SANS Announces 2025 SANS Exploration Scholars
September 10th — Teachers’ Day — is a day to honor those who plant and nurture the seeds of knowledge. This year, the celebration coincides with an announcement that embodies scientific innovation and perseverance: the unveiling of the SANS Exploration Scholars program, which is the only initiative among the Series Scholars programs released on an annual basis by Shanghai Academy of Natural Sciences (SANS).
In 2025, the program has expanded its scope beyond life sciences to include chemistry and interdisciplinary research, creating fertile new ground for innovation and collaboration within the SANS scientific community.
We pay tribute to this year’s cohort of 22 scholars. With extraordinary insight, they have forged their own paths — sowing the seeds of future change through quiet dedication and unwavering perseverance. We warmly congratulate each of them and look forward to their continued courage and pursuit of excellence in the journey ahead.
Life Sciences
Jia CHEN
ShanghaiTech University
Advancing precision gene editing and innovative therapies
Daming GAO
Center for Excellence in Molecular Cell Science, CAS
Signal transduction in cell metabolism and cell growth
Zhaobing GAO
Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, CAS
Developing nanopore glycan sequencing to accelerate innovative drug discovery
Guohong HU
Shanghai Institute of Nutrition and Health, CAS
Investigating cancer metastatic dormancy to prevent relapse
Xuehui HUANG
Shanghai Normal University
AI-driven rice breeding for climate resilience
Fei LAN
Fudan University
Epigenetic regulation of translation—ribosomal modifications in environmental response, disease, and evolution
Jiaquan LIU
Center for Excellence in Molecular Cell Science, CAS
Discrimination between Self- and nonself-RNAs in antiviral defense and autoimmune disease
Junli LIU
Fudan University
Multi-level regulatory mechanisms of glucose and lipid metabolism
Zhen LIU
Center for Excellence in Brain Science and Intelligence Technology, CAS
Dissecting primate embryo development to inform stem-cell-based regeneration
Yilai SHU
Shanghai Eye and ENT Hospital, Fudan University
Driving therapeutic innovation and translation for sensorineural hearing loss
Ping WANG
Tongji University
Deciphering how cells perceive and decode nutrient signals
Xiang XIAO
Shanghai Jiao Tong University
The limits of life from a cosmic perspective—analysis, boundaries, and reconstruction of “co-adaptation”
Fei XU
ShanghaiTech University
Unlocking signaling mechanisms and developing novel modulators for orphan GPCRs
Yi YANG
East China University of Science and Technology
Super multiplex imaging analysis of live cell metabolism
Rui YUE
Tongji University
Studying aging and rejuvenation of skeletal and hematopoietic stem cells for anti-aging applications
Jiayi ZHANG
Fudan University
Leveraging cross-disciplinary approaches for image-differentiation visual restoration
Yu ZHANG
Center for Excellence in Molecular Plant Sciences, CAS
Deciphering and remodeling the chloroplast transcription regulatory network
Bo ZHOU
Center for Excellence in Molecular Cell Science, CAS
Uncovering the hidden diversity of adult stem cells to reshape our understanding of tissue repair and regeneration
Chemistry and Interdisciplinary
Jinghan GUI
Shanghai Institute of Organic Chemistry, CAS
Exploring the efficient creation and discovery of bioactive small molecules integrating chemistry and biology
Xingang ZHANG
Shanghai Institute of Organic Chemistry, CAS
Study of the intrinsic connections among fluorocarbon-based reactive intermediates and establishment of a unified reaction platform
Xiaoshi QIAN
Shanghai Jiao Tong University
Revealing the physical origin of the giant electrocaloric effect, approaching its theoretical limits, and providing fundamental support for the practical application of electrocaloric cooling technology
Peng ZHOU
Fudan University
Promoting the integration of device performance and system applications in the cross-scale integration of atomic manufacturing