In Memory of Sunney I. Chan: I Brought Him Back, but Could Not Keep Him Well

After I was awarded the Nobel Prize in Chemistry in 1986, Caltech invited me to serve on its Board of Trustees. It was in those halls of excellence that I first met Sunney I. Chan. He was a brilliant professor of Chinese heritage and a few years my senior. At the time, he was a dormitory supervisor—a role he embraced with such warmth and dedication. Despite his modest height, he had a presence that commanded the room. I soon realized he was a rare soul among academics: someone who possessed both a brilliant mind for science and a genuine, fatherly heart for his students. When I returned to lead Academia Sinica, my first challenge was finding the right Vice Presidents. I initially turned to Kwang-Chih Chang and Shang-Fa Yang. At the time, we were the only three scholars from Taiwan elected to the U.S. National Academy of Sciences; it felt like a “dream team.” Sadly, both men faced health struggles and had to step down. Naturally, my mind turned to Sunney. I flew to Caltech specifically to ask him to come home. He had just finished a difficult stint in Hong Kong and was hesitant, but I put all my heart into persuading him. Finally, he said yes. Sunney was a visionary. He knew that for Academia Sinica to truly thrive, we needed our own world-class students. He founded the Taiwan International Graduate Program (TIGP), using his global network to bring the world's brightest minds to Taiwan. He didn't just build a program; he put our research on the global map. He was also the architect of the Genomics Research Center, a place dedicated to healing human suffering through science. In the lab, Sunney was a giant—an authority on cell membranes and a pioneer in his field. Even in his later years, his passion never waned; he led his team to develop the world's first molecular catalyst to combat climate change. For these extraordinary contributions, he was honored with the Presidential Science Prize in 2021, the highest scientific distinction in Taiwan. It was a fitting tribute to a lifetime of brilliance. But outside the lab, there was a side of him that always worried me: his “sweet tooth.” Sunney was a man of generous spirit and equally generous proportions. At every meeting, his eyes would light up the moment the coffee break desserts appeared. Concerned for his health, I started a “dessert defense”—I would quietly hide the plates before he could reach them. But Sunney was too quick for me. Once he caught on to my tactics, he'd sneak into a corner and “intercept” the treats before they were even served, enjoying his prize with a mischievous, gleeful smile. He simply couldn't resist. This love for sweets led to health struggles that grew heavier with time. What weighs on me now is a simple, painful truth: I was the one who brought him back, yet I could not protect him. When his health finally began to fail, I urged him to rest. He resisted at first, still wanting to give more to science. It was only when I told him we would establish the “Sunney Chan Lecture” in his honor that his face brightened with pure joy. He was so happy. But the decline continued, and he passed away last year. Whenever I think of him, I am caught between two emotions: profound admiration for his genius and a lingering regret that I didn't look after him better. I brought him home, but I couldn't keep him safe. It is a regret I will carry always. 李遠哲 2026年4月 1986年得到諾貝爾化學獎後，加州理工學院請我當他們的學校董事。在這國際一流的學院遇到了華裔教授陳長謙。他比我高兩屆，在UC Berkeley得博士學位。當年他在學院裏是學生宿舍的舍監，管理學生，做得非常好。他為人溫暖可親，個子不高，在美國長大。認存他之後就發現，華裔的教授裡面，像他這樣懂得教育，懂得愛護學生的人真的不多。回台灣當中央研究院院長的時候，思考著，要邀請優秀的人來當副院長。後來決定邀請張光直、楊祥發，原因是，當時台灣到美國留學，後來被選為美國科學院院士的，就是我們三人。這的確是很理想的組合。不過，他們兩人健康情況都不好，所以先後就回去了，或者是離開了。 接下來的人選，浮上腦海，就是陳長謙。我特地走了一趟美國，到加州理工學院去請他回來。他那個時候在香港當過訪問教授，才回到加州理工學院不久。請他回來台灣的時候，他有一點猶豫，因為在香港的經驗不是那麼愉快。不過，我動用三寸不爛之舌，說服了他回來。他是先做化學研究所的所長，我後來才聘他做副院長。他當副院長確實是做得很好。 中央研究院當時沒有研究生。要收研究生的멱，就要跟某某大學的教授合作。中央研究院要獨立有研究生，唯一的辦法就是成立一個「國際研究生院」，就是招收國際研究生，不跟台大、清華、交大這些學校競爭學生，國際研究生是從世界各地來的。設立國際研究生院的過程，陳長謙確實幫了最大的忙。他對世界級的研究生教育很是熟悉。他創辦「國際研究生學程(TIGP)」，運用豐富的國際人脈邀請頂尖學者來臺擔任講座，也因此吸引各國年輕優秀人才前來參與中央研究院研究計畫，大幅提升台灣的國際能見度。 他一手策劃「中央研究院基因體研究中心」，進行基因體、蛋白質體與醣質體之科學研究，努力找尋與確認人類疾病的標的物，發展新穎的治療方式來消弭與克服疾病，對台灣生技產業與應用醫學發展影響深遠。 陳長謙為國際知名核磁共振譜學專家暨生物細胞膜及膜蛋白權威，研究興趣跨越物理、化學、生化等多元專業領域，因闡明了「牛心臟粒腺體之細胞色素c氧化酶」及「嗜甲烷菌中甲烷氧化的銅單加氧酶」兩大標竿系統而揚名國際。 陳長謙帶領團隊開發出全球首個分子催化劑，有助減緩氣候暖化，而得到「2021年總統科學獎」。 他的一生成就非凡。唯一一點，我常常擔心的是他長得很胖。而且每次開會的時候，coffee break點心時間，遇到甜點，他就呼嚕呼嚕吃掉。為了健康，我不能讓他這樣吃。所以每次coffee break 甜點出來的時候，我就先把它拿走，不讓他吃。不過，他看到我的行動之後，他更快，就坐在角落，把還沒有端出來的甜點，迅速拿走一份，呼嚕呼嚕吃掉。他無法拒絕甜點，所以太胖，血壓也高，非常不健康。我心裡有一點難過的就是，我請他回來，但是我沒能夠好好照顧他。後來他身體狀況實在不佳只好勸他休息。原本他不願意，還想拼一下。我告訴他，要成立一個「陳長謙講座」，目的是對他的貢獻表示尊敬，他就開心的答應了。不過身體差了就越來越壞，越來越壞，越來越壞，終於在去年過世了。 我每次想到他，心情都很複雜，一方面尊敬他，但是一方面覺得我沒有負責任保護他。這是我常常引以為憾的。