Prof. Yan Niu | Drug Design | Research Excellence Award

School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Peking University | China

Yan Niu is an Associate Professor of Medicinal Chemistry at the School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Peking University, with extensive experience in small-molecule drug discovery and targeted protein degradation. Her research focuses on the discovery, design, and optimization of biologically active compounds, particularly innovative chemical strategies that modulate protein function for therapeutic benefit. A central contribution of her work is the development of amino acid–based hydrophobic tagging approaches for targeted protein degradation. Her studies demonstrate that N-tert-butoxycarbonyl–protected amino acid hydrophobic tags can effectively induce degradation of proteins of interest through mechanisms distinct from conventional PROTAC technologies, offering advantages in structural diversity, onset and duration of action, and degradation pathways. Beyond protein degradation, Dr. Niu has led multiple national and regional research projects supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China and the Beijing Natural Science Foundation, including the design and optimization of non-peptide β-secretase inhibitors for Alzheimer’s disease and anti-aging therapies. Her work integrates medicinal chemistry, mechanism-of-action studies, and pharmacological evaluation to advance drug-like properties and translational potential. With 46 peer-reviewed publications, an H-index of 14, multiple patents, and international research experience in Germany and Austria, her contributions have significantly expanded chemical strategies for therapeutic innovation in medicinal chemistry.

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