Zhijian Chen, Ph.D.

Professor

Endowed Title: George L. MacGregor Distinguished Chair in Biomedical Science
Schools: Medical School | Graduate School
Departments: Molecular Biology | Center for Genetics of Host Defense
Graduate Programs: Biological Chemistry, Genetics, Development and Disease, Immunology

Education

Undergraduate: Fujian Normal University (1985), Biology
Graduate School: SUNY at Buffalo (1991), Biochemistry

Research Interest

cGAS-STING pathway
Innate Immunity
MAVS: mitochondrial antiviral signaling protein
NF-kappaB Signaling
RIG-I Signaling
Ubiquitin-Proteasome Pathway

Publications

Advancing the science of nucleic acids together: Schiefelbein B, Giangrande PH, Chen Z Molecular Therapy Nucleic Acids 2026 Mar 37
RNA innate immunity constitutes a barrier for interspecies chimerism: Hu Y, Sun HX, Sakurai M, Luo Z, Jones AE, Cheng T, Huang J, Liu L, Zheng C, Li J, Lu Y, Ravaux B, He B, Ding Y, Liu T, Wu Y, Chen Z, Abrams JM, Chen E, Gu Y, Wu J Cell 2026 Jan 189 23-33.e16
PtdIns(3,5)P₂ is an endogenous ligand of STING in innate immune signalling: Tan JX, Lv B, Li J, Li T, Du F, Chen X, Zhang X, Bai XC, Chen ZJ Nature 2026
Regulation of STING activation by phosphoinositide and cholesterol: Li J, Tan JX, Chen ZJ, Zhang X, Bai XC Nature 2026
Publisher Correction: PtdIns(3,5)P₂ is an endogenous ligand of STING in innate immune signalling (Nature, (2026), 10.1038/s41586-025-10084-0): Tan JX, Lv B, Li J, Li T, Du F, Chen X, Zhang X, Bai XC, Chen ZJ Nature 2026
VDAC2 brake release: unleashing inflammation via IFNγ: Patel SJ, Chen ZJ Trends in Pharmacological Sciences 2025 Aug 46 695-696
From NF-κB to cGAS: An interview with Prof. Zhijian James Chen on unraveling innate immunity: Zeng W, Ng LG, Chen ZJ, Yan Q hLife 2025 Jun 3 253-257
STING-induced noncanonical autophagy regulates endolysosomal homeostasis: Huang T, Sun C, Du F, Chen ZJ Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America 2025 Feb 122
The STING agonist IMSA101 enhances chimeric antigen receptor T cell function by inducing IL-18 secretion: Uslu U, Sun L, Castelli S, Finck AV, Assenmacher CA, Young RM, Chen ZJ, June CH Nature communications 2024 Dec 15
Discovery of cGAS as a DNA-Sensing Enzyme That Triggers Inflammation: 2024 Albert Lasker Basic Medical Research Award: Chen ZJ JAMA 2024 Nov 332

Honors & Awards

Elaine Redding Brinster Prize
(2026)
Japan Prize
(2026)
Clarivate Citation Laureate
(2025)
Fellow, Royal Society
(2025)
Albert Lasker Basic Medical Research Award
The Albert Lasker Basic Medical Research Award for Dr. Chen's discovery of the cGAS enzyme. (2024)
Qiu Shi Outstanding Scientist Award
(2024)
Louisa Gross Horwitz Prize
(2023)
Member, National Academy of Medicine, USA
(2022)
William B. Coley Award for Distinguished Research in Basic and Tumor Immunology
(2020)
Breakthrough Prize in Life Sciences
For his discovery of the cGAS enzyme that launches the body's immune defense against infections and cancers. That enzyme patrols the cell's interior and triggers the immune system in response to DNA. (2019)
Lurie Prize in Biomedical Sciences
For his discovery of the cGAS enzyme, a sensor of innate immunity. The enzyme patrols the cells interior and sounds the alarm to trigger the immune system in response to DNA. (2018)
NAS Award in Molecular Biology
For his creative use of elegant biochemistry both in elucidating an unsuspected role for polyubiquitin in a kinase-signaling cascade important for cancer and immunity and in discovering a novel link between innate immunity and a mitochondrial membrane protein that forms prion-like polymers to trigger antiviral responses. (2012)
Edith and Peter O’Donnell Award in Science by The Academy of Medicine, Engineering and Science of Texas
(2007)
Welch Foundation Norman Hackerman Award in Chemical Research
(2005)
Burroughs Wellcome Fund Investigator in Pathogenesis of Infectious Diseases
(2002)
Leukemia and Lymphoma Society Scholar
(2002)
Searle Scholar
(1998)