Category: Doctor

Founder Director

• Burma Medical Research Institute (BMRI) was founded by Dr. Mya Tu.
  Saya served as Director General.
  Compiled “Magnum Opus” with Daw Khin Htar Yee
  One covers “Who’s who in Medicine in Burma?”
  Another covers “Who’s who in Health Systems in Burma?”
  Saya passed away in Australia.
  Dr. Thane Oke Kyaw Myint posted about Saya’s Memorial Service.
• He was succeeded as Director General by
  Dr. Aung Than Ba Tu (ATBT)
  Dr. Khin Maung Tin
  Dr. Daw May May Yi

DMR

• BMRI later became Directorate of Medical Research (DMR)
• The DGs include
  Dr. Than Swe
  Dr. Paing Soe

Young Researchers (BMRI-DMR)

Photo and Annotation : Dr. Nyunt Wai (Victor)

L to R:

• U Aung Myint
• Dr. Htay Htay
• Saya (Professor Mya Tu)
• Dr. Myo Thein
• U Ba Aye (Statistician)
• Dr. Pe Thaung Myint (Sports Medicine)
• Dr Htin Kyaw (Physiologist)

Thanks to Dr. Thane Oke Kyaw Myint and Dr. Victor Nyunt Wai for their input and feedback.

Dr. Mya Tu

• Dr. Mya Tu founded Burma Medical Research Institute (BMRI).
  BMRI later became Directorate of Medical Research (DMR).
  DMR had branches in Upper and Lower Burma.
• He served as Director General.
• [Per VNW] : Saya was a physiologist.
• [Per TOKM] : He and his spouse compiled a directory of medical professionals in Burma.
• He passed away at the age of 91 in Australia.

• Dr. Thein Htut and Dr. Thane Oke Kyaw Myint gave eulogies at Saya’s service.

Dr. Aung Than Ba Tu (ATBT)

• He succeeded Dr. Mya Tu.
• Saya requested UCC to give lectures on computing at BMRI.
  I was a Guest Lecturer.
• [Per VNW] : Dr. ATBT, around 90 years of age, is still active, giving talks and participating in the editorial team of a certain journal.

Dr. Khin Maung Tin

• Saya was in charge of the hospital for Rangoon University.
• He succeeded Dr. ATBT.
• [Per VNW] : Dr. KMT, who specialized in liver diseases passed away the earliest (heard it was a heart attack); survived by Dr Daw Htay Kyi, a TB specialist.

Dr. May May Yi

• I met Sayama at the Inlay Lu Ye Chun camp in the summer of 1965.
• She is a physiologist.
• She was Professor of Physiology at the Institute of Medicine.
• She became DG at BMRI.

Dr. Than Shwe

• Dr. Than Shwe was a microbiologist.
• After retirement, he moved to USA.
• He stays active by guiding high school students for their SAT tests.

Dr. Paing Soe

• He matriculated from St. Paul’s High School in 1965.
• He was selected Lu Ye Chun.
• He was DG of DMR.
• He retired as Deputy Minister of Health.

Researchers

• Dr. Thein Toe (UK, GBNF)

• Dr. Cho Nwe Oo
• Dr. Khin Kyi Nyunt (GBNF)

• Dr. Khin Maung U (FDA, USA)

• Dr. Kyaw Min (Retired as Acting DG)

• During the early days of UCC, I was invited to give guest lectures at BMRI (Burma Medical Research Institute).
• BMRI later became DMR (Directorate of Medical Research).
• Dr. Nyunt Wai (Physiologist, SPHS63) provided details for the Director Generals of Medical Research

Dr. Mya Tu

• Dr. Mya Tu (Physiologist) founded Burma Medical Research Institute (BRMI) and served as its Director.
  Saya passed away at the age of 91 in Australia.
  Dr. Thein Htut and Dr. Thane Oke Kyaw Myint spoke at the service.
• Daw Khin Thet Hta (Jenny) is Saya’s wife.
  She has a Doctroate in Library Science.
• They co-authored “Who’s Who in Health and Medicine in Burma/Myanmar” (Two editions).
• There was an attempt to update it, but did not happen.

