Chen Wei (medical scientist)

Not to be confused with Chen Wei (food scientist).
In this Chinese name, the family name is Chen.
Chen Wei
陈薇
Member of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference National Committee
(13th)
Incumbent
Assumed office
March 2018
ChairmanWang Yang
Delegate to the National People's Congress
(12th)
In office
March 2013 – March 2018
ChairmanZhang Dejiang
ConstituencyPeople's Liberation Army
Personal details
BornFebruary 1966 (age 58)
Lanxi, Zhejiang China
Political partyChinese Communist Party
Alma materZhejiang University
Tsinghua University
Academy of Military Medical Sciences
Military service
Allegiance People's Republic of China
Branch/servicePeople's Liberation Army
Years of service1991–present
Rank Shao jiang (Major general)
Scientific career
FieldsResearch on ebola, SARS-CoV and SARS-CoV-2[1]
Board member of
Chinese name
Traditional Chinese陳薇
Simplified Chinese陈薇
Transcriptions
Standard Mandarin
Hanyu PinyinChén Wēi

Chen Wei (Chinese: 陈薇; born February 1966) is a Chinese epidemiologist and virologist specializing in biodefense, and is currently working as a researcher and doctoral advisor at the Academy of Military Medical Sciences, and is an Academician of the Chinese Academy of Engineering (CAE). In September 2021, The Globe and Mail reported that Chen is also a major general in China's People's Liberation Army.[3]

Biography

Chen was born in Lanxi County, Jinhua, Zhejiang, in 1966.[2] She received her bachelor's degree in chemical engineering from the Zhejiang University in 1988.[1][4] She obtained a master's degree at Tsinghua University in 1991.[2] She attended the Academy of Military Medical Sciences where she obtained her doctor's degree in 1998.[2] She became a faculty member of the academy upon graduation.

In 2013, Chen became a delegate of the People's Liberation Army to the National People's Congress.[1]

On 10 July 2015, she was awarded the military rank of major general (shaojiang) by Central Military Commission chairman Xi Jinping.[5]

She was a delegate to the 12th National People's Congress.[6] In January 2018, she became a member of the 13th National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference.[7] In November 2019, She was elected as an academician of the Chinese Academy of Engineering.[8]

On May 30, 2021, she was elected vice president of the China Association for Science and Technology.[9]

COVID-19 vaccine research

See also: Convidecia

In 2020, Chen led a joint team of the Institute of Biotechnology, the Academy of Military Medical Sciences, and CanSino Biologics to develop Convidecia. The development team registered a Phase 1 trial in March 2020 and a Phase 2 trial in April 2020.[10][11] It conducted its Phase III trials in Argentina,[12] Chile,[13] Mexico,[14] Pakistan,[15] Russia,[16] and Saudi Arabia[17] with 40,000 participants.

In February 2021, global data from Phase III trials and 101 COVID cases showed the vaccine had a 65.7% efficacy in preventing moderate symptoms of COVID-19, and 91% efficacy in preventing severe disease.[18]

Convidecia is approved for use by some countries in Asia,[19][20][21] Europe,[22][23] and Latin America.[24][25][26]

Personal life

Chen is married to her husband who is a native of Shandong province and they have a son.[27]

