For her work on ageing in Singapore, Dr Mary Ann Tsao, chairman of the Tsao Foundation, was awarded the Public Service Star (Bar) at this year's National Day Awards.

Dr Tsao, 60, currently serves on various boards and management committees, including the National Council of Social Service, Centre for Seniors and Viva Foundation for Children with Cancer.

She has also previously served on the Inter-Ministerial Committee on Ageing and the Inter-Ministerial Committee on Ageing Population.

A US-trained physician who completed her residency training in paediatrics at the Montefiore Hospital and Medical Centre in New York, Dr Tsao has a background in public health, primary care planning and social medicine.

"The award is a tribute to the dedication and hard work of the Tsao Foundation team as well as my grandmother's vision to make a difference in the lives of older people," said Dr Tsao.

The Tsao Foundation, a non-profit group which specialises in ageing issues, was established in 1993 by Dr Tsao's grandmother, Mrs Tsao Ng Yu Shun.

Ng Huiwen