We are pleased to announce that Prof. Dr. Ru Chih C. Huang has been appointed Editor-in-Chief of the Section “Molecular Medicine” in Current Issues in Molecular Biology (CIMB, ISSN: 1467-3045).

Prof. Dr. Ru Chih C. Huang’s publications address many critical discoveries on the function of chromosomal proteins, messenger RNA, and RNA-synthesizing enzymes, and RNA polymerase is the main focus of Prof. Dr. Huang’s earlier contributions to the field of molecular biology. These publications have since been chosen as part of the contemporary classics in life sciences in the 20th century (ISI Press). Prof. Dr. Huang’s more recent research focuses on the understanding of viral replication and oncogenic development in humans. The discovery of mutation-insensitive compounds capable of blocking HIV replication and cancer growth have led to several patents. One of these compounds, Tetra-o-methyl Nordihydroguaiaretic Acid (M4N, Terameprocol), is currently in clinical trials.

Honors and awards:

• National Scholarship (at N.T.U.), 1949–1953
• Charles Kettering Predoctoral Fellowship, 1958–1960
• Member, American Biophysical Society, 1969
• Member, American Society of Biological Chemists, 1970
• Member, Chinese Academy of Science, 1982: Second woman to be elected in Chinese history
• Outstanding Scientist Award, Chinese Medical Association in U.S., 1982
• Outstanding Asian American Scientist Award, 1985
• Awardee, American Women in Science, 1985. One of the ten selected by Equity Institute for its Biographies series
• The Burroughs Wellcome Visiting Professorship, 1992–1993
• Honoree, The Most Notable 100 North American Chinese of the 20th Century, 2000
• Honoree, Nation’s Most Respected Teachers, 2003–2004; 2004–2005
• Awardee, National Central University Visiting Chair Professor, 2008–2012
• Awardee, Johns Hopkins University, William McElroy Research Professorship, 2011
• The Choh Hao Li Memorial Lecturer, Academia Sinica, April 26, 2011
• American Biographical Institute’s Woman of the Year 2011 (ABI is a publisher of biographical reference work since 1967)
• Ru Chih Huang Biology Colloquia Series, Johns Hopkins University, 2018
• Marquis Who’s Who Top Educators - Millennium Magazine, June 26, 2019 (https://marquistopeducators.com/2019/06/26/ru-chih-huang/)
• Albert Nelson Marquis Lifetime Achievement Award Recipient – Wall Street Journal, February 26, 2020
• Awardee, The Fourth Edition of A Marquis Who’s Who Magazine on Honoring the Legacies of Professionals From Around The World (2020–2021 Edition)
• Participated in The Star Treatment, a prestigious video series hosted by renowned lawyer and television personality, Star Jones (Press Release March 31, 2021)
• Named the International Association of Top Professionals (IAOTP) Top Professor of the Year for 2022
• Research Gate Recognition for 250 citations for article “Effect of protein-bound RNA associated with chick embryo chromatin on template specificity of the chromatin” (November 2, 2022)
• Honorary Editor for the Journal of Traditional and Complementary Medicine (2023)
• Who’s Who of Professional Women (April 2023)
• National Academy of Inventors Fellows Induction Ceremony, NAI 12th Annual Meeting in Washington, D.C. (June 27, 2023)

The following is a short Q&A with Prof. Dr. Ru Chih C. Huang, who shared her vision for the journal with us, as well as her views on the research area and open access publishing:

1. What appealed to you about the journal that made you want to take the role as Section Editor-in-Chief?
The innovative research that is being published in this journal is one of the reasons that I accepted the role as a Section Editor-in-Chief. Being able to have a role in getting inventive research out into the scientific community was an opportunity that I did not want to pass up.

2. What is your vision for the journal?
I would like to expand beyond the typical research topics. For instance, in my future research I would like to look at the effect of disease and treatments on chromatin levels. I feel it is important to explore disease at its most basic level, and it is my hope that other researchers also expand their ideas beyond traditional thinking.

3. What does the future of this field of research look like?
I think that the future of the field looks very promising. There are so many new innovations in research that information is being generated at a rapid pace. Also, I feel that more collaborations amongst researchers is a good thing for scientific research in general.

4. What do you think of the development of open access in the publishing field?
I think that open access is vital for researchers to be able to keep up to date with the latest research, and that accessible information increases our knowledge.

5. What aspects do you focus on when reviewing a manuscript?
I feel that one of the most important aspects of a manuscript is innovation. I want to know that the research is significant and bringing something valuable to its specific field as well as science as a whole.

6. Do you have any suggestions for young researchers in this field?
I would advise young and aspiring professionals to study disciplines from fields other than their own, as this will allow for increased interdisciplinary knowledge and will aid in the development of necessary collaborations.

We wish Prof. Dr. Ru Chih C. Huang every success in her new position, and we look forward to her contributions to the journal.