Academician Ming-Jer Tsai passed away in the United States on November 29, 2023. He was 80 years old.

Dr. Tsai was an internationally renowned molecular and cell biologist, specializing in molecular endocrinology and developmental biology. He earned his Ph.D. from the University of California, Davis, in 1971. From 1971 to 1973, he conducted postdoctoral research at the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center. Later, he joined Baylor College of Medicine in the United States, where he served as the Charles C. Bell Professor in the Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology.

Dr. Tsai has made groundbreaking contributions to the study of gene expression and its regulatory role in differentiation. His work includes the confirmation of the crucial role of COUP transcription factors (COUP-TFs) in cell development and differentiation. He explored the regulatory mechanisms of the insulin gene in pancreatic β-cells and neural development. Using steroid receptors as a model, he analyzed the regulatory mechanisms of gene transcription, offering new possibilities for the treatment of diseases such as cancer, diabetes, and metabolic syndromes.

Dr. Tsai has received several honors, including the CaP Cure Research Award for prostate cancer research, the Lifetime Achievement Award from the Society of Chinese Bioscientists in America, and the Outstanding Achievement in Endocrine Science Award from the Endocrine Society. Dr. Tsai was elected Academia Sinica Academician in 2010.