CHICAGO, IL – Chuan He, the John T. Wilson Distinguished Service Professor at the University of Chicago, has been elected to the National Academy of Sciences Class of 2026. This appointment—among the highest honors in the scientific community—recognizes Professor He’s distinguished and continuing achievements in original research.
Professor He is recognized as a pioneer in the field of epitranscriptomics, the study of chemical modifications to RNA that change its function without altering the underlying sequence. His work initiated the modern molecular biology that defines RNA modification as a previously unappreciated layer of gene expression regulation.
In 2010, he proposed a functional paradigm where chemical "tags" on RNA are reversible and biochemically controlled, directly modulating how genes are expressed in real-time (He 2010). This hypothesis was experimentally validated in 2011 with his identification of FTO (fat mass and obesity-associated protein) as the first known RNA "eraser," proving that m6A (N6-methyladenosine) the most prevalent internal modification in human mRNA, is reversible, effectively launching the field of epitranscriptomics (Jia et al. 2011).
In the past a few years, Professor He’s research has pivoted from fundamental laboratory discovery toward solving some of the world's most pressing challenges in agriculture and medicine. Building on foundational research that used RNA modification to increase rice and potato yields by 50% (Yu et al. 2021), his laboratory recently pioneered methods to bolster climate-resilient crops by modulating RNA methylation to enhance drought tolerance and stress response—a vital development for ensuring global food security as environmental conditions become increasingly unpredictable.
In the clinic, Professor He is redefining the fight against aggressive diseases by elucidating how certain mutations, such as TET1, lead to diseases such as acute myeloid leukemia (Zou et al. 2024). These therapeutic breakthroughs are paired with a revolutionary "liquid biopsy" technology that scans for specific RNA modification patterns in a simple blood draw to detect early-stage colorectal cancer with 95% accuracy.
Professor He joins a select group of current and emeritus faculty from the University of Chicago Department of Chemistry who have been honored by the National Academy of Sciences, a legacy of excellence that includes current UChicago faculty members Andrei Tokmakoff (2022), Laura Gagliardi (2021), Giulia Galli (2020), Paul Alivisatos (2004) and Jack Szostack (1994).
In addition to his election to the National Academy of Sciences, Professor He has received a series of the world’s most prestigious scientific honors, notably including the 2023 Wolf Prize in Chemistry for his discovery of reversible RNA methylation. His diverse impact across the chemical and biological sciences is further evidenced by his receipt of the 2023 Tetrahedron Prize for Creativity in Bioorganic and Medicinal Chemistry and the 2023 Paul Marks Prize for Cancer Research. A Howard Hughes Medical Institute (HHMI) Investigator since 2013, Professor He’s also joined American Academy of Arts and Sciences in 2024. These accolades collectively celebrate his role in defining a new biological paradigm and his ongoing efforts to translate fundamental chemical insights into life-saving medical and agricultural breakthroughs.