Chai Renjie, president of the Hearing, Speech and Communication Studies Academic Subgroup at the Biophysical Society of China (BSC) and a professor at the Southeast University (SEU), has won the title of Empower China young scientists alongside nine other peers.

The event was organized by China Youth Daily, the Communication Center for Science and Technology at the China Association for Science and Technology and other relevant units.

The selection targeted scientific and technological workers under the age of 40 working in universities and scientific research institutes and enterprises across the country.

The event attracted a total of 468 candidates since its launch in June, of which nearly 100 have been selected into national leading talent plans and young talent plans, such as national distinguished young scholars and excellent young scientists programs.

The Empower China young scientist selection includes seven science disciplines, such as mathematics, physics and chemistry, and 32 engineering disciplines, including material science and engineering, electronic science and technology, information and communication engineering, control science and engineering, and oil and natural gas engineering. 

Profile of the laureate

Chai is a biomedical expert. In 2009, he graduated from Baylor University with a PhD degree in biomedical sciences and finished postdoctoral studies at the School of Medicine at Stanford University in 2013. Currently, Chai works as a professor and vice-dean of the School of Life Science and Technology at SEU.

Chai has been committed to the study of the regeneration and protection of inner ear hair cells and auditory neurons. As the discoverer of inner ear stem cells, Chai started to regulate the regeneration of functional hair cells from inner ear stem cells through gene therapy in the domestic academic circle. He also created a new comprehensive technical system combining neural stem cell transplantation with artificial cochlear implantation, opening up a novel research field of auditory immunotherapy.

Chai serves as the candidate chairman of the Professional Committee of Stem Cell Physiology at the Chinese Association for Physiological Sciences, chairman of the Basic Research Professional Committee of the Audiology Development Foundation of China, member of the Academic Steering Committee at the National Clinical Research Center for Otorhinolaryngologic Diseases and executive chief editor of American Journal of Stem Cells.