The Chen Lab News
Dec 19, 2025
Shou-Hou Liu received the 2025 GRC Excellent Research Award, and Wei-Chieh Liu received the 2025 GRC Excellent Poster Award at the Genomics Research Center, Academia Sinica. Congratulations to Shou-Hou and Wei-Chieh on these well-deserved achievements!
Nov 29, 2025
Lo-Chueh Chu received Third Place nationwide among 44 finalists in the nationwide 3-Minute Thesis Competition in Life Sciences, held at the National Museum of Natural Science. Congratulations to Lo-Chueh on this wonderful achievement!
Nov 28, 2025
The Chen group (Dr. Wei Chen and Shou-Hou Liu) has received the Moderna Taiwan mRNA Innovation Award. Congratulations to Shou-Hou and the entire team! We sincerely thank BioTReC, Academia Sinica, Moderna Taiwan, and the eleven expert reviewers for their recognition. We also gratefully acknowledge the support from Academia Sinica, the Genomics Research Center, and the National Science and Technology Council for providing funding, instrumentation, and research space.
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Nov 26, 2025
Kai-Yun Cheng received the First Prize Poster Presentation Award in the Free Radical group at the Joint Academic Symposium on Pharmacy and Traditional Chinese Medicine. Congratulations to Kai-Yun for this well-deserved honor!
Nov 04, 2025
Dr. Wei Chen’s corresponding-author research article, titled “‘Cancer-treating-cancer’ strategy: Entrapping engineered dying cancer cells in immunotherapeutic hydrogel against tumor recurrence,” has been accepted and published in Cell Biomaterials.
This work presents an innovative therapeutic concept that leverages engineered dying cancer cells integrated with immunotherapeutic hydrogels to prevent tumor recurrence, offering a promising direction for next-generation cancer immunotherapy. Congratulations to Yiming!
Oct 29, 2025
We are pleased to announce that Dr. Wei Chen’s corresponding-author research article, titled “IRF5 siRNA Nanoimmunotherapy: Restoring Macrophage Efferocytosis in Atherosclerosis,” has been published in Circulation, a flagship journal of the American Heart Association.
This study presents a siRNA-mediated nanoimmunotherapeutic strategy that restores macrophage efferocytosis, offering a promising approach for the treatment of atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease. Congratulations to Zhongshan!
Oct 18, 2025
Lo-Chueh Chu advanced from the Central Taiwan regional preliminary round to the national competition of the nationwide 3-Minute Thesis Competition in Life Sciences, organized by the College of Life Sciences, National Chung Hsing University. Congratulations to Lo-Chueh on this achievement!
Oct 13, 2025
Dr. Wei Chen, supported by Academia Sinica, participated in the “Cardiovascular Workshop to Develop Strategic Research Links” in King’s College London, London, United Kingdom, along with seven other professors. At the workshop, Dr. Chen presented the lab’s recent work on nano-immunotherapies for atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease. This initiative has established a collaborative dialogue between King’s College London in the UK and Academia Sinica in Taiwan.
Aug 25, 2025
Dr. Wei Chen has been honored with the “Royal Society of Chemistry Nanoscale Emerging Investigator Award”, making him one of the few scholars worldwide to receive this prestigious recognition for young scientists in the field of nanotechnology.
The International Editorial Board of the Royal Society of Chemistry’s flagship journal Nanoscale annually selects outstanding early-career scientists from around the world who have demonstrated exceptional achievements in nanoscience, nanotechnology, or related fields during their independent research stage, awarding them the honor of “Nanoscale Emerging Investigator.” This recognition highlights researchers who have made significant contributions early in their academic careers and acknowledges their exceptional potential to “shape the future direction of nanoscience and nanotechnology,” positioning them as rising stars at the global forefront of the field. All awardees are nominated by international experts and rigorously reviewed and selected by the Royal Society of Chemistry, making this distinction highly competitive and internationally representative.
