Prof. Peng Chen

Dr. Peng Chen is currently the Qiantang-Boya Distinguished Professor at Peking University, and the New Cornerstone Investigator from the New Cornerstone Foundation.  He obtained BS degree in Chemistry at Peking University in 2002, and Ph.D in Chemistry with Prof. Chuan He at The University of Chicago in 2007. After a postdoctoral training at The Scripps Research Institute with Prof. Peter Schultz, he started his independent career at Peking University since 2009.

Prof. Chen has been widely recognized for integrating the genetic code expansion strategy with bioorthogonal chemistry for gain-of-function study of proteins in living systems. He reported the first examples of genetically encoded bioorthogonal cleavage reactions which, in contrast with the more traditional bond-formation reactions, has become a powerful tool for spatial and temporal control of protein functions inside cells and animals. He has since been leading this exciting new avenue in bioorthogonal chemistry with broad utilities in life sciences and medicine. Recently, he has initiated the “clinical chemical biology” new direction, which has been leveraging chemistry tools to address clinical needs, particularly at the frontiers of immunology and immunotherapy. 

He is currently the Chair of the Chemical Biology Division of Chinese Chemical Society, the Executive Editor at ACS Chemical Biology and Excusive Deputy Dean of PKU Graduate School. He has received many awards including EFMC-WuXi AppTec Award for Excellence in Chemical Biology, the Science and Technology Innovation Award from the Ho Leung Ho Lee Foundation, the XPLORER Prize from the New Cornerstone Foundation and the State Natural Science award, China.