Professor Hsu Yih-Chih, Chair of the Department of Bioscience and Director of the Center for Cancer Diagnosis and Therapeutics Development and Commercialization at CYCU, has received the 2026 Outstanding Technology Award from the Taiwan Society for Nanomedicine. The award recognizes his longstanding contributions to cancer nanomedicine, lipid nanoparticle drug delivery, and the translational development of novel cancer therapeutics. It also highlights CYCU’s growing strength in interdisciplinary biomedical research and its commitment to translating innovative technologies into real-world clinical and commercial applications.
The Taiwan Society for Nanomedicine recently hosted the 2026 International Conference and Annual Meeting of the Taiwan Society for Nanomedicine, held in conjunction with the Asia Nano Forum Summit, where its annual awards were presented.
Professor Hsu Yih-Chih of Chung Yuan Christian University was selected as the sole recipient nationwide of the 2026 Outstanding Technology Award, standing out among a highly competitive field of distinguished researchers.
In her award lecture, Professor Hsu shared her team’s journey from fundamental research and technology development to clinical translation. She also discussed the regulatory challenges and technical barriers involved in commercializing nanomedicine technologies, as well as the development of the university spin-off company Tianhui Nano Biomedical Co., Ltd.
The award recognizes Professor Hsu’s sustained research achievements and further demonstrates CYCU’s strong capabilities in cancer nanomedicine, novel drug development, interdisciplinary collaboration, and the commercialization of academic research.
Professor Hsu Yih-Chih, a joint faculty member in CYCU’s Department of Bioscience and Department of Chemistry and Director of the Center for Cancer Diagnosis and Therapeutics Development and Commercialization, has dedicated her research to cancer drug delivery, lipid nanoparticles, nanomedicine formulations, and translational drug development. Her work focuses on addressing key challenges in cancer therapy, including drug toxicity, limited therapeutic dosage, insufficient tumor penetration, and variable treatment responses.
Leading an interdisciplinary research team, Professor Hsu integrates expertise in biomedical science, pharmaceutical development, and industrial innovation to advance proprietary nanomedicine drug delivery technologies. Her research places particular emphasis on the development of ultra-small lipid nanoparticles and their transport and penetration within the tumor microenvironment, fibrotic tissues, and dense solid tumors. She emphasizes that successful nanomedicine development requires not only innovative carrier design but also the integration of disease biology, manufacturing scalability, quality control, and regulatory compliance to translate laboratory discoveries into clinically and commercially viable therapies.
The team’s core technologies and related applications have been protected through patent filings in 27 countries, covering nanomedicine formulations, drug delivery systems, manufacturing processes, and therapeutic applications. Their research has also received major national recognitions, including the National Innovation Award and the Future Tech Award.
Professor Hsu credited the support of CYCU President Lee Ying-Ming, the Office of Industry-Academia Collaboration, and Distinguished Professor Huang Li-Fu, whose long-term guidance helped secure research funding from Taiwan’s National Science and Technology Council and the Ministry of Economic Affairs. She also noted that her graduate student, Jonathan Michael, received an Honorable Mention for his research paper at this year’s conference.
Professor Hsu emphasized that cancer remains one of the world’s most pressing health challenges, and that every technological breakthrough has the potential to create new treatment opportunities for patients. Looking ahead, her team will continue to pursue patient-centered innovation by balancing therapeutic efficacy, safety, manufacturability, and clinical value, with the goal of translating cutting-edge nanomedicine research into practical therapies that can make a meaningful impact on patient care.
