In 2007, our beloved Professor Shu-Chen Grace Chen passed away due to illness at the age of 60. She is remembered for her scientific achievements and warmness to colleagues and the young scientists.

Dr. Chen was a renowned plant biochemist, who joined the Institute of Botany (the predecessor of IPMB) in 1984. During her service in IPMB, she devoted herself to studying the function of photosynthetic genes in higher plants, aiming to understand how the light signals regulate photosynthesis through different regulatory genes and transcription factors. In addition, her research also focused on the molecular mechanisms of leaf senescence.  Colleagues in her lab have successfully isolated several genes that regulate leaf senescence, which provided a research platform for subsequent studies. In addition to dedicating herself to research work, Dr. Chen also served as the deputy director of IPMB and contributed greatly to IPMB.

Sadly, Dr. Chen passed away in 2007. To honor Dr. Chen, her family established the “Professor Shu-Chen Grace Chen Academic Lecture Foundation” in IPMB. IPMB and the Foundation hold yearly distinguished lectures by top plant scientists in remembrance of Dr. Chen.