Prof. Tam Siu-cheung Michael joined the Chinese University in 1981 as a lecturer in the then Department of Physiology. For 12 years, he was chairman of the department. Previously at the University of Toronto he had developed a hemoglobin based blood substitute that could replace 98% of a dog’s blood. At CUHK, he managed to reduce the antigenicity of trichosanthin by masking the antigenic sites. This protein can be injected into animals without causing anaphylaxis. He also studied the antiviral mechanism of this protein that is quite unique and likely mediated through signal transduction pathways. In the last four years, he moved his laboratory to the highland and studied genetic adaptation to high altitude.