HONG KONG - Hong Kong neurobiologist Nancy Ip is one of the only two Chinese winners of the L'Oral-Unesco Awards for Women in Science.

In 2004, she won for outstanding achievements in the study of the biology of neurotrophic factors proteins that promote development, growth and maintenance of neurons in the body's nervous system. She has identified a number of novel neurotrophic factors and demonstrated how they activate specific receptor molecules on nerve cells.

These studies have led to the identification of neurotrophic factors as potential pharmaceutical agents in the treatment of neurodegenerative disorders, such as Alzheimer's and Parkinson's diseases.

Born in Hong Kong, Ip graduated from the Simmons Institute in the United States in 1977 and received her medical doctorate from Harvard University in 1983. Ip, in her 50s, was motivated to study neurobiology by her mother. "My aunt died of Alzheimer's disease. My sad mum hoped I could find a treatment one day," she said.

Ip said 1.5 billion people worldwide suffer from cerebral neurotic diseases. "But there are few medicines for them and this has strengthened my resolve to continue research in this area," she said. - China Daily.

Politico mellows with family

KUALA LUMPUR - Azalina Othman Said, Malaysia's Youth and Sports Minister, spent last Wednesday afternoon out of the office.  She attended a Monsoon Cup function and later the launch of a skating rink in an upscale suburban neighbourhood.

Her little daughter, Azareena, and another young friend joined her for the skating event. In the car on the way home, the two little girls played and pushed at each other, prompting Azalina to tell them: "Can you both not fight?" This is the less seen side of the woman Umno politician - an indulgent and devoted mother.

Azalina, 42, adopted Azareena when the latter was just days old. Azareena is now three-and-a-half but Azalina still calls her by her pet name, "Baby" .

"The love of my life," is how she describes "Baby" to friends. In that sense, the last few years have seen the mellowing of this fast-track politician and Umno star.

Azalina had burst into Umno politics in 1998, causing a stir with her unconventional political style. 

And, of course, she pulled off one of the biggest political coups in Umno history when she formed Puteri Umno which drew thousands of young Malay women into Umno.

Abdullah rewarded her by appointing her a full minister after she won a parliamentary seat in her first general election in 2004.

That, said Azalina, was a high point. She was in her constituency watching the news on TV when she was named as Youth and Sports Minister. - The Star.

Spotlight on shy starlet

SEOUL - Onscreen, Korean

actress Song Hye-gyo is the cheerful teenager who puts on a brave face for her youthful sweetheart as she dies a harrowing death. She first played the role in her breakout drama TV serial "Autumn In My Heart" (2000), where she portrays a lovelorn girl who succumbs to cancer.

The heartrending story was one of the pioneering shows that set off the Korean pop culture wave across Asia. Now, Song is starring in her first major screen movie, "My Girl & I", in which she plays high school teenager Su Eun who falls in love with her classmate, played by Cha Tae Hyun, then - yup - dies of cancer. Watching someone die twice like this gives an audience a certain familiarity.

It turns out that up close, Song, 25, is not so personal. Indeed, Song - a former model - seems almost otherworldly and vulnerable as she clings tightly to a grey sweater wrapped around her shapely body, as if to say that she would rather be somewhere else.

The year-long break the actress took from showbiz after her last drama, "Full House", might have made her a less-than-familiar face compared to other Korean actresses. Her celluloid debut in "My Girl & I" marks her return to the spotlight - although she appears to need time to warm up to it at the press conference. - The Straits Times.