Cheng-Chang Lien 

Dr. Cheng-Chang Lien is the Dean of the College of Life Sciences at National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University (NYCU). He earned his MD from China Medical University in 1997. He completed his PhD under the mentorship of Dr. Peter Jonas at the University of Freiburg, Germany, in 2003, graduating summa cum laude.

Following a brief postdoctoral period in Dr. Mu-Ming Poo’s laboratory at the University of California, Berkeley, he joined the Institute of Neuroscience at National Yang-Ming University (NYMU) as a faculty member in 2006. He was promoted to Professor in 2015 and served as Director of the Institute from 2017 to 2021. His research focuses on the structure and function of brain circuits and their roles in health and disease.

Dr. Lien’s scientific contributions have been widely recognized both nationally and internationally. He holds the highest faculty rank and was honored as a Distinguished Professor and an Alexander von Humboldt Fellow. Among the numerous accolades he has received are the NSTC (formerly MOST) Outstanding Research Award (2024, 2016)—the most prestigious research prize in Taiwan—the TienTe Lee Young Scientist Research Award (2016), the NHRI Award for Integrated Research Grants in Health and Medical Sciences (2015, 2025), and the NYMU Academic Excellence Awards (2011–2019).

Internationally, his research excellence has been acknowledged through awards such as the DAAD Scholarship (1998–2004), the Alexander von Humboldt Research Fellowship (2016–2018), and the NeuroCure Fellowship (2015–2016) in Berlin, Germany.

Dr. Lien is also an active contributor to the scientific community. He serves on the editorial boards of journals, including Frontiers in Cellular Neuroscience and Scientific Reports, and acts as an external reviewer for several prestigious funding agencies, such as the French National Research Agency (ANR), the Danish Research Council (in coordination with the NIH BRAIN Initiative), the National Health Research Institutes (NHRI), and the European Research Council (ERC). 

Education & Experience

1. Chair Professor at NYCU, Institute of Neuroscience, Taiwan (2025/08/01-2030/07/31)

2. Contract research fellow , Taipei Veterans General Hospital (2025/01/01~2026/12/31) 

3. Convener of the Morphological Medicine and Physiology Division, National Science and Technology Council, Taiwan (since 2023/01/01) 

4. Director of Life Sciences Research Promotion Center (LSRPC), National Science and Technology Council, Taiwan (Since 2023/11/01)

5. Permanent Distinguished Professor at NYCU, Institute of Neuroscience, Taiwan  (Since 2023/08)

6. Dean of School of Life Sciences, National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University, Taiwan (Since 2020/11/02)

7. Distinguished Professor at NYCU, Institute of Neuroscience, Taiwan (2017/08/01~2023/07/31)

8. Director of the Institute of Neuroscience, National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University, Taiwan (2017/01/11~2021/08/31)

9. Visiting Professor at Charite - Medical University of Berlin, Germany (2015~2019)

10. Professor at NYMU, Institute of Neuroscience, Taiwan (Since 2015/08/01)

11. Associate Professor at NYMU, Institute of Neuroscience, Taiwan (2011/02/01~2015/07/31)

12. Assistant Professor at NYMU, Institute of Neuroscience, Taiwan (2006/07/04~2011/01/31)

13. Postdoc. at University of California Berkeley, Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, USA (2004/01/26~2006/07/31)

14. Postdoc. at Albert-Ludwigs-Universitat Freiburg, Germany (2003/04/01~2004/02/28)

15. PhD from Albert-Ludwigs-Universitat Freiburg, Germany (1998~2003)

16. Resident at Department of Neurology, National Taiwan University Hospital (1997/07/01~1998/06/30)

17. Medical doctor (MD) from China Medical University, Taiwan (1990~1997)

Honors

1. The 4th Chiung-Lin Chen Memorial Award for Translational Medicine (2025) [Link] [PDF] [JPG] 

2. National Science and Technology Council (NSTC) Outstanding Research Award (2024) [Link] [PDF] [YouTube]

3. "Integrated Biomedical and Health Technology Research Program" for 6 times (2024/12/24) [Link]  [PDF] 

4. Honors with Qualifications for Permanent Assessment Exemption for Teachers (2020/02) [PDF]

5. NYMU Academic Excellence Award (2017-2019; 2015-2016; 2013-2014; 2011-2012)

6. Ministry of Science and Technology (MOST) Outstanding Research Award (2016) [PDF]

7. German Humboldt Fellowship for Experienced Researchers (2016/04/01)

8. "Newly Approved Integrated Research Grants in Health and Medical Sciences" for 3 times (2016/05/25)

9. Young Scientist Award - TienTe Lee Biomedical Foundation (2015/12/21)

10. NeuroCure Fellow of Charité – Universitätsmedizin Berlin  (2015/10/01)

11. DAAD Scholarship for the research visit at the Institute for Physiology and Pathophysiology, Ruprecht-Karls-Universität Heidelberg, Germany (2012)

12. German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD) scholarship for PhD study (1998-2003)

13. Outstanding Educator Award from School of Medicine, NYMU & NYCU. (2025/05, 2022/05, 2021/05, 2020/07, 2018/04,2017/10,2016/05, 2015/05, 2013/05, 2012/05, 2010/11,2010/03, 2008/10) [PDF]

Contact information