Honours and awards

See also

References

  1. ^ a b c Chan, Minnie; Zheng, William (3 March 2020). "Meet the major general on China's coronavirus scientific front line". South China Morning Post. Retrieved 15 April 2020.
  2. ^ a b c d Zhao, Frank (21 July 2015). "ACWF Executive Committee Member Chen Wei Promoted to Major General". All-China Women's Federation. Archived from the original on 16 April 2020. Retrieved 16 April 2020.
  3. ^ Fife, Robert; Chase, Steven (16 September 2021). "Chinese Major-General worked with fired scientist at Canada's top infectious disease lab". The Globe and Mail. Archived from the original on 16 September 2021. Retrieved 17 September 2021.
  4. ^ a b Lin, Lin (12 January 2012). "The Eighth Chinese Young Women in Science Awards". All-China Women's Federation. Archived from the original on 16 April 2020. Retrieved 16 April 2020.
  5. ^ Tsinghua University (16 July 2015). 解放军总后勤部女博导陈薇晋升少将(图). ifeng.com (in Chinese). Retrieved 23 January 2020.
  6. ^ 第十二届全国人民代表大会代表名单. Sohu (in Chinese). 27 February 2013. Retrieved 23 January 2020.
  7. ^ 中国人民政治协商会议第十三届全国委员会常务委员名单. cppcc.gov.cn (in Chinese). 14 March 2018. Retrieved 23 January 2020.
  8. ^ 中国工程院2019年当选院士名单 [List of Members of the Chinese Academy of Engineering in 2019]. CAE (in Chinese). 22 November 2019. Retrieved 15 January 2020.
  9. ^ 陈薇新当选、潘建伟连任！金华好儿女双双当选中国科协副主席. 163.com (in Chinese). 31 May 2021. Retrieved 1 June 2021.
  10. ^ Xie, John (15 April 2020). "China Announces Phase 2 of Clinical Trials of COVID-19 Vaccine". Voice of America. Retrieved 18 April 2020.
  11. ^ "The Lancet: First human trial of COVID-19 vaccine finds it is safe and induces rapid immune response". EurekAlert!. 22 May 2020. Retrieved 24 December 2020.
  12. ^ "Comenzará en la Argentina un nuevo estudio de vacuna recombinante contra el SARS-CoV-2". infobae (in European Spanish). 14 December 2020. Retrieved 15 December 2020.
  13. ^ "Gob.cl - Article: Science Minister: "We Work With Maximum Rigor So That Science And Technology Benefit People'S Health"". Government of Chile. Retrieved 21 November 2020.
  14. ^ "Chinese Covid vaccine trials to be expanded to five more states". Mexico News Daily. 10 November 2020. Retrieved 11 November 2020.
  15. ^ "Phase III Trial of A COVID-19 Vaccine of Adenovirus Vector in Adults 18 Years Old and Above - Full Text View - ClinicalTrials.gov". clinicaltrials.gov. Retrieved 21 October 2020.
  16. ^ "Russia approves clinical trials for Chinese COVID-19 vaccine Ad5-Ncov: Ifax". Reuters. 7 December 2020. Archived from the original on 7 December 2020. Retrieved 7 December 2020.
  17. ^ Eltahir N (9 August 2020). "CanSino to start Phase III trial of COVID-19 vaccine in Saudi". Reuters. Retrieved 9 August 2020.
  18. ^ "CanSinoBIO's COVID-19 vaccine 65.7% effective in global trials, Pakistan official says". Reuters. 8 February 2021. Retrieved 8 February 2021.
  19. ^ Liu, Roxanne (25 February 2021). "China approves two more domestic COVID-19 vaccines for public use". Reuters. Retrieved 26 February 2021.
  20. ^ "Pakistan purchases over 30 million COVID doses from China: sources". ARY NEWS. 25 April 2021. Retrieved 26 April 2021.
  21. ^ "Malaysia to receive CanSino vaccine this month | The Malaysian Insight". www.themalaysianinsight.com. Retrieved 3 April 2021.
  22. ^ Ashok, Rashmi (22 March 2021). "UPDATE 2-China's CanSino Biologics COVID-19 vaccine receives emergency use approval in Hungary". Reuters. Retrieved 22 March 2021.
  23. ^ "Membrii NITAG au venit cu recomandări privind utilizarea vaccinurilor împotriva COVID-19 în Republica Moldova". Ministerul Sănătății, Muncii și Protecţiei Sociale. 3 March 2021. Retrieved 21 May 2021.
  24. ^ "'Our gratitude always': From China's CanSino, Mexico welcomes biggest vaccine shipment yet". Reuters. 11 February 2021. Retrieved 11 February 2021.
  25. ^ "Argentina issues emergency approval to China's single-dose Cansino COVID-19 vaccine". Reuters. 11 June 2021. Retrieved 11 June 2021.
  26. ^ "ISP Approves Emergency Use And Importation Of Cansino Vaccine To Fight COVID-19". Institute of Public Health of Chile. Retrieved 8 April 2021.
  27. ^ 苏容. "科学家陈薇：我相信爱情". 中国妇女. Archived from the original on 3 March 2020. Retrieved 3 March 2020.
  28. ^ "Xi Jinping signs order to award 4 people for outstanding contribution in COVID-19 fight". Xinhuanet. 11 August 2020. Retrieved 11 October 2020.