Flossie Wong-Staal, one of the world's foremost authorities in the field of virology and a member of the team that co-discovered HIV, will be the keynote speaker at the Fourth Annual Asian Heritage Awards at 11:30 a.m. on Tuesday, May 22, at the prestigious Joan B. Kroc Institute for Peace and Justice of the University of San Diego. Wong-Staal is one of America's pioneer researchers of AIDS. Along with her colleagues at the National Cancer Institute, she was the first researcher to clone, or make a copy of, the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), the virus that causes AIDS, which allowed them to decipher its structure. The Asian Heritage Awards were started May 2004 by ASIA, The Journal of Culture & Commerce Publishers Rosalynn Carmen and Leonard Novarro to recognize the achievements, accomplishments and community service by individuals of Asian and Pacific Islander decent, and to serve as a vehicle to bring diverse elements of the community together. Wong-Staal, who moved to the University of California at San Diego in 1990, continued her AIDS research, working specifically in gene therapy, one of the most technologically sophisticated areas in medical research. She is currently focusing her efforts in finding new treatments for hepatitis C virus and cancer at Immusol, a biotech company she co-founded. In 1990 she was listed by the Institute for Scientific Information as the top woman scientist of the past decade and the fourth-ranking scientist under age 45. Wong-Staal was born Yee Ching Wong in mainland China in 1946. She emigrated to the United States to study at the University of California at Los Angeles, where she earned her bachelor's degree and then went on to graduate studies in molecular biology. She attended the University of California at San Diego for postgraduate work in the same field. In the early 1970s, having completed her schooling, Wong-Staal took a position with the National Cancer Institute in Bethesda, Md., where she worked in the field of retroviruses with the prominent researcher Robert Gallo, credited as the co-discoverer of HIV.

Highlight of 2009 Asian Heritage Awards Date: Sun, Jul 26, 2009 at 5:18 PM        Last night the House of China won an award from the public's vote in the Asia, Journal of Culture and Commerce Asian Heritage Award program.      The award validates our 74 year history of preserving, promoting and presenting Chinese culture and friendship.      In the mid 1930's and into the 1960's we often stood alone in protecting the rights of Chinese Americans and strived to ensure justice.       As we are on the eve of our 75th birthday n 2010, the House of China will advance Chinese culture and friendship. July 31,2009 Dear Len and Roz,   Again, thank you very much for hosting Debbie and I during our short stay in San Diego on 24-26 July. The Asian Heritage Society dinner and awards event was truly spectacular! I am deeply grateful to you both for honoring me with a special recognition. We are very impressed with your civic involvement in the San Diego community. Your leadership in Asia Media and Asian Heritage Society is indicative of your active concerns in having Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders being more assimilated and recognized in the greater San Diego community and beyond. Well done!   Debbie and I truly enjoyed our new association. We wish you and your family the very best. Let's stay in touch please.   Very Sincery   Tony & Debbie   Anthnio M Taguba Major General,  US Army (Retired)   P.S. An awesome weekend with great people like you! Please give our best to your mom and children and grand kids! Aloha!   Dearest Len & Roz, Thank you thank you thank you .... Michael and I had a marvelous time... You did it again!!! Next year, I want you both on stage, as award recipients ... Again, Thanks and have a peaceful Sunday, Gwen Coronado www.fengshuisandiego.com Thanks to you, Len and Roz, and the entire behind-the-scenes team for all of your hard work. I know you worked tirelessly to pull the event together and it was a lovely evening. It is always a pleasure and honor to be involved in the Asian Heritage Awards Ceremony! Kind regards, Marcella San Diego, CA – The Asian Business Association, San Diego, received the Business Enterprise Award at the Sixth Annual Asian Heritage Awards.  ABA provides a strong voice on business, cultural and political issues of interest to San Diego’s Asian and Pacific Islander community.  Over 500 attended this event on Saturday, which was held on the USS Midway. State Senator Leland Yee and San Diego County Supervisor Ron Roberts served as co-chairs of the event.  Len and Rose, You did an amazing job hosting the event. It’s my great honor to be one of the awardees. Thanks for putting this event together, and of course in the future I will try my best to contribute to The Asian Heritage Society. I understand both of you must have worked extremely hard over the last months, so please relax and take some time to yourselves. You deserve it! All the best Maria Dear Asia Media Friends,   It was a superb gala event last Saturday. I heard many elogious comments, especially from Dr. Johnson who sat near our table. Thank you to Len and Rosalyn for the well-planned program from start to end. As I walked up the stairs on the ship, the statement of "Legacy & Legends" caught my eyes right away. Later, I saw the words on the front cover of the program also.   I was glad to see everyone, especially the members with whom we planned to have a monthly friendly get-together after the first meeting in Spring.  Now that I have the personal statements from all the nominees, I can find many common interests among our group.   Binh Tran Presenter of the Health and Medicine Category Len:  You and Rosalynn must be very proud!  What a wonderful event you put on Saturday night.  Lisa and I really enjoyed being there.  I'm sorry you didn't have a chance to meet my wife of nearly 50 years!  Bob Tarlton Dear Len and Roselyn, CONGRATULATIONS on your fantastic Asian Heritage banquet. Mary and I really enjoyed the event and we are so proud of you for what you have accomplished, and hope that you are having a well deserved time off. .  I must thank you again for the Asia Heritage Award you bestowed on me in 2007. As the only Asian consular representative in San Diego among 25+ consulates and honorary consulates representated here (though Korea, China and Japan have their honorary consuls in Tijuana), I hope to continue to promote your Asian Heritage and Asia publication efforts. What you ae doing with the Asian Heritage is tremendous. I believe that in trying to educate future Global Citizens, it is important to give paradigms, heroes and heroines they can look up to and emulate. I would therefore like to use your Asian Heritage in my Keynote Address as an example of how such paradigms can be created. your awards to transcend national boundaries in Asia and honor all worthy people regardless of their nationalities creates a marvelous bonding.  I hope, will open the  door for Asia to cotinue to be a part of this event in future. Let me know if you are interested and if i have your permission to use your work as an example. Regards, Michael S. Inoue, Ph.D. Honorary Consul General of Japan in San Diego