• Dr. Thane Oke Kyaw Myint e-mailed me a soft copy of “Who’s Who in Heath and Medicine (in Burma/Myanmar)” (Second edition).
  He referred to the work as Magnum Opus.

Director General

• Dr. Aung Than Ba Tu (ATBT, Physician)
  He is around 90 years of age.
  He is still active, giving talks and participating in the editorial team of a certain journal.

• Dr. Khin Maung Tin (Physician)
  He is a specialist for live diseases.
  In the early days, he headed the University Sanatorium.
  He is one of the earliest to pass away (Heard it was a heart attack).
  He is survived by Dr. Daw Htay Kyi, a TB specialist.

• Dr. May May Yi (Physiologist)
  She was a Staff at the Luyechun Camp at Inlay Khaung Daing for the summer of 1965.

• Dr. Myint Lwin
• Dr. Than Swe (Microbiologist)
  After retirement, moved to the USA
  Stay sharp by training students to take SAT examination
• Dr. Paing Soe
  Was admitted as Roll Number (2) to MC in 1965.
  He had the same marks as Dr. Yi Thway, who was admitted as Roll Numbe (1).
  Retired as Deputy Minister of Health.

Researchers

• Dr. Thein Toe

• Dr. Khin Kyi Nyunt

• Dr. Cho Nwe Oo
• Dr. Khin Maung U (SPHS63)

• Dr. Kyaw Min (SPHS65)

• He founded BMRI (Burma Medical Research Institute) and served as its inaugural Director. BMRI was later known as DMR (Directorate of Medical Research).
• His successors include Dr. Aung Than Ba Tu, Dr. U Khin Maung Tun, and Dr. Daw May May Yee.
• Saya passed away in Australia. Dr. Thane Oke Kyaw Myint posted about his Last Journey.
• Saya and Daw Khin Thet Htar compiled and published Two Editions of “Who’s Who in Health & Medicine (Teaching, Practice & Research) in Burma?”

• Dr. Nyunt Wai (Victor) received the book from Daw Khin Thet Htar.He is thankful for the monumental book by Saya’s Thet Htar. *
• Daw Aye Aye Khin posted some pages from the book (including an article by her late mother Dr. Daw Khin Kyi Nyunt).

• Dr. Aung Than Ba Tu requested UCC to give talks at BMRI. I gave a couple of lectures.
• Dr. U Khin Maung Tin served as Medical Superintendent of the RU (Rangoon University) Hospital.
• Dr. Daw May May Yee served as Professor of Physiology at IM(2). She was a Staff Member at the Inlay Khaung Daing Luyechun Camp in the Summer of 1965.
• Dr. Nyunt Wai posted a photo of the then young Medical Researchers.
• Dr. Thein Toe (GBNF), Dr. Khin Kyi Nyunt (GBNF), Dr. Khin Maung U (SPHS63), Dr. Paing Soe (SPHS65), Dr. Kyaw Min (SPHS65) are some alumni of BMRI/DMR.

• Ma Cherry (Dr. Khin Kyi Nyunt) is an expert in nutrition and cooking.
• Peter appreciates his mother’s hobby and the birthday parties.
• Peter shared recipes that he learned from his relatives (including my father, aunts and a grand aunt) in his Facebook pages.

• He complained to his grand mother and his aunt (Ma Cho) that his younger sister Aye Aye Khin would call him “Peter” and not “Ko Ko”. It took some time before Aye Aye learned to call Peter “Ko Ko”.
• Ye Myint (Maung Maung) would enter U Tin U’s family as the youngest child.

• Peter would have some younger cousins including Tin Tin Hlaing and Thar Hlaing.

Thesis for Diploma in German

In 1981, Cho Cho Hlaing studied for Diploma in German. A requirement was to submit a thesis. She chose to describe “The cultural background of preparing and serving of Burmese Food“.

The thesis comprised of 8 chapters. The first chapter described Dana, such as offering (Soon Laung De) to a row of Sanghas (monks), and Soon Kyway at home.

