UT Southwestern biochemist Zhijian ‘James’ Chen to receive 2026 Japan Prize
DALLAS – Jan. 20, 2026 – Zhijian “James” Chen, Ph.D., Professor of Molecular Biology at UT Southwestern Medical Center and one of the world’s top researchers on how the body’s immune system protects against threats such as bacteria and viruses, has been awarded the 2026 Japan Prize in Life Sciences – one of the highest international honors for science and technology.
The award recognizes Dr. Chen’s discoveries related to the innate immune system including cyclic GMP-AMP synthase, or cGAS, which acts as the body’s burglar alarm to trigger defense from invading pathogens. Dr. Chen shares this year’s Japan Prize with Shizuo Akira, M.D., Ph.D., Professor at Osaka University.
“I am extremely honored and humbled to be selected to receive the Japan Prize,” said Dr. Chen, who is a Howard Hughes Medical Institute Investigator and Director of the Center for Inflammation Research at UT Southwestern. “This recognition validates the collaborative work of scientists at UT Southwestern and worldwide to expand our understanding of human disease. I am grateful to the students, postdoctoral fellows, and staff members in my lab for their hard work and to the leadership at UT Southwestern for their unwavering support.”
“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. “The entire UT Southwestern community takes great pride in seeing the impact of Dr. Chen’s work recognized by this very special high honor.”
The Japan Prize will be presented in Tokyo on April 14, during Japan Prize Week, which includes award ceremonies attended by the Emperor and Empress of Japan and commemorative lectures by the laureates.
Established in 1983, the Japan Prize is awarded annually to scientists and researchers from around the world, recognizing individuals who have contributed significantly to peace and prosperity through original and outstanding achievements that have greatly advanced the progress of science and technology.
Dr. Chen’s discoveries have elucidated the process by which the human body fights off invasive viruses, bacteria, and other microbes. In 2012, his laboratory identified cGAS, which triggers the innate immune system when it detects foreign DNA inside a cell. Earlier, he identified the first mitochondrial protein known to be involved in immunity against infections, which he dubbed MAVS, describing its function (mitochondrial antiviral signaling) and honoring his favorite basketball team, the Dallas Mavericks.
His research has been recognized with some of the most esteemed awards in science, including the Paul Ehrlich and Ludwig Darmstaedter Prize (2025), the Albert Lasker Basic Medical Research Award (2024), the Louisa Gross Horwitz Prize (2023), and the Breakthrough Prize in Life Sciences (2019), among others.
Dr. Chen is a member of both the National Academy of Sciences and the National Academy of Medicine and a Fellow of the Royal Society of the United Kingdom. At UTSW, he is a member of the Center for the Genetics of Host Defense as well as the Harold C. Simmons Comprehensive Cancer Center. He holds the George L. MacGregor Distinguished Chair in Biomedical Science.
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 24 members of the National Academy of Sciences, 25 members of the National Academy of Medicine, and 13 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.