Yaozong CHEN

Protein Scientist 1. designed & delivered high‑quality tool cmpds to support early research & global pipelines; 2. provided molecular insights for MoA understanding in target discovery & maturation; 3. performed early modality assessment in line with corporate strategies & priorities; Technology Platform Innovation 1. bulit a general & resource-saving workflow of membrane protein production & QC; 2. upgraded in-vitro transcribed mRNA workflow (purification, LNP formulation, data FAIRness); 3. drove VHH discovery workflow development by immunization & display; 4. leading scientist in targeted technology development for delivery in metabolic tissues; Early target innovation in cardiometabolic diseases led & drove target proposal, validation & prioritization by cross-functional collaboration; monitored & reviewed external opportunities on novel biology & MoA.

• Elucidated epitope‑driven antiviral MoA of diverse human Abs & VHHs by integrating 7 high‑resolution X‑ray crystal and cryo‑EM structures with comprehensive in vitro and in vivo efficacy studies. Engineered & developed ACE2‑Fc receptor decoy as SARS-CoV-2 prophylactics & therapeutics with >10-fold enhanced in vitro potency, establishing ACE2‑Fc as a viable option for antiviral intervention. Demonstrated the critical contribution of Fc-effector functions to ACE2‑Fc–mediated antiviral activity through in vitro assays and in vivo infection models, informing Fc engineering strategies for next‑generation antiviral biologics. Designed advanced Ab formats across HIV and SARS‑CoV‑2, including saAbs, bsAb, and ADCs, supporting modality innovation and structure–function optimization. Defined molecular determinants & MoA of HIV drug resistance in clade A/E strains of FDA‑approved attachment inhibitor BMS‑626529, providing mechanistic insight relevant to resistance management and next‑generation inhibitor design.

Working as a structural biochemist in 1) understanding the molecular mechanisms of epitope-driven neutralization and Fc-effector functions of antibodies, as well as the modes of action for small molecule inhibitors for SARS-CoV-2 and HIV-1 therapeutics and vaccine development; 2) performing structure-based protein engineering to develop affinity enhancing ACE2-Fc fusions that use the combined anti-SARS-CoV-2 mechanism of cross-VOCs neutralization and Fc-mediated effector immunity. 3) develop novel antibody-drug conjugates and single-armed and bispecific IgGs as HIV therapies.

Characterized tertiary structures and molecular mechanisms of key regulatory proteins, including mammalian polo‑like kinase 4 , HIV accessory protein Vpr, and the E3 ubiquitin ligase, providing structural and functional insights into cell cycle control and protein regulation. Elucidated the higher‑order self‑assembly of centrosomal proteins Cep152, Cep63, and Cep120, defining their cooperative organization into supramolecular architectures essential for centrosome biogenesis. Revealed temperature‑dependent phase separation behavior of the centrosome protein Cep157, uncovering biophysical principles underlying dynamic cellular organization. Screened and optimized polo‑like kinase 1 inhibitors to support oncology drug discovery, contributing to structure‑guided inhibitor evaluation and early therapeutic development.

perform comprehensive structural and functional studies of various pathogenic acyl-CoA synthases that catalyze an ATP-dependent, two-step thioesterification.