About Eric

Computational scientist and brilliant young innovator Eric Chen discovered his passion for computer science at age eight and for research as a teenager. By age fifteen, he was already working with professors at the University of California, San Diego. Chen combined his love for biology and computational models to solve a massive health problem: speeding up the discovery of new anti-influenza drugs. His groundbreaking research proved that computer-aided strategies could quickly find compounds to fight the flu virus. This remarkable work earned him grand prizes in three of the nation’s top science contests: the Google Science Fair, the Siemens Competition, and the Intel Science Talent Search. Eric went on to complete his studies at Harvard University and pursued advanced research at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). He is dedicated to the future of lifesaving medicine. His current focus is on expanding the computational methods he developed for the flu to find drugs for many other complex diseases. He specifically looks at how these digital strategies can make the drug-discovery process faster, cheaper, and more effective. In addition to his research, Eric actively works to encourage young people worldwide to explore their own curiosity and pursue careers in scientific investigation and engineering, hoping to inspire the next generation of innovators.