Shu Chien
Encyclopedia
Shu Chien is an eminent American
biological scientist and engineer. Chien is current President of the Biomedical Engineering Society.
of Zhejiang
and he grew up in Shanghai. Chien's family are descendants of the royal family of the King Qian Liu
(錢鏐) of the Kingdom of Wuyue
. His grandfather Chien Hong-ye (錢鴻業) was a Chief Justice in the Supreme Court of the Republic of China
(in Shanghai). His father Chien Shih-Liang
(錢思亮), a chemist
, was former President of Academia Sinica
. His elder brother Robert Chien (錢純) was former Minister of Finance of Taiwan, and former Secretary-general
of Executive Yuan
. His young brother Fredrick Chien
(錢復) is also an influential politician in Taiwan.
From 1947 to 1948, Chien completed his medical preparatory study at National Peking University
(current Beijing University in Beijing) Medical School
. In 1949, Chien moved to Taiwan with his family. In 1953, Chien graduated from the National Taiwan University
. Chien went to study in the United States in 1954 and obtained his PhD in 1957 from Columbia University
. Chien also received M.D.
from the National Taiwan University.
From 1969 to 1988, Chien was a Professor of Physiology and Biophysics at the Columbia University. Chien was a Founding Fellow of the American Institute for Medical and Biological Engineering
in 1992.
Chien is current President (since 1991) of the Whitaker Institute of Biomedical Engineering at the University of California, San Diego
(UCSD). Chien was the Chair of the Department of Bioengineering of UCSD from 1994 to 1999 and from 2002 to 2005. He was named as a recipient of the National Medal of Science
by President Barack Obama
on September 27, 2011 for "pioneering work in cardiovascular physiology and bioengineering".
Chien is one of the few who are members of all four American academies, namely IOM, NAE, NAS, and AAAS. Chien is also a member of Chinese-speaking academies and societies, including:
Chien has been awarded numerous prizes in bioengineering, including the Founders Award of the National Academy of Engineering.
Chinese American
Chinese Americans represent Americans of Chinese descent. Chinese Americans constitute one group of overseas Chinese and also a subgroup of East Asian Americans, which is further a subgroup of Asian Americans...
biological scientist and engineer. Chien is current President of the Biomedical Engineering Society.
Biography
Born in Beiping (current Beijing), Chien's ancestral hometown is HangzhouHangzhou
Hangzhou , formerly transliterated as Hangchow, is the capital and largest city of Zhejiang Province in Eastern China. Governed as a sub-provincial city, and as of 2010, its entire administrative division or prefecture had a registered population of 8.7 million people...
of Zhejiang
Zhejiang
Zhejiang is an eastern coastal province of the People's Republic of China. The word Zhejiang was the old name of the Qiantang River, which passes through Hangzhou, the provincial capital...
and he grew up in Shanghai. Chien's family are descendants of the royal family of the King Qian Liu
Qian Liu
Qian Liu , courtesy name Jumei , nickname Poliu , formally King Wusu of Wuyue with the temple name of Taizu , was founder and first king of the Kingdom of Wuyue during the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms Period, ruling over roughly modern Zhejiang on the east coast of China.- Background :Qian...
(錢鏐) of the Kingdom of Wuyue
Wuyue
Kingdom of Wuyue , 907-978, was a small independent coastal kingdom founded during the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms of Chinese history. It was ruled by the Qian family, which remains widespread in the kingdom's former territory.-Founding:...
. His grandfather Chien Hong-ye (錢鴻業) was a Chief Justice in the Supreme Court of the Republic of China
Republic of China
The Republic of China , commonly known as Taiwan , is a unitary sovereign state located in East Asia. Originally based in mainland China, the Republic of China currently governs the island of Taiwan , which forms over 99% of its current territory, as well as Penghu, Kinmen, Matsu and other minor...
(in Shanghai). His father Chien Shih-Liang
Chien Shih-Liang
Chien Shih-Liang aka S. L. Chien 1908-1983, was a notable Chinese chemist and educator.-Biography:Chien was from Hangzhou, Zhejiang. Chien graduated from the prestigious Tianjin Nankai High School. Chien matriculated at Tsinghua University Department of Chemistry in 1927...
(錢思亮), a chemist
Chemist
A chemist is a scientist trained in the study of chemistry. Chemists study the composition of matter and its properties such as density and acidity. Chemists carefully describe the properties they study in terms of quantities, with detail on the level of molecules and their component atoms...
