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Academia Sinica held an appreciation tea gathering today to honor the outgoing Director of the Institute of Molecular Biology (IMB). In his remarks, President Chien-Jen Chen thanked Distinguished Research Fellow Hwai-Jong Cheng for his six years of leadership and service as Director and expressed his confidence that Acting Director Jun-Yi Leu would continue to lead the Institute's steady development while carrying forward its long-standing tradition of scientific excellence.

President Chen noted that this year marks the 40th anniversary of the IMB. Since its establishment, the Institute has remained committed to fundamental research. Over the years, it has advanced understanding of the molecular mechanisms of life while expanding into fields including RNA biology, structural biology, plant biology, developmental biology, neuroscience, and host-pathogen interactions. He praised the Institute's culture of originality, scientific rigor, and talent cultivation, and expressed confidence that it will continue to foster interdisciplinary collaboration, advance innovation in the life sciences, and nurture the next generation of scientists.

During his six-year tenure, Director Cheng advanced the Institute’s research and talent development while fostering a stable, high-quality research environment, laying a strong foundation for the Institute’s sustainable development. Under his leadership, IMB research teams achieved important breakthroughs in several frontier areas. Associate Research Fellow Sheng-Hong Chen’s team uncovered the role of ferroptosis in embryonic development, offering new insights into cell fate regulation and developmental mechanisms. Deputy Director and Research Fellow Jun-An Chen’s team found that RNA modifications are critical for maintaining motor neuron survival, opening new avenues for the treatment of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. Associate Research Fellow Liuh-Yow Chen’s team uncovered a key mechanism underlying immune evasion in cancer cells, providing a scientific basis for therapies targeting ALT-positive cancers. These achievements have received major national and international recognition, demonstrating IMB’s strength in fundamental life science research and highlighting the importance of basic research to human health, agriculture, and the future of the life sciences.

Outgoing Director Hwai-Jong Cheng received his Ph.D. in Cell and Developmental Biology from Harvard University. A specialist in developmental biology and neuroscience, he has received numerous international honors, including the North American Young Scientist Award in Molecular Biology, the Howard Hughes Medical Institute Postdoctoral Fellowship, the Alfred P. Sloan Research Fellowship, the Whitehall Foundation Research Award, and the Klingenstein Science Award. He was appointed Director of the IMB in July 2020.

Incoming Acting Director Jun-Yi Leu received his Ph.D. from the Department of Molecular, Cellular and Developmental Biology at Yale University. Specializing in chromosome biology and systems biology, he has devoted his career to fundamental life science research and has served at IMB as Assistant Research Fellow, Associate Research Fellow, Research Fellow, and Distinguished Research Fellow. His achievements have been recognized with numerous honors, including the Human Frontier Science Program Young Investigators' Award, the Academia Sinica Research Award for Junior Investigators, the National Science Council Outstanding Research Award, the Foundation for the Advancement of Outstanding Scholarship Distinguished Scholar Chair, and the Ministry of Education Academic Award. Building on the Institute's strong research foundation, Dr. Leu will continue to advance life science research and ensure the Institute's steady development.

The Preparatory Office of the IMB was established in December 1982 and was successively led by Academicians James C. Wang, Ru Chih Huang, Ray Wu, Chien Ho, and Cheng-Chung Wang, whose leadership laid the foundation for the Institute's future development. The Institute was formally established in March 1993. Today, it has 41 research fellows and research specialists dedicated to research in molecular and cellular biology and related fields. By cultivating outstanding scientific talent and developing advanced core facilities, IMB supports cutting-edge life science research and has earned an international reputation as one of Taiwan's leading centers for life science research.