Chien's ancestral home was in Zhejiang province. He was born in New York in 1952 to Chinese parents and is the cousin of Qian Xuesen, known as the "Father of Chinese Missiles."
Yesterday, the Nobel Prize for Chemistry was announced. Chien, along with two other scientists, has been awarded this prestigious honor.
Chien is a member of the American Academy of Sciences and the Medical Academy. He currently serves as a professor in the Chemistry and Pharmacology Department at the University of California, San Diego. His main contribution has been the use of the chemical found in jellyfish that emits a green glow to trace biological reactions occurring in laboratory experiments. He is widely recognized as a pioneer in this field.