Prof. Chen Yuan-tsong, Academician of Academia Sinica, Taiwan, visited United College from 30 October to 2 November as the College’s Distinguished Visiting Scholar 2012–13. He delivered two public lectures entitled ‘Preventing Drug Toxicity with a Gene Test’ and ‘Challenges of New Drug Development: From Laboratory to Clinic to Hollywood’. Professor Chen is recognized for his work on human genetic disorders. In 2006, he invented a drug to cure Pompe disease, which saves thousands of newborns every year. His latest pharmacogenomic studies of adverse drug reactions paves the way for personalized medicine by using gene tests to prevent drug toxicity.