几年学习，大半年论文审理，终于还算顺利拿到了NUS的学位，附论文“Acknowledgement”部分，感谢一下见证整个故事的形形色色千姿百态的人物们。新加坡是个小小的舞台，曲终人散后灯夫很荣幸和你们同台。

Acknowledgement from the thesis of
“Nanofibrous surface modification to Ultra-thin PCL Membrane Scaffold for Cardiovascular Tissue Engineering”——

The story of cardiovascular tissue engineering in BIOMAT began when the collaboration between Prof Teoh Swee Hin and Prof Lee Chuen Neng got established in August 2004. Prof Teoh comes from a strong engineering background, determined to integrate biomedical engineering research with biological and medical concepts. Prof Lee’s clinical perspective favors our group with a strong clinic-driven appetite. Both the two major PI distinguish our research group from many others in this field.

Among the 1st batch of students embarking, the project resembled navigating on uncharted water. This pioneering nature of the project was very challenging, however highly rewarding as well. It is the supervisors’ immediate guidance that made us possible to plan my own thesis project and construct roadmap of this group research. Their mission to carry out high quality research enabled me never waste time to realize this unique idea into a true contribution to the science community.  

Prof Teoh and Prof Lee’s renowned reputation earned this group plenty of collaborative resources. Because of this, I could easily reach out and make contact with top researchers local and international such as Associate Professor Hanry Yu, cell and molecular and former vice Chairman of GPBE, Associate Professor Dietmar Hutmacher, expert in tissue engineering, Professor Michael Raghunath, expert in extra-cellular matrix biology and tissue modeling. I am very grateful to them all for showing me the way of research as well as the consistent help all the way out. In the process of research, Dr Sujeet Kumar Sinha and Associate Professor Zeng Kai Yang, experts in tribology and nano-indentation, helped me to bring a new perspective of tribology to the characterization of the new scaffold. I am very grateful to them.

Had there not sufficient support from the helpful staff, my thesis research could never be what it is now. They are from various faculties and institutes, including Ms. Deborah Loh from EM Unit, Ms. Toh Yi Er from NUMI, Ms. Tan Phay Shing, Eunice from Division of Bioengineering and Ms. Shen Lu from IMRE. Their technical support helped me consolidate all the necessary resources around campus, set up the system and develop a systematic experimental evaluation for my research.

My special thanks would go to Mr. Chong Seow Khoon, Mark, my fellow classmate, a helpful, inspiring partner who kicked off the project together. I am especially obliged to Ms. Bina Rai, Mr. Wen Feng, Ms. Tan Puay Siang, and all the colleagues in BIOMAT, giving me the feeling of being at home at work.

I would like to extend my great gratitude to GPBE 2003. Many precious memories occur in this family where foreign and local students worked together to make a colorful community, with various unforgettable trips, expedition, trekking and so on. Not to mention those days and nights while we were thriving our brain together to tackle those PBL project and showing off our research on the GPBE conferences, our festival. Singapore is a dynamic society every second with people coming and going. Ephemeral the time we spend together might be; for good our friendship would live.

I have deep sense of thankfulness to my parents and my brother. Family is always where my strength comes from. Their support, advice, caring and love accompanies all my life. Wherever I am, whenever it might be, they are always on my mind.