Shanghai science and tech awards drive research

The 2025 Shanghai Municipal Science and Technology Awards were unveiled on Tuesday, honoring 206 individuals and projects for breakthroughs and contributions to the city and nation's scientific and technological development.

Chu Junhao, an academician of the Chinese Academy of Sciences and Chen Saijuan, an academician of the Chinese Academy of Engineering, received this year's Science and Technology Meritorious Worker Award for their commitment to meeting the nation's strategic needs, achieving major breakthroughs in basic research, advancing the translation of key technologies into applications, and producing pioneering, systematic research results.

Chu has devoted decades to research in infrared physics and semiconductors, making significant contributions to the development of China's semiconductor discipline and high-tech industries. He established a theoretical framework for narrow-bandgap semiconductor physics and developed devices used in the Fengyun meteorological satellites, the country's lunar and Mars exploration missions, and national defense equipment.

Chen has dedicated her career to research on the pathogenesis, precision diagnosis and the treatment of leukemia. She achieved China's first breakthrough in cloning a human disease gene, discovered several new leukemia-related fusion genes, and led research on pioneering CAR-T cell therapies for lymphoma and multiple myeloma — all significant contributions to precision cancer diagnosis and treatment efforts.

Working at the Ruijin Hospital affiliated to Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Chen is best known internationally for developing the "Shanghai Protocol" for acute promyelocytic leukemia, or APL, which transformed the disease from one of the deadliest forms of leukemia into one of the world's most curable cancers.

Upon receiving the award, Chen dedicated the honor to her research teams and collaborating institutions across several generations, as well as to the countless patients who placed their trust in the researchers and courageously participated in first-in-class drug studies and first-in-human clinical trials.

"Such a lofty honor carries great responsibility. It will motivate me to further integrate the innovation chain spanning basic research, technological development and the commercialization of research outcomes," Chen said.

She added that she would make cultivating outstanding young scholars a top priority, support the development of hematology across regions, contribute to overcoming more hematological malignancies and help build Shanghai into an international sci-tech innovation hub, with the ultimate goal of improving human health.

Ten researchers also received the Youth Outstanding Science and Technology Contribution Award, including Li Wei, a professor of physical chemistry at Fudan University, and Chen Junping, a professor and department director at the CAS' Shanghai Astronomical Observatory.

Li, who focuses on basic research into mesoporous materials, praised Shanghai's support for scientific research and said the recognition further motivated him to make greater contributions.

"Shanghai has always regarded young talent as the driving force behind the development of an international sci-tech innovation center. Under the city's support system, young researchers receive substantial, long-term and sustained funding, a flexible research environment, and fertile ground for international exchanges," Li told China Daily.

Chen Junping, whose research focuses on geodesy and satellite navigation, shared similar views. He said Shanghai's research environment aligns closely with international standards, helping researchers produce scientific achievements with global impact.

"My work involves not only basic research but also industrial applications. Shanghai offers abundant application scenarios with high-level demands, which in turn drive our research and make the results more visible and widely applicable. That is where I believe Shanghai has a distinct advantage," he said.

In addition, 54 projects received the Natural Science Award, 27 won the Technology Invention Award, 102 were honored with the Science and Technology Progress Award, and eight received the Science and Technology Popularization Award.

Among the award-winning projects were the C919 large passenger aircraft, research on adult stem cells in organ development and disease, high-efficiency docking and assembly technologies for large components and their applications in shipbuilding and aerospace, and a public education system for the rehabilitation of motor dysfunction.

Over the past three years, the Natural Science Award and Technology Invention Award categories have accounted for an increasing share of top-level honors, representing 58 percent of all special and first prizes in 2025. High-value basic research achievements have emerged at a faster pace, while about 20 percent of the Science and Technology Progress Award focused on industrial upgrading in key sectors, including integrated circuits, biopharmaceuticals and artificial intelligence.

Three foreign experts — Ewart Mark Haacke of the United States, Phoon Kok Kwang of Singapore and South Korea's Yoon Ju-young — also received the International Science and Technological Cooperation Award.

wangxin2@chinadaily.com.cn