It is with deep sadness that we share the passing of Dr Yang Yinping, Director of the Centre for Advanced Technologies in Online Safety (CATOS), Senior Principal Scientist at the A*STAR Institute of High Performance Computing (A*STAR IHPC), and member of A*STAR Research magazine’s Editorial Board. Yinping was 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.
Yinping joined A*STAR in 2007, at a time when social media and digital technologies were beginning to reshape how people communicate. Even then, her passion lay at the intersection of computing, social science and human behaviour, grounded in the understanding that technology was closely tied to people and society.
Over the years, Yinping helped build A*STAR IHPC's research capabilities in affective computing, social technologies and artificial intelligence systems, developing new ways to understand how people think, feel and communicate. She cared deeply that research should make a difference beyond the lab and never lost sight of the people behind the data. Working closely with partners across the public and private sectors to translate technologies into practice, her innovations were successfully adopted by organisations and recognised as award-winning solutions with real-world impact. In commendation of her contributions, her work was featured among “A*STAR’s 30 Innovations and Inventions” across three decades, and her authorship of numerous high-quality research publications has earned her many best paper awards.
When the COVID-19 pandemic struck, Yinping and her team recognised the psychological weight of the crisis and sought to better understand experiences that could not always be captured through conventional surveys. Using social listening technologies they developed, the team examined public emotions and responses at a time when accurate information and clear communication were especially important. By analysing large-scale social media data across countries, they traced a marked shift in public sentiment from fear to anger as major events unfolded, providing timely insights into communities navigating an unprecedented global crisis, for which she received her first National Award (Public Administration Medal – Bronze) for COVID-19 in 2023.
What began as a small team of two at A*STAR IHPC researching computational social sciences would eventually lay the foundations for CATOS in 2023. As the digital landscape evolved, so did the focus of Yinping’s team: from monitoring growing online risks to actively tackling them, cognizant that online safety is a developing human need. With support from the Singapore Government through the Online Trust and Safety Research Programme and under Yinping’s leadership, CATOS was established as Singapore’s national centre in this fast-emerging field, advancing technologies to detect, address and prevent harms in our digital world. Its mission is to develop whole-of-nation technological capabilities and an ecosystem to combat online harms. The Centre’s growth is a testament to the firm foundations and broader ecosystem she cultivated, through bringing together people from different disciplines and organisations to foster open exchange and collaborations based on respect and genuine care she inspired in others. In recognition of her outstanding dedication, merit and competence in public service, she was honoured with a second National Award (Public Administration Medal – Bronze) in 2025.
We are also honoured to have had Yinping serve on the Editorial Board of A*STAR Research magazine in recent years, offering thoughtful guidance that helped the team present research with accuracy, context and relevance. She also played a central role in shaping two issues of the magazine that reflected themes central to her life's work — “Sensing Emotions in a Crisis” and “Hidden Hazards” — helping readers understand both the human dimensions of technology and the responsibilities that come with it. To her, science should inform, connect and serve, and people should understand not only what it achieves, but why it matters.
Those who worked with Yinping remember not only her intellect and scientific acumen, but also the warmth and kindness she brought to every interaction, often accompanied by a gentle smile that reflected her generosity of spirit. A highly accomplished professional, she was also a loving, devoted and responsible mother, wife and daughter. She was known to make time for people—whether friends, colleagues, collaborators or strangers—and was deeply loved for the care she brought to her work and relationships. Many shared that conversations with her often left them feeling heard and encouraged, with younger researchers motivated to contribute. 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.
This philosophy shaped her leadership, from strengthening strategic planning and team alignment for CATOS through support from an A*STAR Fellowship Grant, to her active involvement in the A*STAR Diversity and Inclusion Workgroup in her advocacy for trust, inclusivity and a shared sense of purpose. Having personally participated in the CATOS off-site retreat that Yinping organised in September 2025, I witnessed these leadership qualities firsthand—passion, dynamism and positivity, while remaining deeply people-oriented and driven to achieve meaningful outcomes.
We pay tribute to her research achievements, leadership and mentorship, as well as her contributions to science communication and the broader mission of demonstrating research impact. Her passing is a significant loss to A*STAR and the research community; her greatest legacy lies 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.
On behalf of A*STAR, I extend my deepest condolences to Yinping's family, loved ones, colleagues and all who had the privilege of knowing and working with her.
Prof Andy Hor
Editor-in-Chief, A*STAR Research Publication
Deputy Chief Executive (Research), A*STAR