UT Southwestern biochemist elected to U.K.’s Royal Society

Zhijian “James” Chen, Ph.D., is one of the world’s leading experts on innate immunity.

DALLAS – May 20, 2025 – Zhijian “James” Chen, Ph.D., Professor of Molecular Biology and Director of the Center for Inflammation Research at UT Southwestern Medical Center, has been elected to the Fellowship of the Royal Society, the United Kingdom’s national academy of sciences and the oldest scientific academy in continuous existence.  

One of the world’s leading experts on innate immunity, Dr. Chen has been recognized with numerous honors for his research, including the 2024 Albert Lasker Basic Medical Research Award and the 2019 Breakthrough Prize in Life Sciences. He has also been elected to both the U.S. National Academy of Sciences and U.S. National Academy of Medicine.

“Dr. Chen’s breakthroughs have significantly advanced the field of immunology, paving the way for new approaches to the development of more effective vaccines and novel therapies for a broad range of diseases, including cancer and autoimmune disorders,” said Daniel K. Podolsky, M.D., President of UT Southwestern. “His election to the Royal Society reflects the vast impact of his discoveries, and UT Southwestern takes great pride in seeing Dr. Chen’s work recognized by this high honor.”

Innate immunity is the body’s first response to pathogens, allowing rapid response when these foreign agents attack and destroy cells and tissues. The Chen Lab is broadly interested in mechanisms of signal transduction – the mechanisms by which cells communicate with their surroundings and detect harmful or foreign insults.

Dr. Chen’s discoveries include the identification of MAVS, the first mitochondrial protein known to be involved in immunity against infections. In 2012, he identified cGAS (cyclic GMP-AMP synthase), which senses foreign DNA in a cell’s interior, or cytoplasm. It then activates STING (stimulator of interferon genes) and triggers an inflammatory response, including the production of type 1 interferons, essential for combating infections and regulating immune responses.

“I am deeply honored and humbled to be elected to the Royal Society. I look forward to the incredible moment when I will have the opportunity to sign the same book that has been signed by Isaac Newton, Charles Darwin, Albert Einstein, and other eminent scientists, including our own Mike Brown and Joe Goldstein. This recognition by the Royal Society reflects the impact of discoveries made through the dedication and talent of the scientists and trainees in my lab, and the potential of our work in improving human health,” said Dr. Chen, who is also a Howard Hughes Medical Institute Investigator and member of the Center for the Genetics of Host Defense and the Harold C. Simmons Comprehensive Cancer Center at UTSW.

Founded in 1660, the Royal Society’s Fellowship includes many of the world’s most eminent scientists, engineers, and technologists. At UT Southwestern, Nobel Laureates Michael S. Brown, M.D., Professor of Molecular Genetics, and Joseph L. Goldstein, M.D., Chair and Professor of Molecular Genetics, are Foreign Members of the Royal Society.

Dr. Chen is also a recipient of the Paul Ehrlich and Ludwig Darmstaedter Prize, Germany’s highest honor in the field of medicine (2025), the Louisa Gross Horwitz Prize (2023), the William B. Coley Award for Distinguished Research in Basic and Tumor Immunology (2020), the Switzer Prize (2019), the Lurie Prize in Biomedical Sciences (2018), and the National Academy of Sciences Award in Molecular Biology (2012).

Dr. Chen holds the George L. MacGregor Distinguished Chair in Biomedical Science. Dr. Podolsky holds the Philip O’Bryan Montgomery, Jr., M.D. Distinguished Presidential Chair in Academic Administration and the Charles Cameron Sprague Distinguished Chair in Biomedical Science. Dr. Brown, a Regental Professor, holds The W.A. (Monty) Moncrief Distinguished Chair in Cholesterol and Arteriosclerosis Research, and the Paul J. Thomas Chair in Medicine. Dr. Goldstein, a Regental Professor, holds the Julie and Louis A. Beecherl, Jr. Distinguished Chair in Biomedical Research, and the Paul J. Thomas Chair in Medicine.

About UT Southwestern Medical Center   

UT Southwestern, one of the nation’s premier academic medical centers, integrates pioneering biomedical research with exceptional clinical care and education. The institution’s faculty members have received six Nobel Prizes and include 25 members of the National Academy of Sciences, 23 members of the National Academy of Medicine, and 14 Howard Hughes Medical Institute Investigators. The full-time faculty of more than 3,200 is responsible for groundbreaking medical advances and is committed to translating science-driven research quickly to new clinical treatments. UT Southwestern physicians provide care in more than 80 specialties to more than 140,000 hospitalized patients, more than 360,000 emergency room cases, and oversee nearly 5.1 million outpatient visits a year.