Wang Shizhen (; 7 March 1916 – 27 May 2016) was a Chinese

nuclear medicine Nuclear medicine or nucleology is a medical specialty involving the application of radioactive substances in the diagnosis and treatment of disease. Nuclear imaging, in a sense, is " radiology done inside out" because it records radiation emi ...

physician and

academician An academician is a full member of an artistic, literary, engineering, or scientific academy. In many countries, it is an honorific title used to denote a full member of an academy that has a strong influence on national scientific life. In syst ...

of the

Chinese Academy of Sciences The Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS); ), known by Academia Sinica in English until the 1980s, is the national academy of the People's Republic of China for natural sciences. It has historical origins in the Academia Sinica during the Republi ...

(CAS). He was known as the father of Chinese nuclear medicine.

Biography

Wang Shizhen was born in Chiba, Japan in 1916 to father Wang Xiaoxiang () and mother Lin Jianyan (), great-granddaughter of Chinese scholar and official

Lin Zexu Lin Zexu (30 August 1785 – 22 November 1850), courtesy name Yuanfu, was a Chinese political philosopher and politician. He was the head of states (Viceroy), Governor General, scholar-official, and under the Daoguang Emperor of the Qing dynas ...

. His grandfather Wang Renkan () was the '' Zhuangyuan'' of the 3rd year of

Guangxu The Guangxu Emperor (14 August 1871 – 14 November 1908), personal name Zaitian, was the tenth Emperor of the Qing dynasty, and the ninth Qing emperor to rule over China proper. His reign lasted from 1875 to 1908, but in practice he ruled, wi ...

(1877)

imperial examination The imperial examination (; lit. "subject recommendation") refers to a civil-service examination system in Imperial China, administered for the purpose of selecting candidates for the state bureaucracy. The concept of choosing bureaucrats by ...

and his great-great-grandfather Wang Qingyun () was the

Viceroy of Liangguang The Viceroy of Liangguang or Viceroy of the Two Guangs, was one of eight regional Viceroys during the Ming and Qing dynasties. The two ''Guang'' referred to Guangdong and Guangxi provinces. The areas under the Viceroy's jurisdiction included pre ...

in 1859. He returned to his hometown

Fuzhou Fuzhou (; , Fuzhounese: Hokchew, ''Hók-ciŭ''), alternately romanized as Foochow, is the capital and one of the largest cities in Fujian province, China. Along with the many counties of Ningde, those of Fuzhou are considered to constitute ...

after his father finished his study in Japan. Wang entered

Yenching University Yenching University (), was a university in Beijing, China, that was formed out of the merger of four Christian colleges between the years 1915 and 1920. The term "Yenching" comes from an alternative name for old Beijing, derived from its statu ...

at the age of 17 and transferred to

Tsinghua University Tsinghua University (; abbr. THU) is a national public research university in Beijing, China. The university is funded by the Ministry of Education. The university is a member of the C9 League, Double First Class University Plan, Projec ...

one year later. He received his bachelor's degree of chemistry in 1937. He became a lecturer at

Guiyang Medical University Guizhou Medical University () is a public university based in Guiyang, capital of Guizhou province in China that offers courses in pharmacy, medical laboratory science, preventive medicine, nursing and clinical medicine, as well as other subject ...

after the

Second Sino-Japanese War The Second Sino-Japanese War (1937–1945) or War of Resistance (Chinese term) was a military conflict that was primarily waged between the Republic of China and the Empire of Japan. The war made up the Chinese theater of the wider Pacific T ...

broke. He became the first Chinese to synthesize DDT during the war. Wang moved to Canada and entered

University of Toronto The University of Toronto (UToronto or U of T) is a public research university in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, located on the grounds that surround Queen's Park. It was founded by royal charter in 1827 as King's College, the first institution ...

for pharmacology in 1946. He transferred to

University of Iowa The University of Iowa (UI, U of I, UIowa, or simply Iowa) is a public research university in Iowa City, Iowa, United States. Founded in 1847, it is the oldest and largest university in the state. The University of Iowa is organized into 12 co ...

half year later, majoring in chemistry. He worked for Institute of radioactivity of University of Iowa after his graduation. Wang returned to China in 1951 and was assigned work at

Peking Union Medical College Peking Union Medical College (), founded in 1906, is a selective public medical college based in Dongcheng, Beijing, China. It is a Chinese Ministry of Education Double First Class University Plan university. The school is tied to the Peking Un ...

. He built China's first isotope laboratory and developed the application techniques and methods of isotope treatment in China in 1956. He then became a nuclear medicine physician at

Peking Union Medical College Hospital Peking Union Medical College Hospital (PUMCH), also known as Beijing Xiehe Hospital (), is a large of teaching hospital in Beijing, China. It was founded in 1921 by Rockefeller Foundation and is affiliated to both Peking Union Medical College (P ...

. Wang was elected as academician of

in 1980. Wang died on 27 May 2016 at the age of 100 in Beijing.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Wang, Shizhen 1916 births 2016 deaths 20th-century Chinese physicians 21st-century Chinese physicians Chinese centenarians Chinese nuclear medicine physicians Members of the Chinese Academy of Sciences Men centenarians People from Chiba (city) People from Fuzhou Scientists from Fujian Tsinghua University alumni University of Toronto alumni University of Iowa alumni Yenching University alumni