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■理大教授韓怡凡因為恩師和一些親友患上老人痴呆症，激發他找尋治療方法的決心。
再超凡的人也抵不過歲月變遷，而年齡增長又會讓老人痴呆症的患病機率越來越大。據統計，老人痴呆症的發病率，會由65歲以上的10%急增至80歲以上的50%。立志要攻克老人痴呆症，尋找有效的治療藥物的韓怡凡，原來亦是受到恩師患病的傷痛回憶的激勵，讓他在科研道路上更加堅定不移。
雖然並非前線醫護人員，但韓怡凡不僅熟知老人痴呆症的發病率，對其從早期至晚期發病症狀的反應，更是瞭如指掌。專訪中他透露，其恩師以及不少朋友都患上此病，親身感受過親密的人喪失記憶，自己卻愛莫能助的傷心經歷，也讓他更有決心要認識及戰勝老人痴呆症。
80年代，還是上海第一醫學院一名本科生的韓怡凡，對其一位老師的超強記憶力深深佩服，「老師思路清晰，亦非常和藹，我們建立了深厚的感情。」其後，經歷到海外升學以及發展，多年後，韓怡凡再次偶然與老師相遇，對方的大腦卻「好似經過一把刷子，抹去了所有畫板上豐富的畫面」，尊敬的恩師再也不認識自己，昔日美好的記憶無從與其分享，讓韓怡凡感到無比傷心。
韓怡凡指出，除該位恩師外，「身邊亦有數位患上此病的親朋好友，很多已亡故的人，我已無法幫助了，感覺很傷心；但正因有親身體會，我更有責任去尋找有效的辦法，幫助更多未來有需要的人。」正正因為背負着責任和激勵，讓韓怡凡在科研路上信心百倍，造就他此次突破性的研究成果。
Mentor's memory loss motivates Han to find a cure
Even the greatest person cannot beat time and old age is often accompanied by a higher probability of contracting Alzheimer's disease. As data shows, the incidence of Alzhemer's disease is 10% among the age group of 65 or above; but it increases sharply to 50% in the age group of 80 or above. Han Yi-fan, motivated by the bitter memory of his mentor who had suffered from Alzheimer's disease, was determined to find a cure and has been very persistent in his scientific pursuit.
Though not a frontline medical expert, Han is very knowledgeable not only about the occurrences of the disease, but also all symptoms from early to terminal stages. In the interview, he said that as his mentor and some of his friends were patients of Alzheimer's disease, he personally had the bitter experience of not being able to do anything while seeing people close to him losing memory. That drove him to make up his mind and seek to understand the disease and combat it.
Back in the 1980s when Han was an undergraduate of the Shanghai No.1 Medical College, he was deeply impressed by the excellent memory of a lecturer. “The lecturer had a clear mind and was a kind and gentle person. We had a very close bond,”he recalled. Han spent many years studying and working abroad. When he returned and met the lecturer again, he found that the lecturer's brain was like a once colourful canvas being scrubbed clean by a brush. The lecturer he admired so much no longer remembered him and Han would never share with him again the precious moments they had together. He was deeply saddened by what had happened to the lecturer who was also his mentor.
Han Yi-fan said,“Besides the lecturer, a few friends and relatives of mine also suffered from Alzheimer's disease. Some of them have already passed away and I am very sorry that I never have the chance to help them. It is due to this personal experience that I feel a greater sense of responsibility to find an effective way to help those people who are in need.” Driven by a great sense of responsibility and motivation, Han has been filled with confidence in his search of effective medication, which has led to the scientific breakthrough he achieved today. ■translated by開明
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