The Chinese Academy of Sciences and Chinese Academy of Engineering announced on August 20 the list of effective candidates for the 2025 academician election. There are 639 effective candidates for the Chinese Academy of Sciences academician election and 660 for the Chinese Academy of Engineering. The selection process will continue with external peer expert evaluations and academician election conferences to select the newly elected academicians.

It has been noted that Yan Ning, President of Shenzhen Institute of Advanced Technology and Academician of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, has become the recommender for Chai Jijie, Chair Professor of Plant Immunology at West Lake University.

**Chai Jijie**

Chai Jijie was born in 1966 and serves as Chair Professor of Plant Immunology in the School of Life Sciences at West Lake University, as well as a doctoral supervisor. He obtained his bachelor's degree from Dalian University of Light Industry in 1987, his master's degree from the Research Institute of Petroleum Processing in 1994, and his doctoral degree from the Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College in 1997. From 1997-1999 and 1999-2004, he conducted postdoctoral research at the Institute of Biophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, and Princeton University, respectively. He served as Research Fellow and Senior Research Fellow at the National Institute of Biological Sciences, Beijing from 2004-2009 and 2009-2010. From 2009-2023, he was a Professor at the School of Life Sciences, Tsinghua University, and from 2017-2023, he served as "Humboldt Professor" at the Max Planck Institute for Plant Breeding Research in Germany. He joined West Lake University full-time in 2023.

Chai Jijie's laboratory has long been engaged in research on the structure and function of receptor-like kinases (RLK) and NOD-like receptor proteins (NLR) that mediate innate immune responses in plants.

**Yan Ning**

Yan Ning was born in November 1977 in Jinan, Shandong Province. She is an Academician of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Founding President of Shenzhen Institute of Advanced Technology, and Director of Shenzhen Bay Laboratory. Her main research areas include transporters and ion channels related to human diseases, as well as research on lipids, carbohydrates, and other substances. She has received numerous honors including the China Young Women Scientists Award, Qiu Shi Outstanding Scientist Award, L'Oréal-UNESCO For Women in Science Award, China Youth May Fourth Medal, and National Women's Merit Award. She was elected as an Academician of the Chinese Academy of Sciences in November 2023.

Both Chai Jijie and Yan Ning are students of Professor Shi Yigong, President of West Lake University and Academician of the Chinese Academy of Sciences.