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“The amazing thing was that using the chemistry he had learned, he was able to tweak these molecules so that they became more biologically active.”

And the more Yu and Van Scott looked at AHA, the more uses they found — so many that they founded a company to market it, NeoStrata.

The stuff makes “age spots” fade and also treats acne.

It also peels off a layer of skin cells leaving a pink glow behind, they realized. “This led to the ‘lunchtime peel’ cosmetic craze of the mid-1990s, where Hollywood stars nipped into their dermatologists’ offices at lunch for a quick exfoliation, emerging with soft, rosy cheeks,” Yu writes.

But they hit the big time when they realize AHA reduces wrinkles. It’s a story with a lot of twists and turns, but the two skin researchers became millionaires many times over — especially after winning $40 million from Mary Kay. A jury ruled the cosmetics giant had used AHA without paying proper royalties.

Yu didn’t forget the University of Ottawa. He has given $500,000 to an endowment for scholarships there, and other donations.

Since his health wouldn’t allow a trip to Ottawa, the university put on an official convocation near Yu’s Philadelphia home, complete with its president, vice-president, dean of science and chair of the chemistry department on stage and 65 people watching.

“Out of the ordinary, and totally fitting for what this guy has done in his life,” Perry said after the ceremony.

He said Yu’s life “is the classic story of constant optimism, moving forward in the face of adversity, overcoming all odds.”

There was also “his thirst and quest for knowledge. As a young student he stood out. He was the only student who moved on from his high school” to higher education. “And he’s a very ambitious man.

“He was shaped by those early days in Taiwan. He could have gone two ways. He could have been beaten down by the oppression, or he could have done what he did, which was to remain optimistic and to think he was going to rise above that — and give back.”

tspears@postmedia.com

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