On December 21st of 2018, Prof. Zhen Yang of Peking University visited SKLEOC on the invitation
of the institute. Apart from academic discussions with faculties and students
of the SKELOC, he also delivered a speech entitled “From Complex Natural
Products of Important Biological Functions to the Exploration of Novel
Synthetic Methods”.
Before the
lecture, Prof. Qilin Zhou dedicated to Prof. Yang the “Nankai University
Lectureship on Organic Chemistry” certificate on behalf of the SKLEOC. In his
lecture, Prof. Yang first introduced their research program based on
biologically active natural products. He then emphasized that the modern
synthetic chemistry should focus on the aspects of atomic economy, step
economy, novel reactions and strategies. He systematically described his group’s
work on the synthesis of important natural products, and the innovative
reactions and tactics developed during these processes. The lecture hall was
packed, and the audience was fully engaged in further discussion with Prof.
Yang on the details of his syntheses.
Prof. Zhen Yang obtained his Ph.D. degree from the
Chinese University of Hong Kong. He then started postdoctoral studies at the
Scripps Research Institute, where he accomplished the total syntheses of
anti-cancer natural products Taxol and epothilones and the neurotoxin
brevetoxin A. Afterwards he moved to Harvard University and conducted research
on combinatorial syntheses based on the structural divergence of bioactive
natural products. He went to Peking University in 2001, and is currently dean
of the school of chemical biology & biotechnology of Peking University. His
main research focuses on the development of efficient and original synthetic
methods and their applications towards complex natural products and bioactive
compounds. His research is recognized by the Changjiang Scholarship Program
(2002), the National Science Fund for
Distinguished Young Scholars (2004), Eli Lily Scientific Excellence Award
(2005), Baogang Distinguished Teaching Award of Peking University (2009), Wuxi
Pharma Life Science Excellence Award (Golden Medal, 2010), “Zhou Weishan”
Synthetic Creative Work Award (CSC, 2013), 2ndClass Prize of the
National Natural Science Award (2016). He is currently editor in board of multiple
journals including Combinatorial Science, Advanced Synthesis & Catalysis,
Natural Products and Bioprospecting and MedChemComm. He currently holds >180
SCI publications and 14 patents.