Dr. Chen expressed his sincere gratitude to the Royal Society of Chemistry for this honor, as well as to Academia Sinica, the Genomics Research Center, and the National Science and Technology Council for their support in funding, equipment, and research facilities. Dr. Chen hopes that his laboratory can inspire and train more young scholars to pursue interdisciplinary research spanning biomedical engineering, materials chemistry, nanomedicine, and the life sciences.
Aug 21, 2025
We are delighted to announce that Dr. Wei Chen’s corresponding-author review article, titled “Therapeutic Hydrogels: Properties and Biomedical Applications,” has been published in Chemical Reviews, a flagship review journal of the American Chemical Society, and has been selected as a Cover Feature.
This comprehensive review systematically summarizes the properties, design principles, and broad biomedical applications of therapeutic hydrogels, providing a valuable resource for researchers across materials science and biomedicine. Congratulations to Songtao!
Aug 16, 2025
Wei-Chieh Liu, supported by Academia Sinica, attended the ACS Fall 2025 National Meeting in Washington, DC, USA. At the meeting, he presented his recent research on nanomedicine-based cancer immunotherapy. Congratulations to Wei-Chieh on this achievement!
Aug 10, 2025
Dr. Wei Chen has been selected as a Fellow of Materials Tech (FMT), joining an elite cohort of 32 scientists worldwide. Materials Tech is a non-profit global community dedicated to advancing materials science through excellence, collaboration, and innovation, and to fostering impactful research that shapes the future of the field.
As a Fellow, Dr. Chen is recognized for his exceptional expertise and leadership in materials science and engineering, and will join an elite group of professionals and engage in high-level collaboration, contribute to thought leadership, and help guide the continued advancement of materials science and technology.
July 26, 2025
Wei-Chieh Liu received the Outstanding Mention Award for Best Poster Presentation at the 2025 Annual Meeting of the Taiwan Nanomedicine Society (TNS), in recognition of his excellent work in nanomedicine-based drug delivery strategies for cancer immunotherapy. Congratulations to Wei-Chieh!
July 26, 2025
Kai-Yun Cheng received the Distinguished Mention Poster Presentation Award with first place ranking from the Taiwan Nanomedicine Society (TNS), in recognition of his outstanding work on innovative nanomedicine and drug delivery technologies for cancer immunotherapy. Congratulations to Kai-Yun!
July 01, 2025
Sin-Si Lin completed her master degree in Medical Pathology at National Defense Medical University, has started her Ph.D. research in our group in the joint doctoral program of Academia Sinica, National Defense Medical University, and National Health Research Institutes. Congratulations and welcome, Sin-Si!
July 01, 2025
Phan Thi Thuy Tien, completing her master degree in Biomedical Engineering from Taipei Medical University, has started her Ph.D. research in our group in the Taiwan International Graduate Program in Chemical Biology and Molecular Biophysics at Academia Sinica. Congratulations and welcome Jane Phan!
July 01, 2025
En-Chi Hsu, who completed a double major in Life Science and Biomedical Engineering at National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University, has started her master’s research in our group in the Interdisciplinary Master Program in Molecular Medicine (IMPMM) at National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University. Congratulations and welcome, En-Chi!
July 01, 2025
Bing-Hui Zou (Department of Physical Therapy) and Shin-Yun Lin (Department of Biochemical Science and Technology), both from National Taiwan University, have joined our group as GRC-supported undergraduate student researchers. Welcome to these two bright young minds!
June 30, 2025
Dr. Wei Chen, together with Academia Sinica GRC Director Dr. Chih-Hao Lee (main organizer and session chair), co-organized the “Immunometabolism Mini-Symposium: Immune and Metabolic Control of Human Diseases” at the AS Conference. The symposium brought together six rising scientists who presented their latest research on immune and metabolic regulation of human diseases. The sessions focused on three main topics: (1) Metabolite transporters in metabolic homeostasis; (2) Immune cells, including macrophages and eosinophils, in heart regeneration and gut immunity; (3) Adipokines and hepatokines in tissue inflammation and metabolic diseases.
Invited by Session Chair Dr. Todd Lowary (Director of the IBC, Academia Sinica), Dr. Wei Chen also presented his recent advances in drug delivery technologies and RNA-based therapies at the “Made in Taiwan Innovations in Chemical and Structural Biology” symposium, alongside ten other distinguished principal investigators at the AS Conference.
