Chuan He is the John T. Wilson Distinguished Service Professor in the Department of Chemistry and Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology at the University of Chicago.He received his B.S. (1994) from the University of Science and Technology of China. He received his Ph. D. degree from Massachusetts Institute of Technology in chemistry in 2000. After being trained as a Damon-Runyon postdoctoral fellow at Harvard University from 2000-2002, he joined the University of Chicago as an Assistant Professor, and was promoted to Associate Professor in 2008, Professor in 2010 and John T. Wilson Distinguished Service Professor in 2014. He is also a member of the Cancer Research Center at the University of Chicago. His research spans a broad range of chemical biology, RNA biology, epigenetics, biochemistry, molecular biology, and genomics. His recent research concerns reversible RNA and DNA methylation in biological regulation. His research group discovered the first RNA demethylase and showed that reversible RNA methylation significantly affects gene expression regulation.
Harvard
Cambridge
Postdoc - Chemical Biology
2002
MIT
Cambridge
Ph.D. - Chemistry
2000
University of Sci. & Tech. China
Hefei/China
B.S. - Chemistry
1994
Myeloid reprogramming generates myeloid-derived activating cells to potentiate radiotherapy and suppress metastasis.
Myeloid reprogramming generates myeloid-derived activating cells to potentiate radiotherapy and suppress metastasis. Cancer Cell. 2026 Sep 17.
PMID: 42753736
5-Azacytosine induces cytotoxicity via 5-methylcytosine depletion on chromatin-associated RNA in leukemia.
5-Azacytosine induces cytotoxicity via 5-methylcytosine depletion on chromatin-associated RNA in leukemia. Mol Cell. 2026 Sep 15.
PMID: 42743920
Intrinsically disordered regions restrain genomic targeting of RNA and histone demethylases in mammals and plants.
Intrinsically disordered regions restrain genomic targeting of RNA and histone demethylases in mammals and plants. Nat Genet. 2026 Aug; 58(8):2013-2026.
PMID: 42493596
Prognostic Significance of Cell-Free DNA Derived 5-Hydroxymethylcytosine Signatures in Newly Diagnosed Multiple Myeloma.
Prognostic Significance of Cell-Free DNA Derived 5-Hydroxymethylcytosine Signatures in Newly Diagnosed Multiple Myeloma. JCO Precis Oncol. 2026 Jul; 10(7):e2501121.
PMID: 42492029
m6A RNA methylation modulates IFN-?-stimulated intestinal epithelial cell-intrinsic antiparasitic defense.
m6A RNA methylation modulates IFN-?-stimulated intestinal epithelial cell-intrinsic antiparasitic defense. PLoS Pathog. 2026 07; 22(7):e1014442.
PMID: 42475356
5-hydroxymethylcytosine deposition mediates Polycomb repressive complex 2 function in MYCN-amplified neuroblastoma.
5-hydroxymethylcytosine deposition mediates Polycomb repressive complex 2 function in MYCN-amplified neuroblastoma. iScience. 2026 Aug 21; 29(8):116816.
PMID: 42502404
Reply to: "Hypoxia-Induced Lineage Plasticity in Neuroblastoma: Advancing Signature Interpretation and Clinical Translation".
Reply to: "Hypoxia-Induced Lineage Plasticity in Neuroblastoma: Advancing Signature Interpretation and Clinical Translation". Clin Transl Sci. 2026 Jul; 19(7):e70665.
PMID: 42438346
Maternal trans-vaccenic acid shapes neonatal T cell development and early-life immune imprinting.
Maternal trans-vaccenic acid shapes neonatal T cell development and early-life immune imprinting. Science. 2026 Jun 18; 392(6804):eaea4041.
PMID: 42313977
Spatially resolved m6A profiling using m6A-ARTR-DBiT.
Spatially resolved m6A profiling using m6A-ARTR-DBiT. Nat Methods. 2026 Jul; 23(7):1318-1326.
PMID: 42265211
Regulatory elements on chromatin-associated RNA 15 years beyond RNA epigenetics.
Regulatory elements on chromatin-associated RNA 15 years beyond RNA epigenetics. Nat Chem Biol. 2026 Jun; 22(6):866-873.
PMID: 42049961
ACS Chemical Biology Lectureship
2019
Paul Marks Prize in Cancer Research
2017
HHMI Investigator
2013