TLDR: Dr. Zhuoran Qiao, a founding scientist at Chai Discovery, has been awarded the Grand Prize of the 2024 AI Prize for AI Accelerated Research by the Chen Institute and the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS). His groundbreaking work leverages generative AI and machine learning to predict protein folding and create dynamic models, significantly accelerating drug discovery and enabling the development of new treatments, including for previously ‘undruggable’ diseases.
San Francisco, CA – July 17, 2025 – The Chen Institute, in collaboration with the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) and Science Magazine, has announced Dr. Zhuoran Qiao as the Grand Prize winner of the inaugural 2024 AI Prize for AI Accelerated Research. Dr. Qiao, a distinguished machine learning scientist and founding scientist of San Francisco-based startup Chai Discovery, was recognized for his transformative contributions to biochemistry through the innovative application of artificial intelligence.
Dr. Qiao’s award-winning research builds upon Nobel Prize-winning work in protein folding, utilizing advanced generative AI technologies and sophisticated machine learning techniques. His methodology creates dynamic models that not only predict how proteins fold but also illustrate how these folded proteins change over time and, crucially, how they interact with smaller molecules. This breakthrough has led to the development of what he terms a ‘computational microscope,’ capable of predicting protein behavior with remarkable speed and accuracy. This innovation promises to unlock new avenues for drug discovery, potentially replacing years of experimental effort with mere seconds of computation and enabling the design of treatments for diseases previously considered ‘undruggable.’
“We’re unlocking a huge opportunity to map out these molecular interactions at an unprecedented scale—and to leverage that to rapidly develop new drugs and treatments,” stated Dr. Qiao. His work is poised to transform how scientists understand, simulate, and create molecules in the evolving landscape of digital biology, particularly in a post-AlphaFold era.
As the Grand Prize recipient, Dr. Qiao receives a cash award of $30,000, and his insightful essay detailing his research is featured in today’s issue of Science, both in print and online. The prize aims to celebrate innovative research that harnesses AI to empower scientific discovery across various fields.
Two other exceptional scientists were also honored as finalists: Dr. Aditya Nair, a Postdoctoral Fellow and NIH NeuroAI Early Career Scholar at Caltech and Stanford University, recognized for his work merging AI and neuroscience to reveal hidden patterns in brain activity; and Dr. Alizée Roobaert, a researcher at the Vlaams Instituut voor de Zee (Flanders Marine Institute) in Ostend, Belgium, who developed an innovative AI solution for monitoring oceanic climate dynamics, specifically how coastal waters absorb carbon dioxide. Each finalist received a $10,000 cash award, and their essays will be published in Science online. Collectively, the three winners share cash prizes totaling $50,000.
Chrissy Luo, co-founder of the Tianqiao and Chrissy Chen Institute, expressed enthusiasm for the caliber of submissions, noting, “In an era where AI is fundamentally accelerating global scientific discovery, we are thrilled to identify these three outstanding young researchers who are using powerful new technologies to expand the frontiers of human knowledge.” Yury V. Suleymanov, Senior Editor at Science Magazine, added, “These three early-career scientists demonstrated cutting-edge techniques in AI, using innovative AI solutions to address significant challenges and opportunities facing scientists in multiple fields.”
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All three honorees—Dr. Qiao, Dr. Nair, and Dr. Roobaert—are slated to present their groundbreaking research at the first annual Chen Institute Symposium for AI Accelerated Science, scheduled to take place in San Francisco on October 27-28, 2025. The application window for the 2025 AI Accelerated Science Prize is set to open in August, inviting young scientists working in AI-related fields to register for notifications.