June 25, 2025
Both Kai-En Huang and Lo-Chueh Chu have received the “Research Proposals Grant for College-Level Students” from the National Science and Technology Council (NSTC) for their cancer immunotherapy projects. They will conduct cancer immunotherapy–related research in Dr. Chen’s Lab. Congratulations to Kai-En and Lo-Chueh on this well-deserved achievement!
June 09, 2025
Lo-Chueh Chu was awarded 2nd place among 31 participants in the 3-Minute English Academic Presentation Competition at the College of Life Science and Medicine, National Tsing Hua University, in recognition of her outstanding research in cancer nanomedicine. Congratulations to Lo-Chueh!
May 21, 2025
Dr. Wei Chen’s corresponding-author research article, titled “Macrophage hitchhiking nanomedicine for enhanced β-elemene delivery and tumor therapy,” has been published in Science Advances.
This work introduces a macrophage-hitchhiking nanomedicine strategy to improve β-elemene delivery and achieve enhanced antitumor efficacy, highlighting a novel engineered cell-assisted drug delivery paradigm. Congratulations to Shuying!
March 8, 2025
Dr. Wei Chen was nominated and supported by Academia Sinica to attend the HOPE Meeting organized by the Japan Society for the Promotion of Science (JSPS), held at PACIFICO Yokohama in Yokohama, Japan. The meeting brought together 6 Nobel Laureates and 120 outstanding young scientists from around the world. Dr. Chen was further selected as a JSPS HOPE Fellow.
March 01, 2025
Cheng-Yeh Yu, an undergraduate student from the Department of Biomedical Engineering and Environmental Sciences at National Tsing Hua University, has joined our group as a student researcher. Welcome, Cheng-Yeh!
Jan 01, 2025
Yu-Ting Su, earning her B.S. in Biochemical Science and Technology and M.S. in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology from National Taiwan University, has joined our group as a research assistant. Welcome, Yu-Ting!
Dec 20, 2024
Congratulations to Wei-Chieh Liu! Wei-Chieh has been honored with the 2024 GRC Excellent Poster Award at the Genomics Research Center, Academia Sinica. This marks the grand opening of our lab’s progress—stay tuned for more milestones and updates ahead!
Nov 06, 2024
Dr. Wei Chen’s co–first-author review article, titled “Innate immunity-modulating nanobiomaterials for controlling inflammation resolution,” has been published in Matter, a flagship materials science journal of Cell Press.
This comprehensive review highlights the design principles and therapeutic potential of nanobiomaterials that modulate innate immune responses to promote inflammation resolution.
Nov 05, 2024
Dr. Wei Chen’s corresponding-author review article, titled “Nanomedicine-based strategies for the treatment of vein graft disease,” has been published in Nature Reviews Cardiology.
This authoritative review summarizes emerging nanomedicine approaches for preventing and treating vein graft disease, providing insights into translational strategies for cardiovascular therapeutics. Congratulations to Zhuoming!
Oct 05, 2024
Dr. Wei Chen is recognized for his expertise and leadership in nanomedicine, biomaterials, and drug delivery technologies, as well as his excellent English proficiency, and was selected by Academia Sinica to attend the Science and Technology in Society (STS) Forum in Kyoto, Japan. The event invited leaders from government departments, CEOs and CTOs of major corporations, as well as presidents, senior officials, and professors of academic and research institutions. This year’s Young Leaders Program invited about 130 professors, researchers, engineers, and leaders from government and industry. The distinguished young leaders who were invited to participate in the full agenda of the STS forum’s annual meeting, including dialogue sessions with 10 Nobel Laureates. Dr. Wei Chen participated in the “Dialogue between Young Leaders and Nobel Laureates” session, engaging in 1-on-1 discussion with Nobel Laureates Professor Ryōji Noyori (Chemistry, 2001) on asymmetric catalysis and the global challenges faced by young scientists, Professor Akira Yoshino (Chemistry, 2019) on lithium-ion battery development and next-generation energy storage, and Professor Andrew Fire (Physiology or Medicine, 2006) on RNA interference and nanomaterial-based RNA delivery strategies. During the three-day conference, Dr. Chen participated in in-depth discussions and interactions with representatives from the United States, the United Kingdom, Germany, Japan, Finland, Australia, and other countries. These representatives included professors, government officials, and industry leaders. Dr. Chen was further selected as an STS Forum young leader of Year 2024!
