The winners of the 2026 World Laureates Foundation (WLF) Prize were announced in Shanghai on September 10, with a total of 11 scientists honored for their outstanding academic achievements.

Yuan Junying, doctoral supervisor at the University of Chinese Academy of Sciences and researcher at the Interdisciplinary Research Center on Biology and Chemistry (IRCBC), Shanghai Institute of Organic Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, shared the 2026 WLF Prize in Life Science or Medicine together with three other scholars.

The award recognizes their work in elucidating the molecular pathways of multiple types of programmed cell death, and unravelling how these pathways regulate diverse physiological functions and diseases pathogenesis.

The WLF Prize, one of the world’s highest-value science awards, recognizes frontier scientists for breakthroughs in fundamental science and disruptive technological innovations. It aims to advance global science and technology, tackle humanity’s challenges and foster long-term societal progress.