2025 Association of Chinese Geneticists in America Award Recipients

The Association of Chinese Geneticists in America (ACGA) is pleased to announce the recipients of its 2025 annual awards, recognizing outstanding contributions by members of the Chinese genetic community in research, education, clinical service, and professional leadership.

Since its inception in 2002, ACGA has annually honored individuals whose work has significantly advanced the field of genetics. Previous ACGA award recipients include Professor Yuet Wai Kan (University of California, San Francisco, USA; 2018 Lifetime Achievement Award); Professor Yuk Ming Dennis Lo (The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China; 2018 Excellence in Genetics Research Award); Professor Lap-Chee Tsui (The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China; 2019 Lifetime Achievement Award); Professor Yuan-Tsong Chen (Institute of Biomedical Sciences, Academia Sinica, Taiwan, China; 2020 Lifetime Achievement Award); Professor Yitao Zeng (Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China; 2021 Lifetime Achievement Award); and Professor Huanming Yang (University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China; 2023 Lifetime Achievement Award).

The 2025 ACGA Awards Ceremony took place on October 16, 2025, during the ACGA Annual Meeting in Boston, MA, USA, where this year's awardees were formally recognized.

2025 ACGA Lifetime Achievement Award
Sau Wai Cheung, PhD
Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas, USA

Dr. Sau Wai Cheung is honored for her four decades of groundbreaking contributions to clinical genetics. As Director of the Cytogenetics Laboratory at Baylor College of Medicine, Dr. Cheung led the development and implementation of chromosomal microarray (CMA) in clinical testing in 2004, transforming genomic testing and establishing CMA as a first-tier test for developmental disorders, intellectual disability, and autism spectrum disorder. She has authored nearly 300 publications, expanding our understanding of microdeletion and microduplication syndromes and shaping genetic testing practices worldwide. As an educator, she has mentored over 20 medical genetics fellows, many of whom are now leaders in the field, and co-founded the Master's Program in Medical Genetics at The Chinese University of Hong Kong, enhancing genetics education and services across Asia.

2025 ACGA Excellence in Genetics Education Award
Yao-Shan Fan, PhD
Mayo Clinic, Jacksonville, Florida, USA

Dr. Yao-Shan Fan is recognized for more than four decades of dedication to genetics education. He has mentored and trained hundreds of students, residents, fellows, technologists, and future clinical genetic laboratory directors worldwide. His book Molecular Cytogenetics: Protocols and Applications is one of the first comprehensive resources in clinical molecular cytogenetics. With over 100 peer-reviewed publications, Dr. Fan's teaching and scholarship have had a lasting global impact, significantly advancing the global dissemination of medical genetics knowledge.

2025 ACGA Excellence in Genetics Service AwardWuh-Liang Hwu, MD, PhD
China Medical University Hospital, Taichung, Taiwan, China
National Taiwan University College of Medicine, Taipei, Taiwan, China

Professor Wuh-Liang Hwu is a distinguished international leader in medical genetics, recognized for his groundbreaking work in newborn screening and rare disease treatment. He established the world's first newborn screening program for Pompe disease, which was later included in the U.S. Recommended Uniform Screening Panel, as well as Taiwan's first newborn screening program for spinal muscular atrophy. In addition, he spearheaded the development of the first successful gene therapy for a central nervous system disorder caused by aromatic L-amino acid decarboxylase (AADC) deficiency. This therapy received approval from the European Medicines Agency (EMA) in 2022 and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in 2024. Beyond his clinical and scientific achievements, he founded the Taiwan Human Genetics Society and co-founded the Asian Pacific Society of Human Genetics, playing a pivotal role in advancing genetics services and professional collaboration across the region.

2025 ACGA Excellence in Genetics Research Award
Sidi Chen, PhD
Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut, USA

Dr. Sidi Chen is recognized for his groundbreaking work at the intersection of cancer genetics, immunology, and systems biology. His lab has developed innovative CRISPR-based in vivo functional genomics platforms to identify genetic drivers of cancer progression, immune evasion, and therapy resistance. These discoveries have advanced fundamental biology and contributed to the development of new cancer treatments. Dr. Chen has secured over US$35 million in research funding from the U.S. National Institutes of Health (NIH) and other agencies. His work has been published in leading journals, including Nature Biotechnology, Nature Communications, Science Advances, and Nature Immunology, and has received over 12,000 citations. He has also founded several biotechnology companies based on his research innovations.

2025 ACGA Trainee Awards

In addition to senior awards, ACGA presents trainee awards in the categories of pre- and postdoctoral researchers in basic and translational/clinical research.

This year's Postdoctoral Awards in Translational/Clinical Research went to:

• Yinghong Pan, PhD (Advisor: Fen Guo, PhD), University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA
• Xueyang Pan, PhD (Advisors: Hugo Bellen, PhD, and Ning Liu, PhD), Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas, USA

The Postdoctoral Award in Basic Research was awarded to:

• Shuai Liu, PhD (Advisor: Lang Wu, PhD), University of Hawaii Cancer Center, Honolulu, Hawaii, USA.

About the Association of Chinese Geneticists in America (ACGA)

Founded in 1987, the Association of Chinese Geneticists in America (ACGA) is a professional organization established by Chinese American geneticists but open to individuals of all backgrounds. Its mission is to foster connections between the U.S. genetics community and colleagues across mainland China, Taiwan, Hong Kong, and other Chinese-speaking regions. Originating from informal gatherings at the American Society of Human Genetics (ASHG) annual meetings in 1985-1986, ACGA has grown into a vibrant professional network that promotes scientific collaboration, professional exchange, and social engagement. Over the years, the Association has co-sponsored numerous international conferences and training programs, partnering with major institutions to advance genetic and genomic research, clinical practice, and education. Today, ACGA has 100 lifetime members, maintains an active social media presence, supports regional chapters such as ACGA-Boston, and collaborates with other genetic societies to improve global standards in clinical genetics. Through seminars, partnerships, and community efforts, ACGA continues to serve as a bridge between American and Chinese geneticists worldwide.

Prepared by Liming Bao, MD, PhD
Weill Cornell Medical College of Cornell University (New York, NY, USA)
Corresponding: [email protected]
Language Editor: Catherine Yang
Production Editor: Ting Xu
Respectfully Submitted by the Editorial Office of Journal of Translational Genetics and Genomics