Faculty

Biography

Chang ZengYi received his B.S. degree in Biology in 1984 from East China Normal University (Shanghai, China). He was then accepted as a graduate student of the then Shanghai Institute of Biochemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences before being selected as a CUSBEA (China United States Biochemistry Examination and Application) fellow to pursue his Ph.D. studies at the Department of Biochemistry, Baylor College of Medicine (Houston, USA). In 1992, he received his Ph.D. in biochemistry and afterwards did his post-doc training at the Howard Hughes Medical Institute (1992-1995). In 1996, he became an associate Professor at Tsinghua University (Beijing, China) and was promoted to full professorship in 1998. He moved to Peking University in 2003 where he currently serves as the director of the Center for
Protein Science (2005-present), and was the Vice-Dean of the School of Life Sciences (2007-2013). He is currently an executive council member of the International Union of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology (IUBMB),the President of the Federation of Asian and Oceanian Biochemists and Molecular Biologists (FAOBMB), the Past-President of the Asia Pacific Protein Association (APPA) and The Chief supervisor of the Chinese Society of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology. He is currently also serving as an Editor of Biochemical and Biophysical Research Communication, an Associate editor of Protein Science. He has served as an editorial board members for the Journal of Biological Chemistry and IUBMB Life,the executive vice Editor-in-Chief of Science China Life Sciences, among others. His laboratory explores the functions and mechanisms of such proteins as molecular chaperones and proteases in the quality control of proteins under stress conditions or during their biogenesis (especially membrane proteins including the ATP synthase) in living cells. His lab also seeks to understand the molecular mechanism of dormancy (e.g., bacterial persister). He has published more than 80 papers since becoming an independent PI in China.

Education

1984  B.S., Biology, East China Normal University, Shanghai, China.
1985 Graduate Student, Shanghai Institute of Biochemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, China.
1984-1985, English Training, Guangzhou English Learning Center (GELC), Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, China.
1992  Ph.D., Biochemistry, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas, USA. Ph.D. Thesis: “Probing the Roles of the Highly Conserved Amino Acids in the Catalytic Activity of Adenosine Deaminase”, Advisor: Dr. Rodney, E. Kellems.

Professional Experience

1996-1998 Associate Professor, Department of Biological Sciences and    Biotechnology, Tsinghua University, Beijing, P. R. China.
1998-8/2003  Professor, Department of Biological Sciences and Biotechnology, Tsinghua University, Beijing, P. R. China.
Jun.-Sept., 2002 Visiting Professor, Harvard Medical School, Boston, USA.
2003-Present Professor, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, College of Life Sciences, Peking University, Beijing, P. R. China 100871.
2007-2013     Vice Dean, School of Life Sciences, Peking University, Beijing, China.

Social Services

Chief Supervisor (2018-2022), The Chinese Society of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology; Chair of the education Committee.
Executive Council member (2018-2021), The International Union of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology (IUBMB)
President(2017-2019) Federation of Asian and Oceanian Biochemists and Molecular Biologists    (FAOBMB);
President (2011-2014), Asia Pacific Protein Association (APPA);
President (2011-2015), The Chinese Protein Society;
Executive Council Member (2008-2014), The Protein Society;
Vice president (2014-2018), Chinese Association of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology (CSBMB).

Honors and Awards

Selected Honors & Awards
Teaching Excellence Award: Peking University Teaching Excellence Award (2024)

National Teaching Honor: Beijing Municipal Distinguished Teacher Award (2009)

Course Development Honor: "Biochemistry" (full English undergraduate course) recognized as a National Elite Course by the Ministry of Education (2005, Course Leader & Lecturer)

Science Popularization Honor: Beijing Advanced Science Popularization Worker (2002)

Major Planning Contribution: Certificate of Honor from the National Medium- and Long-Term Science and Technology Development Planning Leading Group Office (2004)

Major Research Awards
National Natural Science Award: Second Prize, National Natural Science Award (Third Contributor, 2020)

Ministerial Science & Technology Award: First Prize, Natural Science Award of the Ministry of Education (Third Contributor, 2019)

Talent Programs & Fellowships
National Science Fund for Distinguished Young Scholars Recipient (1997)

CUSBEA Scholar: Awarded the China-U.S. Biochemistry Examination and Admission (CUSBEA) Program scholarship by the Chinese Ministry of Education for graduate studies in the United States (1985)

Porfessional Society Affiliations

Vice President of the Chinese Society of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology (CSBMB) from 2023 to 2027.

