Known as the “Godmother of Taiwanese Blood”, Dr. Marie Lin is a passionate, intelligent, and warm-hearted doctor and researcher in Taiwan, and also the first in Taiwan to develop a system for blood donation and transfusion. Today, Dr. Lin continues her academic journey leading a team of scientists studying blood typing and DNA. Their research aims to answer the question of the origins of “Taiwanese” – where are its origins? When did it come to be? What exactly does it mean?

Dr. Lin’s research has led the team to not only focus on Taiwanese blood, but to draw connections through anthropology, archaeology, and linguistics. The strands of evidence link together to form a picture of the shape of our genetics and a migratory path throughout Asia.

In 2010, Dr. Lin published a book that digested her 20 years of research into layman’s terms, distilling the scientific model her team carefully formed to uncover the details of Taiwanese connections to the Austronesian language group and the indigenous peoples of southern China.

In the face of Taiwan’s complicated history, leaving scars on much of the population, Dr. Lin’s work may offer a new perspective on our origins as a people, our immutable relationship to one another, and ultimately our identities. According to Dr. Lin, “If we cannot let go of our past misfortunes, we cannot see the clear blue sky, the pure white clouds, nor the beauty of the flower by the road.”

Dr. Tse-yi Wang, is the “Mother of Taiwan Blood” and is well known for his role as a member of the team that established the blood donation and transfusion system in Taiwan. Dr. Ma-li Lin is aslo a member of the laboratory team. The Institute of Transfusion Medicine and Molecular Anthropology at Mackay Memorial Hospital in Taiwan uses mathematical statistics and bioinformatics research to integrate and analyze the genetics of the Taiwanese population. Dr. Wang will bring Dr. Ma-li Lin and his research team, trace back the patriarchal bloodline and maternal bloodline of human beings and uncover the password implied by the blood through the history of the world’s migration.