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Vatsan Raman named first S.C. Fang Professor

Vatsan Raman, associate professor of biochemistry, has been appointed the first S.C. Fang Professor. The professorship was established to support a faculty member in the University of Wisconsin–Madison Department of Biochemistry who is advancing human health and wellbeing by conducting innovative basic research related to metabolism.

The professorship, which recognizes exemplary scholarship, entrepreneurial spirit and leadership, was created by Marie F. Chiang (’63 MS, ’66 PhD) and provides $90,000 annually over five years. Chiang completed her doctoral work in the Department of Biochemistry, advised by Howard Rassmussen. She established the professorship in recognition of the impact that her time as a doctoral student had on her life. It is named in honor of Chiang’s late father, Fang Shui Chow, who ran a large textile business in Hong Kong.

Raman joined the biochemistry department in 2015, and his research lies at the intersection of biochemistry, computation and engineering. His team designs proteins and bacteriophages (viruses that infect bacteria) with genetic modifications relevant to disease. The aim is to uncover novel and diverse treatments for infections and diseases. This work, for example, could allow physicians to combat antibiotic-resistant bacterial infections using synthetic bacteriophages. Raman has won numerous awards and fellowships, including the National Institutes of Health New Innovator Award, the National Science Foundation CAREER Award and the H.I. Romnes Fellowship.