Page 20 - NYAA GAHA 30th Anniversary "Service Beyond Gold"

Dr Wenqian Chen

Assistant Professor

Department of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences
National University of Singapore
NYAA Council Member
NYAA Gold Award Holder (2006 Cohort)

Dr Wenqian Chen is a dedicated scientist and drop for age-related macular degeneration, offering
educator whose work in the bioprocessing of protein patients an alternative to invasive eye injections.
and peptide bridges academic research, industry
innovation, and youth mentorship. His career reflects Beyond research, Dr Chen has demonstrated a strong
the GAHA spirit of 'Service Beyond Gold'—pioneering commitment to community service and applied
discoveries while nurturing the next generation of science for the public good. During the COVID-19
scientists. pandemic, he and his colleagues at Imperial College
London initiated the production of hand sanitisers
Currently an Assistant Professor at the National to address shortages in hospitals and care homes,
University of Singapore (NUS), Dr Chen leads cutting- earning commendation at the IChemE Global Awards
edge research on the purification and formulation 2020 (Team Award).
of proteins and peptides through crystallisation
and membrane filtration. His collaborations with As a passionate educator, Dr Chen has mentored
pharmaceutical leaders such as GSK, Pfizer, Lonza, over 20 secondary school and junior college students
and Fujifilm Diosynth have contributed to developing since 2022, guiding them in scientific research
novel manufacturing technologies that enhance projects. His students achieved outstanding results
therapeutic accessibility worldwide. at the Singapore Science and Engineering Fair 2023,
winning a silver, two bronzes, and a special award—a
From 2015 to 2021, while serving as a Research testament to his role in nurturing Singapore's future
Associate at Imperial College London, he co-created scientific leaders.
porous silica materials to accelerate the crystallisation
of therapeutic monoclonal IgG. This breakthrough Through his scientific innovation, educational
was published in Nature Protocols (2023) and mentorship, and community engagement, Dr
holds the potential to reduce the cost of life-saving Wenqian Chen continues to shape both the research
medicine, making them more affordable for patients landscape and the next generation of changemakers.
across the globe.

Since 2021, Dr Chen's research at NUS has expanded
into innovative biotech applications. He has
worked with the Sentara Group (formerly Nutrition
Technologies) on antimicrobial proteins from
black soldier flies to combat livestock infections.
Concurrently, he collaborates with the Singapore Eye
Research Institute to develop a peptide-based eye

18 30 Years of Service and Leadership