刘媛女士在与癌症勇敢地搏斗了一年多之后，于2021年1月20日离开了我们，享年41岁。在我们大多数人眼里，她的生命过于短暂；但是她曾经照亮过那么多人的生命，她的存在远远长久于俗世物理意义上的时间。她的微笑，热情，勇气，和慷慨将永远与我们同在。

刘媛1979年9月24日出生于中国天津，自幼爱好绘画， 1987年创作的《和平幸福》被国家邮电部选为6.1特种邮票，她的作品多次在国际少儿美展中获奖。她品学兼优，全面发展，多次评为市级三好学生和市优秀学生干部， 1989年被评为“津门童星”。1992年被保送入孕育过中国两代总理的天津南开中学，在中学阶段创造全国学科竞赛和奥赛8个一等奖的奇迹，1996年被评为天津市“十佳中学生”。1996，1997年连续两次荣获“南开中学最高荣誉奖章”， 1998年参加第29届国际物理奥林匹克竞赛摘取金牌并荣膺最佳女参赛者。随后她被保送到北京大学物理系学习， 先后获得羽西和明德奖学金，并于2000年转学到加州理工学院，2002年获得物理学士学位和优秀毕业生称号。

刘媛本科毕业后选择到普林斯顿大学物理系继续她的研究生学习。她在计算神经科学领域颇有建树并发表了一系列深具影响力的论文。她于2002到2004年间担任普林斯顿大学中国学生与学者联合会（ACSSPU）副主席兼社交部长，为服务中国学生学者做了大量工作， 她是1016话剧社的积极成员。她一手原创《普林生存手册》为中国留学生和学者提供了极大便利，代代流传至今。刘媛在2007年拿到物理博士学位后，到索尔克生物研究所继续她的博士后深造。在美丽的加州圣地亚哥，她遇到了她的知心爱人，才德先生，并于2009结为连理，养育一双儿女。她在2011年到2021年间先后任费埃哲和益博睿公司的高级数据科学家。2021年，在生命最后二十天接受基督信仰并受洗，带给家人天国再聚的盼望。

刘媛是名资深旅行者，她走访过全世界47个国家和地区，并在许多水域深潜，探寻奇妙的海底世界。她热爱阅读，对于人生，世界和灵魂总有深刻见解。作为一名高产的作家，她创作了大量关于旅行，神经科学，物理，心理学和育儿的文章， 并在患病期间，写下感人至深的日记《与癌同行》。 多年以来，她在博客上留下的随笔吸引了来自世界各地数以万计的追随者和读者。

刘媛深深爱着她的家人。她的丈夫才德先生，大儿子才宝和小女儿元宝，和父母亲刘洪禄先生范为光女士将永远怀念。

刘媛的一生，在广袤的世界里踏遍足迹，在科学的殿堂里自由探索。她是倾心奉献的母亲，聪慧睿智的妻子，又是体贴入微的女儿。从任何意义上来说， 她是一位完整的人。她的一生真正实现她的人生信条“尽我所能探索世界，尽我所能激励他人”。

Yuan (Sophie) Liu was granted her angel wings on January 20, 2021, in San Diego, California, after a brave battle with breast cancer. Yuan’s life would seem too short to many, but those who were touched by her easily understood that the quality of existence far exceeds the quantify of time in which one lives. Indeed, her smile, passion, courage, and generosity constantly reminded us of the best part of life.

Yuan was born in Tianjin, China. She went to Nankai Middle School and won one Gold Medal as the Best Female Contestant in the 29th International Physics Olympiad in 1998. Then she attended Peking University and came to USA in 2000 when she was a junior. She received a B.S. degree in Physics with Honors from California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, California in 2002.

Yuan then came to Princeton University as a graduate student in the Department of Physics. Her research focused on computational neuroscience and she published a number of impactful papers. From 2002 to 2004, she served as Vice President and Social Chair of Association of Chinese Students and Scholars at Princeton University (ACSSPU), and she was an active member of 1016 Drama Club. She wrote the very first version of the Princeton Life Guide for Chinese Students, which becomes a unique ACSSPU asset that has been passed on from generation to generation. Yuan earned her Ph.D. degree in Physics in 2007, and then joined the Salk Institute as a postdoc fellow. In San Diego, California, she met her loving husband, De Cai and got married in 2009. From 2011 to 2021, she worked as a senior data scientist at FICO and Experian.

Yuan loved traveling: she visited 47 countries all over the world, and did scuba diving in many places. She loved reading, giving the deepest thoughts about life, the world, and spiritual understanding. As a productive writer, she wrote about travel, neuroscience, physics, and psychology, and her blogs have attracted thousands of followers and inspired many more.

Yuan loved family with her whole heart. Yuan is survived by her husband De and two children, and parents Honglu and Weiguang.

Yuan was a passionate traveler, accomplished scientist, devoted mother, brilliant wife, and caring daughter. She was a full person.