• Father: Jing-Lue
• Mother: Hui-Ching (Wang) Hsue
• Spouse: Lan Fong Ng
• Children: two sons, Eugene and Felix

• BSc (Biology), The Chinese University of Hong Kong, 1972
• M.Phil. (Biology), The Chinese University of Hong Kong, 1974
• PhD (Biological Sciences), University of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, 1979

• The Paul di Sant’Agnese Distinguished Scientific Achievement Award, The Cystic Fibrosis Foundation (USA), 1989
• Gold Medal of Honor, Pharmaceutical Manufacturers Association of Canada, 1989
• Royal Society of Canada Centennial Award, 1989
• Fellow of the Royal Society of Canada, 1990
• Award of Excellence, Genetic Society of Canada, 1990
• Officer of the Order of Canada, 1991
• The Cresson Medal, Franklin Institute, 1992
• Distinguished Scientist Award, The Canadian Society of Clinical Investigators, 1992
• Sarstedt Research Prize, 1993
• XII Sanremo International Award for Genetic Research, 1993
• J.P. Lecocq Prize, Academie des Sciences, Institut de France, 1994
• Canadian Medical Association Medal of Honour, 1996
• Fellow, World Innovation Foundation, 2000
• Foreign Associate, U.S. National Academy of Sciences, 2004

K. K. Mark, who taught him how to concentrate on a single thing, and be good at it. Roger Hendricks, who taught him how to encourage independent thinking and not to tell students what to do. Manuel Buchwald, who taught him how to be critical and look at the broad perspective. Han Chang who taught him how to be flexible, adaptive, and to understand the Western (American) way of thinking.