Hwan-Ching Tai
Department of Chemistry, National Taiwan University
Taiwan

Hwan-Ching Tai is an Assistant Professor of Chemistry at National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan. He received his bachelor degree in Chemistry from National Taiwan University in 2000, and a PhD in Chemistry from California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA in 2009. His doctoral thesis, advised by Dr. Erin Schuman, examined protein degradation at neuronal synapses. As a postdoctoral researcher in Dr. Bradley Hyman's laboratory at Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, he studied the accumulation of misfolded protein at neuronal synapses in Alzheimer disease. Hwan-Ching Tai's laboratory at National Taiwan University is currently trying to understand the degradation of oxidized proteins in mammalian cells as an anti-aging mechanism. As an amateur violinist and professional chemist, he is interested in the material science of Cremonese violins, especially the chemical analysis of varnish composition. His interest in hi-fi audio has also led him to study the acoustics of Cremonese violins.

Dai-Ting Chung
Chi Mei Culture Foundation
Taiwan

Dai-Ting Chung is the Chief Adviser of Chi Mei Culture Foundation in Taiwan. He is the curator of string instruments at Chi Mei Museum, Tainan, Taiwan, which is renowned for its collection of hundreds of antique violins as well as antique bows. He received his bachelor degree in 1994 with a major in Materials Science and Engineering from Feng Chia University, Taichung, Taiwan. He began studying violin making in Taiwan with Li-Chu Wang, who graduated from the Cremona Violin Making School, and later with Edward Campbell at Chimneys’ Violin Making School in Boiling Springs, PA. He also studied bow making and restoration at Sunny Kot's shop in Philadelphia, PA. Dai-Ting Chung is a member of Entente Internationale des Luthiers et Archetiers and the Chief Adviser at Global Bell String Consultant. He also owns the Ten Sun Yo Violin Shop in Tainan, Taiwan.