According to a Hong Kong English media report, Chen Weiqiang, a pioneer in the research of 'cancer chip' technology, has returned to China from New York University. He has joined his alma mater, Nanjing University, as the dean and professor of the School of Biomedical Engineering.
According to the school authorities, Chen Weiqiang is an internationally renowned expert in micro-nano biological chips, organ chip technology, and precision medicine. He is a Fellow of the American Heart Association. He has made many groundbreaking contributions in the fields of micro-nano engineering cancer conversion technology and precision medicine. He was the first to develop organ chips using human-derived cancer and multiple immune disease models. He has been teaching at New York University in the United States for a long time, and is currently returning to China full-time.
The school warmly welcomed Chen Weiqiang's full-time joining. WeChat public account "Nanjing University Suzhou Campus"
He has received more than 30 awards, including the NIH Supplementary Animal Experimentation Research Innovation Challenge Award, the National Institute of Comprehensive Medical Sciences Distinguished Young Scientist Fund, and the Pioneer Award from the National Institute for Biomedical Imaging and Bioengineering. He also won the American Society for Biomathematics Cell and Molecular Engineering New Star Award and the Distinguished Young Innovator Award, the American Heart Association Professor Development Award, the Chroma Distinguished Young Biomedical Scientist Award, and the Baxter Healthcare Distinguished Young Biomedical Scientist Award.
Chen Weiqiang has led over 20 major international research projects, with a total funding of more than 63 million yuan. He was involved in establishing the world's first data center for new animal alternatives methods and served as the chairman of the scientific advisory committee, contributing to the establishment of international standards for these new methods.
According to reports, he has developed a ‘cancer-on-a-chip’ technology that allows for the study of various cancers in artificially constructed microenvironments. This technology enables the direct observation of the activity characteristics of highly invasive cancer cells under human physiological conditions, and it also opens up new avenues for the development of future cancer treatment strategies.
This technology can utilize the patient's own cells to simulate the tissue environment corresponding to specific cancers on a chip, and test certain treatment options in advance, thereby evaluating whether they could potentially work in the human body.
Chen Weiqiang is a graduate of Nanjing University’s physics program, class of 2005. After completing his undergraduate studies, he went to Shanghai Jiao Tong University to study electrical engineering, and obtained a master's degree in 2008. Subsequently, he continued his studies in the United States, earning a master's degree in electrical and computer engineering from Purdue University in 2009, and a doctorate in mechanical engineering from the University of Michigan in 2014.
After that, he became a faculty member at New York University, serving as a dual-appointed professor in both the Department of Mechanical and Aeronautical Engineering and the Department of Biomedical Engineering. He also held administrative positions such as Director of Graduate Education, Director of Undergraduate Education, and Director of Research. Additionally, he was employed as a dual-appointed researcher at the Cancer Institute of the School of Medicine at New York University.
According to a news release from Nanjing University's Suzhou Campus, a welcome ceremony for Professor Chen Weiqiang of the School of Biomedical Engineering was held at Nanjing University's Suzhou Campus on the morning of June 11. Chen Weiqiang shared his thoughts upon joining the institution, reminiscing fondly about his studies at Nanjing University. He expressed excitement and anticipation for returning to his alma mater and dedicating himself to work and entrepreneurship in Suzhou Campus. He stated that he would rely on his research expertise to delve deeply into cutting-edge research, focus on educating students, and make every effort to promote the development of academic disciplines and the integration of industry, academia, and research, living up to the trust and expectations placed in him by the university.
Assistant to the President and Executive Deputy Director of the Suzhou Campus Management Committee, Jiang Tian, extended a warm welcome to Chen Weiqiang's full-time joining the school. He noted that Professor Chen has long been engaged in research at top overseas universities and has made remarkable achievements in cutting-edge fields such as cell biomechanics and organ chips. His decision to join Nanjing University at this academic prime is truly touching, due to his sincere dedication and high level of trust. He hopes that Professor Chen will play a leading role and inject strong momentum into the development of the campus and its colleges.
Nanjing University's School of Biomedical Engineering was officially established in December 2025. It focuses on six research areas: biomaterials and manufacturing, organoids and organ chips, bioelectronics and bioinformatics, brain-computer interfaces, medical imaging, and medical instruments and robotics.
Chen Weiqiang's return to China is a reflection of the trend of overseas scientific talents returning to China in recent years. As the scientific environment in the West deteriorates, more and more overseas scientists choose to return to China for employment due to personal development opportunities and other factors. There is a wave of world-class scientists joining Chinese universities and research institutions. Whether they are Chinese-born or foreign experts, they all say that China's continuously improving academic strength and its pool of young talents are the main reasons that attract them.
