Dr. Mae-Wan Ho

Mae-Wan Ho, B. Sc. Hon. (First Class) and Ph. D. Hong Kong University, Director of Institute of Science in Society (www.i-sis.org.uk) was best known for pioneering work on the physics of organisms and sustainable systems presented especially in The Rainbow and the Worm, The Physics of Organisms (1993, 1998, 2008) and Living Rainbow H2O (2012), and for which she was awarded the 2014 Prigogine Medal. A prominent critic of neo-Darwinism and genetic determinism, Mae-Wan was among the first to warn of the dangers of genetic modification in Genetic Engineering Dream or Nightmare? (1997, 1998, 1999, reprint with extended introduction, 2007). She was frequently asked to advice governments, non-government organizations and international agencies and to speak on a range of issues including GMOs, sustainable agriculture, circular economy, and renewable energies. A visual artist as well as scientist, Mae-Wan curated and exhibited in two art/science/music festivals, the latest (Colours of Water, 2013) to raise public awareness on the depletion and pollution of water resources, and the importance of conservation and sustainable use. She published more than 170 scientific papers, 16 books, and over 700 popular articles across the disciplines.