National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University (NYCU)

Dr. Yu-Ju Chen earned her Ph.D. at Iowa State University under the mentorship of Prof. Cheuk-Yiu Ng, focusing on the unimolecular dissociation of polyatomic ions via molecular beam photoionization mass spectrometry and collision-induced dissociation. In 1997, she returned to Taiwan for postdoctoral research with Prof. Yuan-Pern Lee at National Tsing Hua University, where she established a laser photolysis time-resolved FT-IR absorption system. In 1999, Dr. Chen joined the Institute of Chemistry at Academia Sinica as an Assistant Research Fellow, marking a transformative point in her academic path. Motivated by the interdisciplinary atmosphere at Academia Sinica, she made a bold transition from physical chemistry to the field of analytical and biological sciences. Despite having no formal training in biology, she dedicated herself to developing fundamental technologies by integrating mass spectrometry, functional nanomaterials, and bioinformatics. Her innovations not only advanced analytical chemistry but also built a foundation for world-class proteomics in Taiwan, enabling impactful contributions to biomedical research and translational medicine. She played a key role in establishing mass spectrometry core facilities at Academia Sinica, National Taiwan University, and National Chung Hsing University, empowering Taiwan’s research community with cutting-edge proteomics tools. These efforts have significantly advanced molecular mechanism studies and facilitated new scientific directions. Dr. Chen’s research has also translated into real-world applications. She founded a startup company focused on high-risk cancer screening, which received regulatory approval in six major Taiwanese cities. The technology behind this venture won the 2022 National Innovation Award and is now accessible to the public for early cancer detection. In recent years, she has led several nationwide and interdisciplinary projects connecting major medical centers across Taiwan, involving experts in chemistry, biomedical science, and AI, as well as international research collaborations. Notably, she initiated and led the Taiwan Cancer Moonshot Project, which uncovered the unique disease mechanisms of non-smoking lung cancer in Taiwan. The findings were recognized as a Highlight Project in the 2020 Central Government Science and Technology R&D Performance Compilation. Her team also launched the Taiwan Cancer Precision Medicine Knowledgebase in 2022, now used by over 1,000 researchers, and selected as one of six major accomplishments under Taiwan’s Precision Health Initiative. Dr. Chen has published over 180 SCI-indexed articles across top journals in chemistry, materials science, and biomedicine—including Cell, Nature Communications, JACS, Chemical Science, PNAS, Analytical Chemistry, Small, and Plant Cell. Her work has received over 8,000 citations with an H-index of 57. She holds five patents, three of which have been transferred to the biomedical industry, including the cancer screening technology commercialized by Jun-Zhi Biomed.

Hao Ming Chen received his B.Sc, and M.Sc from National Taiwan University in 2002 and 2004, and his Ph.D. in Chemistry from National Taiwan University in 2008, and then was a postdoctoral fellow at Department of Chemistry and Physics in National Taiwan University. He then did his postdoctoral research at the University of California, Berkeley, with Prof. Peidong Yang and joined the Department of Chemistry at National Taiwan University in the summer of 2013. He was promoted to associate Professor in 2018 and full Professor in 2021. He is the recipient of Lectureship Award for the Asian and Oceanian Photochemists Sponsored by Eikohsha (The Japanese Photochemistry Association) and has been featured in the 2018 JACS Young Investigator Issue. He is also the recipient of numerous awards, including Outstanding Research Award and the Dr. Ta-You Wu Memorial Award (the Ministry of Science and Technology), Outstanding Young Chemist Award (Chinese Chemical Society Located in Taipei), Young Scholar Innovation Award (the Foundation of the Advancement of Outstanding Scholarship), the Academia Sinica Research Award for Junior Research Investigators, and the Outstanding Researcher Award (Asia-Pacific Association of Catalysis Societies).