Miranda Yap is the Executive Director of the Bioprocessing Technology Institute (BTI), a national research institute in Singapore, supported by A*STAR and is concurrently the Executive Director of A*STAR Graduate Academy (A*GA). She is also a Professor in the Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, National University of Singapore (NUS). She has progressively built BTI from its nascent days as the Bioprocessing Technology Unit in 1990. Her other accomplishments include the formation of two other organizations, the Centre for Natural Product Research now called Merlion Pharmaceuticals Pte Ltd and the Biopharmaceutical Manufacturing Technology Centre now known as A-Bio Pharma Pte Ltd.
In November, Professor Yap received the President’s Science and Technology Medal (PSTM), for her sustained, distinguished and strategic contributions to Singapore’s Biomedical Sciences landscape, particularly in the areas of developing the biologics industry sector, building the research culture and nurturing young talent. She has played a pivotal role in the development of Singapore’s growing biologics industry, and is instrumental in attracting five leading multi-national biologics manufacturing companies to set up six commercial scale biologics manufacturing plants. These will employ almost 1,300 staff and bring in more than S$2.5 billion in investment.
In February 2006, Professor Yap was named a Foreign Associate of the US National Academy of Engineering for 2006, due to her achievements in education, research and management in the field of mammalian cell culture. Professor Yap is actively involved in research, supervising PhD candidates in the area of Animal Cell Technology and in developing manpower for the biopharmaceutical industry in Singapore.