Tai-Yen Chen Receives NSM Junior Faculty Award for Excellence in Research
Tai-Yen Chen in the Department of Chemistry is the 2023 recipient of NSM’s Junior Faculty Award for Excellence in Research. The award recognizes faculty at the rank of assistant professor who have demonstrated great potential in research and/or scholarship by virtue of the exceptional quality of their contributions.
Each NSM department nominates an eligible faculty member for the honor. The award, given each year, comes with a monetary award, plaque, and a nameplate placed on a plaque in the Dean’s Office. The award recipient is also recognized during NSM Commencement.
Chen’s research aims to understand how brain cells (neurons) manage oxidative stress, specifically by studying the behavior of an important antioxidant protein. The research will help us learn how stress affects the protein’s structure, improving our understanding of how neurons protect themselves.
Chen recently received an NSF CAREER Award for this project, “Oligomeric Stoichiometry of Superoxide Dismutase 1 and Neuronal Antioxidant Defense.”
The Junior Faculty Award for Excellence in Research review process relies on the hard work of an ad hoc committee comprised of one faculty member from each NSM department selected by the respective department chairs. The committee makes a recommendation for award to the Dean, who makes the final decision.
A list of previous winners of the Junior Faculty Award for Excellence in Research is on the NSM Recognition and Awards webpage.