Tee Labs Partner: An Interview with Academician Yuan Junying

    Recently, Professor Yuan Junying, Foreign Member of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), Member of the U.S. National Academy of Sciences, and Director of the Center for Interdisciplinary Research in Biology and Chemistry, Shanghai Institute of Organic Chemistry(CAS) , gave an interview to Shanghai Media Group, sharing her pioneering work in the field of cell death. On the evening of June 1st during prime time, the documentary The Trailblazer featuring this interview aired on Shanghai Television’s News Channel.

    Born into a family of scholars spanning three generations of scientists, Academician Yuan received exceptional emphasis on education. She still recalls her grandfather’s guidance: “Biology suits girls; chemistry is the path forward.” When China resumed the national college entrance examination in 1977, she emerged as Shanghai’s top science student, transitioning from a textile machinery factory worker to a biochemistry major at Fudan University. Even among the brightest minds at Fudan, Yuan stood out as a stellar student, ranking at the top of her class in nearly every subject. Later, she joined the inaugural CUSBEA (China-United States Biochemistry Examination and Application) program, placing second among 25,000 applicants. In 1982, she began her graduate studies at Harvard University.

    Her time at Harvard included a notable episode: as a young graduate student, Yuan successfully persuaded Harvard to allow her to conduct research at MIT under Professor Robert Horvitz. “She even convinced Harvard to fund her research at MIT—something extraordinary,” Professor Horvitz later recalled. Professor Yuan is a trailblazer in cell death research, having identified the first cell death gene and uncovered three regulatory pathways for cell death. Her contributions were central to her doctoral advisor Robert Horvitz’s 2002 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine.

    In the interview, Academician Yuan reflected on her four-decade scientific journey, during which she ventured three times into unexplored frontiers of research, challenged established authorities, and dedicated her life to scientific innovation. This perseverance established her as a global leader in apoptosis research. Today, she leads her team in a fourth quest: developing therapies for neurodegenerative diseases by targeting cell death pathways.

    Academician Yuan Junying is a partner of Tee Labs. Tee Labs collaborates with her and her team to advance drug development and incubate ventures in related fields.