ASTAR scientist Dr Yang Yinping dies at 46

Dr Yang Yinping, the scientist who led Singapore’s Centre for Advanced Technologies in Online Safety (CATOS) and helped spearhead national efforts to tackle online harms, has died.

She was 46.

In a tribute published on July 28, Prof Andy Hor, Deputy Chief Executive (Research) at A*STAR and Editor-in-Chief of A*STAR Research described Dr Yang as a “well-respected and deeply kind-hearted researcher, colleague and leader” who devoted herself to “science at its best: advancing knowledge in service of people”.

The tribute did not disclose the exact date or cause of her death. A*STAR had earlier announced her passing in a LinkedIn post published about two months ago.

Dr Yang joined A*STAR in 2007 and went on to become Director of CATOS, Singapore’s national centre for developing technologies to detect, address and prevent online harms, as well as Senior Principal Scientist at the Institute of High Performance Computing (IHPC).

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According to A*STAR, she played a key role in developing technologies to detect, address and prevent online harms, while bringing together researchers, government agencies and industry partners to strengthen online trust and safety.

Paying tribute to her legacy, Prof Hor wrote that Dr Yang’s greatest contribution lay “not only in the research programmes and technologies she developed, but also in the people she uplifted and inspired.”

“Her influence will continue to be felt through the people she mentored, the teams she built, the communities she served and the foundations she helped establish,” he added.

Helped track public sentiment during Covid-19

During the Covid-19 pandemic, Dr Yang and her team used social listening technologies to analyse public sentiment across social media platforms.

According to A*STAR, their work helped track how public emotions shifted from fear to anger as the pandemic unfolded, providing timely insights into how communities responded to the unprecedented global crisis.

For her contributions, she received the Public Administration Medal (Bronze) under the National Awards (COVID-19) in 2023.

She received a second Public Administration Medal (Bronze) in 2025 in recognition of her outstanding dedication, merit and competence in public service, according to A*STAR.

Her research in affective computing, online sentiment analysis and artificial intelligence was also recognised among “A*STAR’s 30 Innovations and Inventions” across three decades, according to the agency.

Remembered as a warm mentor and devoted mother

Beyond her scientific achievements, A*STAR said Dr Yang would be remembered for her generosity, warmth and commitment to mentoring younger researchers.

The agency described her as a loving, devoted wife, mother and daughter who always made time for colleagues, collaborators and friends.

“Many shared that conversations with her often left them feeling heard and encouraged, with younger researchers motivated to contribute,” said Prof Hor.

“She believed that strong science depended not only on asking better questions and seeking practical solutions, but also on supporting people to do their best work while remaining mindful of those her research was meant to serve.”

In a LinkedIn tribute, Dr Han Ei Chew, Associate Director (Impact) at Singapore Management University and Adjunct Senior Research Fellow at the Institute of Policy Studies, described Dr Yang as “one of the vanguards in the battle against online harms in Singapore”.

“She approached the work with a deep sense of responsibility, steady positivity, and the quiet kindness to listen,” he wrote.

“Even during illness, she remained close to the work and the community she cared about.”

Addressing Dr Yang’s young children, Dr Chew wrote: “Your mother dedicated her service to making the online world a safer place for you, and for other children too.”