Zhijian James Chen

Zhijian "James" Chen (Chinese: 陈志坚; pinyin: Chén Zhìjiān; born 1966) is a Chinese-American biochemist and Professor in the Department of Molecular Biology at University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center. He is best known for his discovery of mechanisms by which nucleic acids trigger innate and autoimmune responses from the interior of a cell, work for which he received the 2019 Breakthrough Prize in Life Sciences.

Awards

• NAS Award in Molecular Biology (2012)
• Lurie Prize in Biomedical Sciences (2018)
• Breakthrough Prize in Life Sciences (2019)