Dr. Flossie Wong-Staal
Dear All:
I am so so sad to inform you of the passing of Dr. Flossie Wong-Staal, a board member of UBI since 1995, on Wednesday, July 8th, at the age of 73 due to pneumonia. Flossie’s last communication to me was on Sunday, May 31st, when she agreed to continue to serve on the Board of Directors of UBI.
Last September 14th, Flossie was inducted into the National Women’s Hall of Fame. I was honored to be the only member outside her immediate family to be invited. I was planning to attend the celebration due to my August 3rd trip to the US but unfortunately, urgent matters required me to return to Taipei in early September which prevented me from doing so.
As I reflect back, Flossie has always been my strongest supporter in whatever I did. Her deep understanding of my work scientifically and as an inventor, as well as her understanding of the long process for each of the initiatives, also created a deeper bond. Her trust in me, her continuous encouragement, and her wise advice have driven me to move forward steadfastly. Her untimely passing only furthers my determination to develop a great COVID 19 vaccine to save mankind from this unprecedented disaster. I dedicate my research in this area to Flossie, so as to pay tribute to her for all she has done for me; a true friend for the past 35 years since our first meeting at the 2nd International AIDS Conference held in Paris in June, 1986.
It has been my great fortune and honor to have had such a wonderful person as Flossie as my friend all these years. Her passing leaves a large void not only for me personally, but for the entire UBI family.
Sincerely,
Chang Yi
p.s. For more about Flossie, you can view the following two links:
https://www.sandiegouniontribune.com/news/science/story/2020-07-09/flossie-wong-staal-obituary
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flossie_Wong-Staal