About
Chinese biochemist best known for his work with the hemeprotein cytochrome c. This helped to facilitate the purification and activation of certain essential elements. His laboratory's research focuses on the cellular mechanisms that control the life and death of animal cells. In 2006, he was awarded the Shaw Prize in Life Science and Medicine. Other awards include the Richard Lounsbery Award from the National Academy of Sciences in 2007, and the King Faisal International Prize in Medicine in 2020.
Before Fame
He received his Bachelor's in biology from Beijing Normal University in 1984. He got his doctorate degree in biochemistry in 1991 from the Southwestern Medical College of the University of Texas.
Trivia
He is currently the director of the National Institute of Biological Sciences in Beijing. He is a member of the United States National Academy of Sciences and the Howard Hughes Medical Institute. He has Chinese and American citizenship.
Family Life
He was raised by his grandparents from the age of 2, after his mother fell ill. His grandfather was an English teacher and his grandmother retired early from Primary School teaching to take care of him full time. He attended elementary school during the 3rd year of the cultural revolution, so academic learning was limited until 1977 when regular school education resumed.
Associated With
Rudolph Pariser is another renowned Chinese chemist.