, was former President of Academia Sinica
Academia Sinica
The Academia Sinica , headquartered in the Nangang District of Taipei, is the national academy of Taiwan. It supports research activities in a wide variety of disciplines, ranging from mathematical and physical sciences, to life sciences, and to humanities and social sciences.Academia Sinica has...
. His elder brother Robert Chien (錢純) was former Minister of Finance of Taiwan, and former Secretary-general
Secretary-General
-International intergovernmental organizations:-International nongovernmental organizations:-Sports governing bodies:...
of Executive Yuan
Executive Yuan
The Executive Yuan is the executive branch of the government of the Republic of China , commonly known as "Taiwan".-Organization and structure:...
. His young brother Fredrick Chien
Fredrick Chien
Frederick Chien Foo , also spelled Fredrick Chien, was the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of China on Taiwan from 1990 to 1996.-Background:...
(錢復) is also an influential politician in Taiwan.
From 1947 to 1948, Chien completed his medical preparatory study at National Peking University
Peking University
Peking University , colloquially known in Chinese as Beida , is a major research university located in Beijing, China, and a member of the C9 League. It is the first established modern national university of China. It was founded as Imperial University of Peking in 1898 as a replacement of the...
(current Beijing University in Beijing) Medical School
Medical school
A medical school is a tertiary educational institution—or part of such an institution—that teaches medicine. Degree programs offered at medical schools often include Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine, Bachelor/Doctor of Medicine, Doctor of Philosophy, master's degree, or other post-secondary...
. In 1949, Chien moved to Taiwan with his family. In 1953, Chien graduated from the National Taiwan University
National Taiwan University
National Taiwan University is a national co-educational university located in Taipei, Republic of China . In Taiwan, it is colloquially known as "Táidà" . Its main campus is set upon 1,086,167 square meters in Taipei's Da'an District. In addition, the university has 6 other campuses in Taiwan,...
. Chien went to study in the United States in 1954 and obtained his PhD in 1957 from Columbia University
Columbia University
Columbia University in the City of New York is a private, Ivy League university in Manhattan, New York City. Columbia is the oldest institution of higher learning in the state of New York, the fifth oldest in the United States, and one of the country's nine Colonial Colleges founded before the...
. Chien also received M.D.
Doctor of Medicine
Doctor of Medicine is a doctoral degree for physicians. The degree is granted by medical schools...
from the National Taiwan University.
From 1969 to 1988, Chien was a Professor of Physiology and Biophysics at the Columbia University. Chien was a Founding Fellow of the American Institute for Medical and Biological Engineering
American Institute for Medical and Biological Engineering
The American Institute for Medical and Biological Engineering is an organization of biomedical engineers, which focuses on taking principles of engineering to and applying them to improve the medical and biological engineering fields...
in 1992.
Chien is current President (since 1991) of the Whitaker Institute of Biomedical Engineering at the University of California, San Diego
University of California, San Diego
The University of California, San Diego, commonly known as UCSD or UC San Diego, is a public research university located in the La Jolla neighborhood of San Diego, California, United States...
(UCSD). Chien was the Chair of the Department of Bioengineering of UCSD from 1994 to 1999 and from 2002 to 2005. He was named as a recipient of the National Medal of Science
National Medal of Science
The National Medal of Science is an honor bestowed by the President of the United States to individuals in science and engineering who have made important contributions to the advancement of knowledge in the fields of behavioral and social sciences, biology, chemistry, engineering, mathematics and...
by President Barack Obama
Barack Obama
Barack Hussein Obama II is the 44th and current President of the United States. He is the first African American to hold the office. Obama previously served as a United States Senator from Illinois, from January 2005 until he resigned following his victory in the 2008 presidential election.Born in...
on September 27, 2011 for "pioneering work in cardiovascular physiology and bioengineering".
Academic career
- Current, President of the Biomedical Engineering SocietyBMESBMES was founded on February 1, 1968 "to promote the increase of biomedical engineering knowledge and its utilization." It is active primarily in America....
- 2008–2009, President of the Internal Society of BiorheologyBiorheology- Definition :Biorheological research determine and characterize the dynamics of physiological processes at all levels of organization. They include the scientific and technological studies in a broad field that ranges from the rheology of macromolecules and macromolecular arrays to cell, tissue...
- 2006–2008, President-Elect of the BMES Publications Board of Directors
- 2001–2002, President of the American Institute for Medical and Biological EngineeringAmerican Institute for Medical and Biological EngineeringThe American Institute for Medical and Biological Engineering is an organization of biomedical engineers, which focuses on taking principles of engineering to and applying them to improve the medical and biological engineering fields...
