Chen Zhu (; born August 17, 1953) is a Chinese

hematologist Hematology ( spelled haematology in British English) is the branch of medicine concerned with the study of the cause, prognosis, treatment, and prevention of diseases related to blood. It involves treating diseases that affect the production ...

and

molecular biologist Molecular biology is a branch of biology that seeks to understand the molecule, molecular basis of biological activity in and between Cell (biology), cells, including biomolecule, biomolecular synthesis, modification, mechanisms, and interactio ...

who has served as the president of the Red Cross Society of China from 2015 to 2024. He previously served as vice chairman of the National People's Congress Standing Committee from 2013 to 2023, chairman of the Chinese Peasants' and Workers' Democratic Party Central Committee from 2012 to 2022, president of the Chinese Medical Association from 2010 to 2015, Minister of Heath from 2007 to 2013, and vice president of the

Chinese Academy of Sciences The Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS; ) is the national academy for natural sciences and the highest consultancy for science and technology of the People's Republic of China. It is the world's largest research organization, with 106 research i ...

from 2000 to 2007. In the academia, he is academician of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, foreign fellow of the

Royal Society The Royal Society, formally The Royal Society of London for Improving Natural Knowledge, is a learned society and the United Kingdom's national academy of sciences. The society fulfils a number of roles: promoting science and its benefits, re ...

, foreign member of the

United States National Academy of Sciences The National Academy of Sciences (NAS) is a United States nonprofit, non-governmental organization. NAS is part of the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine, along with the National Academy of Engineering (NAE) and the Nati ...

, and foreign member of the

French Academy of Sciences The French Academy of Sciences (, ) is a learned society, founded in 1666 by Louis XIV at the suggestion of Jean-Baptiste Colbert, to encourage and protect the spirit of French Scientific method, scientific research. It was at the forefron ...

. He also holds a professorship at the Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine.

Biography

Chen was born in

Shanghai Shanghai, Shanghainese: , Standard Chinese pronunciation: is a direct-administered municipality and the most populous urban area in China. The city is located on the Chinese shoreline on the southern estuary of the Yangtze River, with the ...

in August 1953 and his ancestral hometown is

Zhenjiang Zhenjiang, alternately romanized as Chinkiang, is a prefecture-level city in Jiangsu Province, China. It lies on the southern bank of the Yangtze River near its intersection with the Grand Canal. It is opposite Yangzhou (to its north) and ...

Jiangsu Province Jiangsu is a coastal province in East China. It is one of the leading provinces in finance, education, technology, and tourism, with its capital in Nanjing. Jiangsu is the third smallest, but the fifth most populous, with a population of 84. ...

. Chen began his medical career by spending five years in rural China as a barefoot doctor. Chen then obtained his master's degree from the Shanghai Second Medical Sciences University (now the

medical school A medical school is a tertiary educational institution, professional school, or forms a part of such an institution, that teaches medicine, and awards a professional degree for physicians. Such medical degrees include the Bachelor of Medicine, ...

Shanghai Jiao Tong University Shanghai Jiao Tong University (SJTU) is a public university in Shanghai, China. It is affiliated with the Ministry of Education of the People's Republic of China, Ministry of Education of China. The university is part of Project 211, Project 98 ...

) in September, 1981. He obtained his Ph.D. from the Paris Diderot University (Paris 7) in

Paris Paris () is the Capital city, capital and List of communes in France with over 20,000 inhabitants, largest city of France. With an estimated population of 2,048,472 residents in January 2025 in an area of more than , Paris is the List of ci ...

France France, officially the French Republic, is a country located primarily in Western Europe. Overseas France, Its overseas regions and territories include French Guiana in South America, Saint Pierre and Miquelon in the Atlantic Ocean#North Atlan ...

. Chen completed his medical residency and

postdoctoral research A postdoctoral fellow, postdoctoral researcher, or simply postdoc, is a person professionally conducting research after the completion of their doctoral studies (typically a PhD). Postdocs most commonly, but not always, have a temporary acade ...

at the same university and its

teaching hospital A teaching hospital or university hospital is a hospital or medical center that provides medical education and training to future and current health professionals. Teaching hospitals are almost always affiliated with one or more universities a ...

. Chen is former President of the Shanghai Institute of Hematology and former

Director-general A director general, general director or director-general (plural: ''directors general'', ''general directors'', ''directors-general'', ''director generals'' or ''director-generals'') is a senior executive officer, often the chief executive officer ...

of the China Human Genome Center (South) in Shanghai. On 10 October 2024, he was succeeded by He Wei as the president of the Red Cross Society of China.

