Zhang Yongzhen

Zhang Yongzhen (), also known as Yong-Zhen Zhang, is a Chinese virologist known for his work relating to the COVID-19 pandemic. A professor at Fudan University, Zhang has discovered numerous RNA viruses and created a network of labs dedicated to monitoring new viruses. He led the team that sequenced and published the genome of SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, in early January 2020.

According to ''Time'', Zhang was the "saving grace" of the COVID-19 pandemic. Zhang's team's success in discovering and publishing the virus's genome allowed scientists to quickly design COVID-19 tests, fight the pandemic, and begin developing COVID-19 vaccines. A Chinese government order prohibited labs from publishing information about the virus at the time. The day after the genome was released, Zhang's lab at the Shanghai Public Health Clinical Center was closed after a visit by officials, who issued a "rectification" order. In an interview with the academic journal ''Nature'', Zhang said he had not been aware of the prohibition on publishing the genome. He said that the lab closure was due to the officials ordering the lab to update its biosafety protocols, because equipment had been moved during construction work, and disputed reports that the shutdown was a punishment for publishing the genome. He said his lab members were still working on influenza, and were able to resume work on the coronavirus by the end of January.

Zhang was named one of ''Nature'''s 10: "ten people who helped shape science in 2020", and was winner of the 2020 ICG-15 ''GigaScience'' Prize for Outstanding Data Sharing during the COVID-19 Pandemic. Alongside Edward C. Holmes, he was awarded the 2021 General Symbiont prize as an exemplar in the practice of data sharing at the Research Parasite Awards. He was also one of ''Time'''s 100 most influential people of 2020 and ''Straits Times'' 2020 Asians of the Year. Provided by Wikipedia