Executive Committee Member (and Chair of the Publications Committee) of the International Union of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology (IUBMB) from 2018 to 2024.

Committee Member of the ICSU-CHINA Coordinating Committee under the China Association for Science and Technology (CAST), serving from 2014 to 2017 and again from 2022 to 2025.

Supervisor Council Chairperson and Chair of the Education Committee for the Chinese Society of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology (CSBMB) from 2018 to 2022.

President of the Federation of Asian and Oceanian Biochemists and Molecular Biologists (FAOBMB) from 2017 to 2019.

Vice President and Party Committee Secretary of the Chinese Society of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology (CSBMB) from 2014 to 2018.

President of the Asia Pacific Protein Association (APPA) from 2014 to 2018.

Chair of the Protein Specialized Committee of the Chinese Society of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology (CSBMB) from 2011 to 2015.

Council Member of the Biophysical Society of China (BSC) from 2009 to 2017.

Executive Committee Member of The Protein Society from 2008 to 2014.

Council Member of the Western Returned Scholars Association (Returnees from America Chapter) since 2003.

Editorial Activities

Senior Editor for Protein Science (2025–Present).

Editor-in-Chief of the Chinese Journal of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology (2025–2030).

Associate Editor for Protein Science (2018–2025, 2008–Present).

Editor for Biochemical and Biophysical Research Communications (BBRC) (2013–Present).

Editor and Executive Editor for Chemistry of Life (2012–Present).

Deputy Editor-in-Chief of the Chinese Journal of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology (2008–Present).

Editorial Board Member for IUBMB Life (2009–2020).

Executive Editor for Acta Biochimica et Biophysica Sinica (ABBS) (2009–2012).

Editorial Board Member for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology Education (2008–2012).

Executive Vice Editor-in-Chief of Science China Life Sciences (2008–2017).

Editorial Board Member for the Journal of Biological Chemistry (JBC) (2008–2011).

Associate Editor for Chinese Science Bulletin (2003–2008).

Editorial Advisory Board Member for Protein Science (2002–2018).

Editorial Activities

Associate Editor (2018-present), Protein Science,
Editor (2013-present), Biochemical and Biophyscal Research Communication
Editorial Board member (2008-2013), Journal of Biological Chemistry
Editorial Advisory Board member (2008-2017), Protein Science
Editorial Board member (2008-2013), IUBMB Life (a publication of International Union of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology,);
Executive Vice Editor-in-Chief (2008-2018), Science China: Life Sciences
Editorial Board Member, Biochemistry and Molecular Biology Education (a publication of IUBMB);
Vice Editor-in-Chief (2011-present), Chinese Journal of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology；
Editor, Acta Biochimica et Biophysica Sinica.
Guest editor, IUBMB Life Special Issue in celebration of the 21st IUBMB and 12th FAOBMB International Congress of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology to be held in Shanghai, China, August 2-7, 2009.
Guest editor, IUBMB Life Special China Issue, November, 2016.

Books and Book Chapter

Chang, Z. Biogenesis of Secretory Proteins. In: Ralph A Bradshaw and Philip D Stahl (Editor-in-Chief),Encyclopedia of Cell Biology, Vol 1, Waltham, MA: Academic Press, 2016, pp. 535-544.

Chang, Z. What Do Small Heat Shock Proteins Do for Bacterial Cells. In: The Big Book on Small Heat Shock Proteins(ed. R.M. Tanguay and L.E. Hightower). Springer, 2015, pp.511-525.

Teaching

Teaching the undergraduate course Biochemistry since 1996.

1. The biogenesis and quality control of proteins, especially membrane proteins （such as ATP synthase and beta-barrel outer membrane proteins), working on molecular chaperones and proteinases (e.g., sHSPs, HdeA, DegP, etc).
2. Stress responses of living organisms: including the molecular mechanism of aging and dormancy.

We explore proteins in living cells, concerning biogenesis, assembly, quality control, regulation and action mechanism of proteins， as well as the molecular mechanism of bacterial dromancy.