Oct 01, 2024
Dr. Cheng-Mu Wu, who received his Ph.D. in Molecular Bacteriology from National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University, has joined us a postdoctoral research fellow. Welcome, Dr. Wu!
Sep 27, 2024
Sophia Li, an undergraduate student from the Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry at the University of California, Davis, has joined our group as a research intern through the UC Davis–Academia Sinica study abroad program. Welcome, Sophia!
Sep, 01, 2024
Shou-Hou Liu, who received his master’s degree in Immunology from National Taiwan University, has joined our group as a research assistant. Welcome, Shou-Hou!
Aug 01, 2024
Dr. Wei Chen has been awarded the 2024 NSTC “2030 Cross-Generation Young Scholars Program (Emerging Young Scholars).” The National Science and Technology Council (NSTC) established this prestigious program to provide stable research support for outstanding early-career principal investigators, enabling them to pursue innovative and interdisciplinary research with global impact. Each year, the program supports a maximum of 25 new principal investigators across all research fields in Taiwan. Dr. Chen’s research demonstrates strong promise and significant application potential. He is deeply grateful to the NSTC and the review committee members for their recognition and generous financial support. Through this project, Dr. Chen aims to cultivate interdisciplinary talent in biomedical engineering, materials chemistry, nanomedicine, and life sciences within his laboratory.
Jul 01, 2024
Lo-Chueh Chu, En-Chi Hsu, Kai-En Huang, Peng-Hua Cheng, and Po-Jui Chen have joined our group as GRC-supported undergraduate student researchers. We warmly welcome these five enthusiastic young minds to the Chen lab.
June 28, 2024
Dr. Wei Chen awarded 2024 “Dr. Yun MOU” Outstanding Young Scholar Award of Taiwan Nanomedicine Society (TNS). The award recognizes Dr. Chen for his substantial contributions and research promise in the fields of nanomedicine and drug delivery, particularly in addressing cancer, cardiovascular diseases, and inflammatory conditions. The "Dr. Yun MOU" Outstanding Young Scholar Award, established by the Taiwan Nanomedicine Society and endowed by Academician Prof. Chung-Yuan Mou, aims to promote prospective fundamental and applied research among young members, thereby enhancing the impact and global recognition of nanomedicine research originating from Taiwan. In principle, this award selects only one recipient each year, thus making it a highly prestigious honor. Dr. Chen has been invited to deliver a speech at the "Award Ceremony & Award Honor Speech", which will take place during the international conference organized by the Taiwan Nanomedicine Society on June 28, 2024. This achievement not only recognizes Dr. Chen's contributions but also underscores his potential to further advance nanomedicine research in Taiwan and beyond.
The Taiwan Nanomedicine Society is dedicated to facilitating collaboration and knowledge exchange among researchers and professionals in nanomedicine research, both within Taiwan and internationally. The society’s primary goals include amplifying the impact and significance of nanomedicine research, as well as advancing industrial technologies within this field.
June 24, 2024
Dr. Wei Chen, supported by the Genomics Research Center (GRC), attended the 2024 GRC/Academia Sinica–Osaka University Bilateral Symposium in Osaka, Japan. At the symposium, Dr. Chen presented his recent research on nanomedicine-based approaches for the treatment of cancer, cardiovascular disease, and other inflammatory conditions.
June 19, 2024
Dr. Wei Chen’s corresponding-author and co–first-author research article, titled “Resolvin D1 delivery to lesional macrophages using antioxidative black phosphorus nanosheets for atherosclerosis treatment,” has been published in Nature Nanotechnology.