(AIMBE) - 1992–1993, President of the Federation of American Societies for Experimental BiologyFederation of American Societies for Experimental BiologyThe Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology, abbreviated FASEB, is a non-profit organization that is the principal umbrella organization of U.S. societies in the field of biological and medical research. FASEB organizes academic conferences and publishes scientific literature...
- 1990–1991, President of the American Physiological SocietyAmerican Physiological SocietyThe American Physiological Society was founded in 1887 with 28 members. Of them, 21 were graduates of medical schools, but only 12 had studied in schools that had a professor of physiology. Today, the APS has 10,500 members, most of whom hold doctoral degrees in medicine, physiology or other...
(APS). Chien is the 63rd President and the first Asian American President of APS. - 1980–1981, President, The Microcirculatory Society
- Chairman of the steering committee of the North American Society of Biorheology
- President of the American Society of Chinese MedicineTraditional Chinese medicineTraditional Chinese Medicine refers to a broad range of medicine practices sharing common theoretical concepts which have been developed in China and are based on a tradition of more than 2,000 years, including various forms of herbal medicine, acupuncture, massage , exercise , and dietary therapy...
Honors and awards
- 1993, Elected to the United States Institute of MedicineInstitute of MedicineThe Institute of Medicine is a not-for-profit, non-governmental American organization founded in 1970, under the congressional charter of the National Academy of Sciences...
(IOM) - 1997, Elected to the United States National Academy of EngineeringNational Academy of EngineeringThe National Academy of Engineering is a government-created non-profit institution in the United States, that was founded in 1964 under the same congressional act that led to the founding of the National Academy of Sciences...
(NAE) - 1994, Elected to the United States National Academy of SciencesUnited States National Academy of SciencesThe National Academy of Sciences is a corporation in the United States whose members serve pro bono as "advisers to the nation on science, engineering, and medicine." As a national academy, new members of the organization are elected annually by current members, based on their distinguished and...
(NAS) - 2006, Elected to the American Academy of Arts and SciencesAmerican Academy of Arts and SciencesThe American Academy of Arts and Sciences is an independent policy research center that conducts multidisciplinary studies of complex and emerging problems. The Academy’s elected members are leaders in the academic disciplines, the arts, business, and public affairs.James Bowdoin, John Adams, and...
(AAAS) - 2011, Awarded the National Medal of Science by President Barack Obama
Chien is one of the few who are members of all four American academies, namely IOM, NAE, NAS, and AAAS. Chien is also a member of Chinese-speaking academies and societies, including:
- 1976, Elected to the Academia SinicaAcademia SinicaThe Academia Sinica , headquartered in the Nangang District of Taipei, is the national academy of Taiwan. It supports research activities in a wide variety of disciplines, ranging from mathematical and physical sciences, to life sciences, and to humanities and social sciences.Academia Sinica has...
, TaipeiTaipeiTaipei City is the capital of the Republic of China and the central city of the largest metropolitan area of Taiwan. Situated at the northern tip of the island, Taipei is located on the Tamsui River, and is about 25 km southwest of Keelung, its port on the Pacific Ocean... - 2006, Elected (Foreign Member) to the Chinese Academy of SciencesChinese Academy of SciencesThe Chinese Academy of Sciences , formerly known as Academia Sinica, is the national academy for the natural sciences of the People's Republic of China. It is an institution of the State Council of China. It is headquartered in Beijing, with institutes all over the People's Republic of China...
, Beijing - Honorary Member of the Chinese Association of Physiological Sciences
- Honorary Member of the Chinese Physiological Society, Taipei
Chien has been awarded numerous prizes in bioengineering, including the Founders Award of the National Academy of Engineering.
- 1999, Ray Daggs Award, from the American Physiological Society
- 1996, Joseph Mather Smith Prize for Distinguished Alumni Research, from Columbia University
- 1996 & 1990, Melville Medal, from the American Society of Mechanical Engineers
- 1993, ALZA Award, from the Biomedical Engineering Society
- 1991, Zweifach Award, in the 5th World Congress for Microcirculation
- 1983, Landis Award, from Microcirculatory Society
- 1981, Fahraeus Medal in Clinical Haemorheology
See also
- American Society for Medical and Biological Engineering: Shu Chien, M.D., PhD, Biography courtesy of UCSD
- UCSD Medical Center Moores Cancer Center: CV of Shu Chien
- Shu Chien's presentation @ Carnegie Mellon Mechanical Engineering