Dr. Wu Lien-Teh was born in Penang in 1879, one of the three towns of the Straits Settlements (the others being Malacca and Singapore). Penang and Malacca are now part of Malaysia. His father was a goldsmith whose family immigrated from Taishan, Guandong, China whereas his mother was a second-generation Hakka residing on the island. As a young boy, his parents sent him to study at Penang Free School.
He was English-educated, a King's Scholar and the first person of Chinese descent to graduate as a medical doctor from the University of Cambridge. In 1906, he founded the Anti-Opium Association in Penang.
Dr Wu was a physician renowned for his work in public health and particularly, as the 'Plague Fighter' who stamped out the Manchurian plague of 1910–11. He was also the first Malayan and the first Chinese-heritage person nominated to receive the Nobel Prize in Medicine in 1935.
His other claim to fame is as the inventor of the Wu mask, the precursor of today's N95 mask.
This website is specially created by Mr CK Mak and Dr Yvonne Ho AM to commemorate the lifetime work in Public Health of Dr Wu Lien-Teh.
Yvonne is a medical doctor who specialises in radiology with subspecialty interests in nuclear medicine/PET, musculoskeletal imaging, administration and education.
She serves on various Boards, Council and committees of Australian public organisations. Yvonne is unique because she also has an established parallel career in music.
Speaker | Board Director | Educator | Musician | Radiologist | Nuclear Medicine Specialist
2015 Member of the Order of Australia
2014 Winner of the Australia Awards
2013 Inductee of the Victorian Honour Roll of Women
Australia Day Ambassador for the Victorian Government
Victorian Honour Roll of Women Ambassador
Director of Cambridge Healthcare
Director of Charteris Music School
CNN World :
In 1911, another epidemic swept through China. That time, the world came together.
The Star News :
Wu Lien-Teh: Malaysia's little-known plague virus fighter.
Silisos Malaysia :
Meet Dr. Wu – the Penangite who taught China how to quarantine the 1911 plague.
Penang Monthly :
WU LIEN-TEH The Father of Modern Medicine in China.
Monthly Index of Medical Specialities (MIMS) - Today :
Medical icons of Malaysia: Dr Wu Lien-teh
Says News :
A Malaysian Designed The Original N95 Mask. He Also Stopped A Plague That Killed 60,000
Free Malaysia Today :
Dr Wu Lien Teh: Malaya's Nobel Prize nominee and N95 mask inventor.
Luxuo Article :
The N95 Respirator Was Born Out of The 'Miasma' Theory’s Misinformation.
MSN News :
The Original N95 Type Mask Was Designed By A Malaysian.
The Rakyat Post :
The Original N95 Type Mask Was Designed By A Malaysian.
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