Honors and awards

Chen is an Academician of the

, foreign associate of the

, foreign member of the US

Institute of Medicine The National Academy of Medicine (NAM), known as the Institute of Medicine (IoM) until 2015, is an American nonprofit, non-governmental organization. The National Academy of Medicine is a part of the National Academies of Sciences, Engineerin ...

, foreign member of the

, and a member of The World Academy of Sciences (TWAS). Chen is also a Member of the European Academy of Arts, Sciences and Humanities. He was elected an Honorary Fellows of the UK

Academy of Medical Sciences The Academy of Medical Sciences is an organisation established in the UK in 1998. It is one of the four UK National Academy, National Academies, the others being the British Academy, the Royal Academy of Engineering and the Royal Society. Its ...

in 2008. Chen was awarded the State Scientific and Technological Award by the Chinese government and the "Prix de l'Qise" by "La Ligue Nationale contre le Cancer" of France (he is the first non-French winner). In 2002, Chen received the

Legion of Honour The National Order of the Legion of Honour ( ), formerly the Imperial Order of the Legion of Honour (), is the highest and most prestigious French national order of merit, both military and Civil society, civil. Currently consisting of five cl ...

from French Government. In 2005, Chen was given an honorary doctor of science by the

University of Hong Kong The University of Hong Kong (HKU) is a public research university in Pokfulam, Hong Kong. It was founded in 1887 as the Hong Kong College of Medicine for Chinese by the London Missionary Society and formally established as the University of ...

. In 2010, Chen was awarded an honorary degree (Doctor of the University) by the

University of York The University of York (abbreviated as or ''York'' for Post-nominal letters, post-nominals) is a public Collegiate university, collegiate research university in York, England. Established in 1963, the university has expanded to more than thir ...

, England, at a ceremony in Beijing. In 2012, Chen was awarded the 7th Annual Szent-Györgyi Prize for Progress in Cancer Research by the National Foundation for Cancer Research. He was elected as a Fellow of the

in 2013. In 2018, Chen was awarded the Sjöberg Prize by the

Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences The Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences () is one of the Swedish Royal Academies, royal academies of Sweden. Founded on 2 June 1739, it is an independent, non-governmental scientific organization that takes special responsibility for promoting nat ...

''“for the clarification of molecular mechanisms and the development of a revolutionary treatment for acute promyelocytic leukaemia”''. He shared the prize and the prize amount of one million US dollars with cancer researchers Anne Dejean and Hugues de Thé.

U.S. sanctions

On December 8, 2020, Chen Zhu, together with all 13 other vice chairpersons of the National People's Congress of China was designated by US Department of State as connected with the National Security Law (NSL), pursuant to Executive Order (E.O.) 13936, “The President’s Executive Order on Hong Kong Normalization”, and added to OFAC's SDN List.

Family

Chen Zhu's father Chen Jialun () and mother Xu Manyin () are both prominent doctors and medical professors in Shanghai. He is the eldest of three children. His youngest brother, Chen Zhen (1955–2000), was a globally recognized artist based in France. He also has a sister named Chen Jian (). Chen Zhu's wife Chen Saijuan is also a well-known hematologist and an academician of the

Chinese Academy of Engineering The Chinese Academy of Engineering (CAE, ) is the national academy of the People's Republic of China for engineering. It was established in 1994 and is an institution of the State Council of China. The CAE and the Chinese Academy of Sciences a ...

. The couple have a son. Both Chen and his wife studied under Wang Zhenyi.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Chen, Zhu 1953 births Living people 20th-century Chinese physicians 21st-century Chinese physicians Biologists from Shanghai Council of Chairpersons of the Standing Committee of the 12th National People's Congress Council of Chairpersons of the Standing Committee of the 13th National People's Congress Chinese Peasants' and Workers' Democratic Party politicians Chinese hematologists Chinese molecular biologists Knights of the Legion of Honour Educators from Shanghai Foreign associates of the National Academy of Sciences Foreign members of the Royal Society Individuals sanctioned by the United States under the Hong Kong Autonomy Act Members of the Chinese Academy of Sciences Members of the National Academy of Medicine Paris Diderot University alumni People's Republic of China politicians from Shanghai Physicians from Shanghai Red Cross Society of China personnel Shanghai Jiao Tong University alumni Academic staff of Shanghai Jiao Tong University