For each chapter Peter (Khin Tun) did a wonderful drawing. There were altogether ten drawings which clearly express the text, “A Picture is Worth A Thoughtful Words”.

Cho Cho Hlaing gained Credit in the Final Exam.

The Professor was very impressed with Peter’s drawings.

Offering of Ah Yone Soon in the village

Food offered to monks at dusk by the villagers

Preparing for Soon Kway in the village

Soon Kyway

Rice / Paddy fields

A hut in the Rice / Paddy field

The boys at the monastery having meal on Daunglan

Staple food from different parts of Burma

Burmese Htamin Waing

Drawing (missing)

What shall I eat?

As Myanmar is located between two gastronomical countries (China and India) the boy was thinking and scratching his head thinking what he should eat.

Three specialties that are described in detail in the thesis

La Phet (Pickled Tea Leaves),

Htamane (Sticky Rice)

and Thingyan Htamin (Specially prepared for consuming during the Thingyan Water Festival).

Note :

• One drawing is missing. Hope Cho Cho Hlaing has the original or copy.

Brief Work Experience

• Former Clinical Reviewer and Senior Medical Officer
  at U.S. Food and Drug Administration

• Former Assistant Professor and Physician
  at Johns Hopkins University

• Former Associate Professor, Physician
  at Hahnemann University Hospital

• Former Head, Clinical Research Division
  at Department of Medical Research, Ministry of Health

• Former Clinical demonstrator, Department of Medicine
  at Institute of Medicine 1, Yangon (Rangoon), Myanmar (Burma)

• Former Demonstrator, Dept. of Pharmacology
  at Institute of Medicine 1, Yangon (Rangoon), Myanmar (Burma)

St. Paul’s High School

He stood First in Burma in the Matriculation of 1963. He scored 100 marks each in Mathematics and Chemistry and 99 marks (in Physics after the examiner reluctantly took back 1 mark from the perfect score). He also had a Distinction in English (as he did in HSF). There was only a couple of students who had Distinction in Burmese.

Together, we were the “guinea pigs” of the Education System and Policies. Our seniors took two Government examinations before entering the university.

We took

• the last ever 7th Standard Government examination in 1960
• the first ever High School Final ONLY examination in March 1962 (under heavy security due to the Coup D’etat)
• the High School Final ONLY examination AGAIN in August 1962
  (since the March examination for Rangoon Division was declared NULL and VOID)
• the first ever Matriculation ONLY examination in 1963

The silver lining was that TEN matriculates from SPHS were in the Top Twenty and were awarded Collegiate Scholarship of 75 Kyats per month.

• First : Khin Maung U
• Second : Min Oo
• Third : Myo San (Freddie Ba San, GBNF)
• Fourth : Nyunt Wai
• Fifth : Thein Wai
• 7th : Hla Min
• 9th : Aung Kyaw Zaw
• 11th : Maung Maung Kyi (GBNF)
• 13th : Aung Thu Yein (Brownie Way, GBNF)
• 17th : Khin Maung Zaw

Impact of Change in Education System / Policies

Before our time, medical graduates were selected to study for their membership and fellowship in the Royal Colleges in the UK.

Even though Dr. Khin Maung U finished in the top of his class and was a Multiple Luyechun from the Institute of Medicine (1), due to Change of Policies, he had to be contented studying for his Masters in Burma.

He had to wait long before he had a chance to study in the UK, Australia and USA.

Medical Research

• Worked at John Hopkins and other universities in the USA before settling as a senior researcher for Food and Drug Administration (FDA).
• After retirement, he is compiling and posting Medical Research Updates (appropriate for lay people).

Volunteer

• Volunteered as Translator and Editor for the Dhamma Talks given in Maryland, USA and vicinity.
• He and his spouse Dr. Nyunt Nyunt Wai (Amy) are Patrons of a monastery in Maryland.

Proud Grandfather

Some time back, he became a proud grand father when his younger daughter presented him a wonderful gift.