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As this remarkable year draws to a close, we are filled with gratitude for the scientists, innovators, and partners who are shaping the future of AI-accelerated discovery with us. One of this year’s greatest milestones was the inaugural Chen Institute Symposium for AI Accelerated Science (AIAS), which brought together researchers, pioneers, and industry leaders to explore how emerging AI technologies can fundamentally transform scientific inquiry. |
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The symposium concluded with Tianqiao’s introduction of his vision for “Discoverative AI,” a shift from machines that merely imitate knowledge toward machines that help us discover the unknown. We also celebrated a historic first: awarding the inaugural Chen Institute and Science Prize for AI Accelerated Research, recognizing the next generation of scientists who are using AI not as a tool, but as a true partner in discovery. |
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Thank you for being part of this community of curiosity, creativity, and scientific courage. We extend our warmest wishes to you and your families for a joyful holiday season and an inspiring year ahead. |
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Chen Institute in the News |
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The Chen Institute Symposium for AI Accelerated Science |
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Jennifer Chayes, Dean, UC Berkeley College of Computing Data Science, and Society; Jennifer Doudna, Nobel Laureate in Chemistry, the Li Ka Shing Chancellor’s Chair in Biomedical and Health Sciences, Professor of Biochemistry, Biophysics, and Structural Biology, University of California, Berkeley, Chrissy Luo, co-founder of the Chen Institute; Omar M. Yaghi, Nobel Laureate in Chemistry, James and Neeltje Tretter Chair Professor of Chemistry, University of California, Berkeley; and Yannis Yourtsos, Dean of the USC Viterbi School of Engineering, Zohrab Kaprielian Dean’s Chair in Engineering, University of Southern California. |
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The inaugural Chen Institute Symposium for AI Accelerated Science (AIAS), co-hosted with UC Berkeley’s College of Computing, Data Science, and Society, took place in San Francisco on October 27–28. This annual event convenes leading researchers, innovators, and industry leaders to explore how cutting-edge AI—such as foundational models, long-term memory systems, synthetic data, and research automation—is reshaping scientific discovery. |
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This year featured plenary talks, interactive sessions, and discussions on AI’s impact across medicine, biology, chemistry, physics, and engineering, with special participation from three Nobel Laureates: Jennifer Doudna, David Baker, and Omar Yaghi. |
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The event concluded with the Tianqiao and Chrissy Chen Institute Science Prize for AI Accelerated Research, recognizing early-career scientists whose breakthroughs in the physical or life sciences were enabled by innovative AI techniques. |
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Serial Entrepreneur Tianqiao Chen Presents Vision for “Discoverative Intelligence” at AIAS 2025 |
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Tianqiao Chen, Chairman and CEO of Shanda Group and co-founder of the Tianqiao and Chrissy Chen Institute delivered closing remarks at the Chen Institute Symposium for AI Accelerated Science, during which he unveiled his vision for “Discoverative” Intelligence (a play on the term “generative”). |
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Rather than simply scaling existing AI models, Chen’s bold initiative introduces Structured Temporal Intelligence (STI)—a brain-inspired framework designed to transform AI from mimicking human output to actively making groundbreaking scientific discoveries. Speaking to leading researchers at www.aias2025.org, Chen positioned this initiative as a critical inflection point and specifically targets structural AI research that could enable machines to become true partners in scientific discovery. |
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2025 Annual Chen Scholars Retreat |
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Marc Wein, MD, PhD - Chen Institute MGH Research Scholar 2024 - Associate Professor of Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital; Long Nguyen, MD, MS - Chen Institute Department of Medicine Transformative Scholar 2023 - Physician Investigator, Clinical and Translational Epidemiology Unit - Assistant Professor of Medicine and Gastroenterology, Harvard Medical School; Elaine Yu, MD, MSc - Chen Institute MGH Research Scholar 2023 - Physician Investigator, Endocrine Division - Associate Professor of Medicine, Harvard Medical School Epidemiology Unit - Assistant Professor of Medicine and Gastroenterology, Harvard Medical School |
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The 2024 and 2025 Chen Scholar cohorts gathered in October this year in the beautiful Presidio National Park in San Francisco. These remarkable individuals shared their latest research across a range of scientific areas, bridging the worlds of clinical study and artificial intelligence. |
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Summit on Artificial Intelligence and Mental Health Ecosystem 2025 |
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On December 6, 2025, the "Summit on Artificial Intelligence and Mental Health Ecosystem 2025" jointly hosted by Chen Institute, the National Center for Mental Disorders and the Shanghai Mental Health Center, was held in Shanghai. Centered on the theme of "Ecosystem," the conference not only brought together globally renowned experts in neuroscience and AI but also, for the first time, established a complete closed loop integrating academic research, clinical application, industrial investment, and ethical governance. This marks a new stage where AI's empowerment of mental health is transitioning from isolated technological breakthroughs towards a model of integrated, ecosystem-based cluster development. |
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2025 Chen Institute Forum on Brain-Computer Interfaces and Artificial Intelligence & Annual Conference of the Brain-Computer Interface and Interaction Branch, Chinese Neuroscience Society |
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The official launch of the Spiking Intelligence Lab was announced at the forum. |
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On December 13, 2025, "From BCI to Brain-Machine Symbiosis, Tianqiao and Chrissy Chen Institute Brain-Computer Interface (BCI) and Artificial Intelligence Forum," which also served as the Annual Meeting of the BCI and Interaction Branch of the Chinese Society for Neuroscience, was successfully held in Shanghai. During the forum, Luo Qianqian, co-founder of the Chen Institute, announced the official inauguration of the Spiking Intelligence Lab (SIL) under the Tianqiao and Chrissy Chen Institute. Additionally, Professor Mao Ying, President of Huashan Hospital Affiliated with Fudan University, and Professor Tao Hu, Founder and Chief Scientist of NeuroXess Technology, jointly announced that China’s first—and the world’s second—fully-implanted, fully-wireless, and fully-functional BCI system has been successfully applied in clinical trials for patients with high-level paraplegia. |
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SfN Tianqiao and Chrissy Chen Young Investigator Award: Li Ye |