This study presents an innovative nanotherapeutic strategy that employs antioxidative black phosphorus nanosheets to selectively deliver Resolvin D1 to lesional macrophages, effectively modulating inflammation and treating atherosclerosis. Congratulations to Zhongshan!
May 13, 2024
Yu-Jie Hu, who received his bachelor’s degree in Life Sciences from National Chung Hsing University, has joined our group as an intern and research assistant. Welcome, Yu-Jie!
Mar 01, 2024
Kai-Yun Cheng, who earned both his bachelor’s and master’s degrees in Biochemical Science and Technology from National Taiwan University, has joined our group as a research assistant. Welcome, Kai-Yun!
Feb 15, 2024
Dr. Ya-Chih Huang, receiving her Ph.D. degree from the Institute of Medicine at Chung Shan Medical University, has joined our group as a postdoctoral research fellow. Welcome, Dr. Huang!
Jan 29, 2024
Dr. Wei Chen’s corresponding-author review article, titled “Chemically Modified Platforms for Better RNA Therapeutics,” has been published in Chemical Reviews, a flagship review journal of the American Chemical Society.
This authoritative review provides a comprehensive overview of chemical modification strategies for RNA therapeutics, covering molecular design, delivery platforms, and translational considerations. Congratulations to Yesi!
Jan 01, 2024
Sin-Si Lin from the Institute of Medical Pathology at National Defense Medical University, has join our group as a joint master student. Welcome, Sin-Si!
Nov 01, 2023
Dr. Wei Chen’s co–first-author research article, titled “Nanosensitizer-mediated augmentation of sonodynamic therapy efficacy and antitumor immunity,” has been published in Nature Communications.
This study demonstrates a nanosensitizer-based strategy to enhance sonodynamic therapy while simultaneously stimulating antitumor immune responses, offering a powerful approach for synergistic cancer treatment.
Nov 01, 2023
Wei-Chieh Liu, receiving his B.S. degree in Respiratory Therapy from the College of Medicine, Taipei Medical University has joined our group as a research assistant and lab manager. Welcome Wei-Chieh (Jack)!
Oct 25, 2023
This special day marks the official launch of the Wei Chen Lab at the Genomics Research Center, Academia Sinica. Dr. Wei Chen earned his Ph.D. in Chemistry from the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), California, United States, and subsequently completed a three-year postdoctoral training at the Center for Nanomedicine, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Harvard Medical School, in Boston, Massachusetts, United States. The Chen Lab is actively recruiting enthusiastic young researchers to pursue innovative therapeutic technologies and biomedical engineering approaches for disease treatment and biomedical applications.
Aug, 2023
Dr. Wei Chen, serving as a co-investigator, was awarded an American Heart Association (AHA) Transformational Project Award in recognition of the innovative research on nanotechnology-based therapies for cardiovascular disease.
June, 2023
Dr. Wei Chen’s first-author research article, titled “In situ Engineering of Tumor-Associated Macrophages via a Nanodrug-Delivering-Drug (β-Elemene@Stanene) Strategy for Enhanced Cancer Chemo-Immunotherapy,” has been published in Angewandte Chemie International Edition. This article has been selected as a Top 5% Very Important Paper (VIP) and featured as a Front Cover Paper.
This work introduces a novel nanodrug-delivering-drug platform that enables in situ reprogramming of tumor-associated macrophages, resulting in enhanced synergistic chemo-immunotherapy.
April, 2023
Dr. Wei Chen’s co–first-author research article, titled “Glutathione-Scavenging Nanoparticle-Mediated PROTACs Delivery for Targeted Protein Degradation and Amplified Antitumor Effects,” has been published in Advanced Science.
This study presents a novel nanoplatform that scavenges intracellular glutathione to deliver PROTACs efficiently, enabling targeted protein degradation and amplified antitumor activity, offering a promising strategy for next-generation cancer therapy.
Dec, 2022
Dr. Wei Chen has been selected as a Young Scientist Award, International Association of Advanced Materials (IAAM). This prestigious honor recognizes his innovative research at the interface of advanced materials, nanotechnology, and biomedicine.
