on of students from numerous facul es but has become an iconic landmark in the School of Medicine and a must see place for many visitors from abroad to NUS.Though many would look towards the golden years as a me to slow down, Prof Ling has channeled his experience and energy not only to con nue teaching but also to mentor and assist jnior staff members and even extend his exper se on a voluntary basis to help students from overseas.While many who have worked with him would be able to emulate some of his traits, the natural ap tude for the kind of achievement he has shown may be hard to repeat. ”

Rajendran KAssociate Professor

Department of AnatomyYong Loo Lin School of Medicine

Na onal University of Singapore

With colleagues when attending conference in Japan

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“ As a world-class neuroscience research scien st, Prof Ling has achieved a great deal in the study of neuroglia, especially microglia. He has also made big contribu on to the development of neuroscience educa on and research in the Department of Anatomy. This award is indeed well-deserved and mely. I am personally grateful to Prof Ling for his valuable mentoring, supports and helps over the years. It has been my great pleasure and honor to have the opportuni es to collaborate with Prof Ling in neuroscience research, and I certainly look forward to many more such occasions in the future. ”

LIANG FengyiAssociate Professor

Department of AnatomyYong Loo Lin School of Medicine

Na onal University of Singapore

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“ Professor Ling Eng Ang was Head of Department of Anatomy from 1998-2008, a period in the history of the Medical School that saw many changes to both medical research funding and medical educa on. Prof Ling provided leadership and guidance for the Anatomy Department throughout this period. He was instrumental in reminding us of the central mission of the Department, to provide excellent medical educa on to undergraduates. The quality educa on that the medical students received must have helped countless Singaporeans. We are grateful to him for standing his ground, and showing by self-example the spirit of dedica on and self-giving for benefi t of students.

Prof Ling is also a research inves gator par excellence. A consummate researcher with a keen sense of observa on and with great breadth of knowledge, he has earned a name as a world leader in the fi eld of microglia. Prof Ling has a keen ability to grasp the signifi cance and importance of experimental data, arriving at insigh ul interpreta ons that stand up to the rigor of subsequent experimental verifi ca on by scien sts from other parts of the world. This gi has helped him and his team to clarify the role of glial cells in the brain in par cular, the origin and func on of microglia; using a range of techniques from carbon dye labelling to microarray and gene expression studies. Since microglia are capable of prolonged ac va on, and respiratory burst to produce superoxide radicals that are damaging to ssues, these studies are crucial to our understanding of age-related neurodegenera ve diseases, which are threatening to become a major health problem in many Asian countries, including Singapore. The studies are seminal to our understanding of this cell type, with a view to neuroprotec ve strategies for ageing, and indeed will con nue to be a beacon for others to follow for many years to come.

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Being insigh ul in his interpreta on has also borne fruit in terms of scien fi c cita ons – more than 4500, and Prof Ling now ranks amongst the most highly cited professors in NUS. Prof Ling also provided leadership in se ng up many of the research facili es in the Department, including cell culture facili es, proteomics laboratory, and molecular biology labs, that complement the tradi onal strengths in histology and electron microscopy. Prof Ling has many research students and protégées from as far afi eld as China, Taiwan and India, many of whom are now senior staff members of universi es and research ins tu ons here and abroad.

Prof Ling is also a quintessen al Chinese scholar and gentleman, well-versed in the classics and art. I have had the benefi t of witnessing his wisdom. This includes upright living, integrity, courtesy, fairness, frugal to self, but encouragement and help of others, and showing hospitality. I always enjoy his Chinese idioms, humorously and aptly applied to situa ons. I also do know that he is a very good ar st. As a fi rst year Dental student in 1981; I was inspired by the very clear and detailed drawings on the blackboard with colored chalk. It always was a joy to a end Prof Ling’s lectures.

I congratulate Prof Ling on being awarded the inaugural SNA Life me Achievement Award 2012. He is indeed a most worthy recipient of this award, having been outstanding in teaching, research, and leadership. ”

ONG Wei YiAssociate Professor

Department of AnatomyYong Loo Lin School of Medicine

Na onal University of Singapore

Team Anatomy - 2011

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“ Professor E A Ling is highly regarded as a leading neuroscien st both interna onally and locally. His research in Neuroscience over the past decades has made tremendous contribu ons to the fi eld, and has been highly cited. In addi on, he is an excellent teacher, and has taught thousands of medical and dental students. Many of his former students have taken up leadership posi ons in society, a great tes monial to Professor Ling’s success! ”

George YIPAssociate Professor

Department of AnatomyYong Loo Lin School of Medicine

Na onal University of Singapore

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Acknowledgement

Dear contributors,

I would like to thank you all for your kind words about Prof Ling. It was because of your mely contribu on, this tes monial book was made possible.

Associate Professor S Thameem DHEENPresidentSingapore Neuroscience Associa on

Compiled by

Mr. Tuck-Yong YICKMs. Madhuvika MURUGANMr. Parakalan RANGARAJAN