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The SfN Tianqiao and Chrissy Chen Young Investigator Award recognizes the outstanding achievements and contributions of early career neuroscientists who demonstrate scholarly independence. The award is supported by the Tianqiao and Chrissy Chen Institute and includes a $25,000 prize and complimentary registration and travel to SfN’s annual meeting. |
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This year’s recipient is Li Ye, PhD, a Howard Hughes Medical Institute Investigator and N. Paul Whittier Chair in Chemistry and Chemical Biology at the Scripps Research Institute. |
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Chen Institute’s Grand Mirror Studio Earns Global Recognition for Science Storytelling |
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Grand Mirror Studio, a video program created by the Chen Institute and dedicated to using AI generated content to advance science communication through art and technology, has achieved major milestones in 2025, earning five international awards across film, science, and digital media platforms. |
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Grand Mirror now has over 3 million followers and more than 300 million views across platforms. The Chen Institute plans to expand distribution of the content outside of China on YouTube and Instagram. |
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Seattle, WA — October 9-October 10 |
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ISSCR produced a unique program that aimed to align data scientists and biologists to collaboratively address the challenges in AI-enabled biology. |
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San Diego, CA — November 15-November 19 |
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The Society for Neuroscience focuses on the understanding of the brain and nervous system by bringing together scientists and all segments of neuroscience. |
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International Symposium on "Music and the Brain" of the Grand Mirror Science Communication Series |
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Shanghai, China — November 17 |
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On November 17, 2025, the International Symposium on "Music and the Brain", part of the Grand Mirror Science Communication series, was held at the Shanghai Conservatory of Music Opera House. The theme of the conference was "Music Technology and Health in the AI Era", jointly hosted by the Tianqiao and Chrissy Chen Institute (China) and the Shanghai Conservatory of Music. |
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The Earliest Stage of Embryos Show Specialized Asymmetry |
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Nearly one in six couples face fertility challenges, highlighting the importance of improving in-vitro fertilization (IVF). Yet scientists still lack a full understanding of how early embryos develop, especially how the first cells determine their future roles. A new study from Caltech examines mouse embryos at the two-cell stage and finds that these first two cells are not identical. They contain different protein levels and follow different developmental paths. The cell that retains the sperm entry site is more likely to form the body of the embryo, while the other contributes mainly to the placenta. The research, led by Magdalena Zernicka-Goetz, Bren Professor of Biology and Biological Engineering, appears in Cell. |
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A New Tool to Detect Viruses in Sequence Data |
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A new software algorithm developed at Caltech enables researchers to easily search for viruses in RNA sequence data, enabling scientists to detect viruses in samples and study how they impact biological functions. |
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The research was conducted in the laboratory of Lior Pachte, Bren Professor of Computational Biology and Computing and Mathematical Sciences. A paper describing the research appears on April 22 in the journal Nature Biotechnology. |
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COVID-19 Pandemic Accelerated Cognitive Decline in Community-Dwelling Older Adults |
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A research team led by Professor Ding Ding, also known as a researcher from the Institute of Neurology, Huashan Hospital, Fudan University, and Chen Institute, in collaboration with multidisciplinary partners from the Fudan University Institute for Advanced Study in Social Sciences, Chen Institute, University College London, and Örebro University, published an original research in The Lancet Regional Health-Western Pacific, a prestigious sub-journal of the international medical journal The Lancet. |
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Utilizing the Shanghai Aging Study cohort and based on 14 years of follow-up data, this study cross-integrated social science research methods to systematically assess the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the cognitive function and brain structure of community-dwelling older adults in Shanghai. The study found that experiencing the COVID-19 pandemic accelerated cognitive decline and brain atrophy in this population, an effect that was more pronounced in groups with pre-existing Alzheimer's disease (AD) pathological burden or health vulnerabilities. |
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Research Team Including NeuroXess Develops Novel Bioadhesive Neural Interface for Bidirectional Regulation of Vascular Function |
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A joint research team from the Shanghai Institute of Microsystem and Information Technology of Chinese Academy of Sciences, the University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Huashan Hospital affiliated with Fudan University, NeuroXess, the Guangdong Institute of Intelligence Science and Technology, and Chen Institute published their latest findings in Nature Communications. The study reports a bioadhesive and vascular-conformable bioelectronic interface (BACE) capable of precise monitoring and neural electrical modulation of vasomotor function in vivo. This innovation provides a novel tool for understanding autonomic nervous regulation mechanisms and intervening in vascular dysfunction. |
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Meeting Reports: FENS – Chen Institute – NeuroLéman Summer School on Neurobiology of Psychiatric Disorders |
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The FENS – Chen Institute – NeuroLéman Summer School on Neurobiology of Psychiatric Disorders, September 1st to 5th, 2025, was hosted by the University of Geneva and was dedicated to the theme “Neurobiology of Psychiatric Disorders.” |
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2025 Chen Institute Early Career Scientists Forum for Al Accelerated Science |
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On November 15, 2025, the 2025 AIAS Chen Institute Early Career Scientists Forum for AI Accelerated Science, co-organized by the Tianqiao and Chrissy Chen Institute and MiroMind, was successfully held in Shanghai. The forum not only focused on the cutting-edge breakthroughs in AI-accelerated scientific discovery but also explored, from a neuroscience perspective, how human intelligence continues to provide inspiration for the development of AI. |
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© 2025 Tianqiao and Chrissy Chen Institute |
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