Sichen Shao

Sichen (Susan) Shao is an Associate Professor of Cell Biology at Harvard Medical School and a Howard Hughes Medical Institute (HHMI) Investigator since 2024. She received her Ph.D. in Biological Sciences from the NIH Graduate Partnerships Program with Johns Hopkins University and completed postdoctoral work at the MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology in Cambridge, UK.

Her research focuses on cellular mechanisms governing protein biosynthesis and quality control, particularly how ribosomes and quality control factors regulate gene expression and maintain protein homeostasis. The Shao Lab uses biochemical reconstitution, structural biology, and mechanistic approaches to study ribosome-associated quality control pathways and membrane protein sorting.

Key research areas include ribosomal stalling mechanisms, tRNA recycling, and the structural basis of translational fidelity. Her work has identified molecular pathways involved in protein triage, ERAD regulation, and ribosome-associated degradation.

Notable achievements include the discovery of the molecular glue degrader SRI-41315 targeting eRF1 and structural insights into STING signaling pathways. Her lab's findings contribute to understanding fundamental processes in cell survival, proliferation, and disease.