Extending China's railway network to the colder climes of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau a decade ago or Tajikistan as part of the current Belt and Road Initiative presented the problem of building a railroad on terrain subject to permafrost.

Lai Yuanming, 52, a leading permafrost expert, provided the solution. His research solved the two major problems - preventing the track from buckling due to ice melting on the roadbed, and improving thermal stability that led to Tibet's first railway.

The success of his research has brought Lai honors, including a number of science and technology awards from the Chinese central government and the local government in Gansu province. He was elected as a member of the Chinese Academy of Sciences in 2011 - the top honor for Chinese researchers - at the age of 49.