Rate My Professor Rongsheng Wang

Rongsheng (Ross) Wang serves as an Associate Professor in the Department of Chemistry within Temple University’s College of Science and Technology, where he specializes in biological and organic chemistry. He obtained his Bachelor of Science degree in Chemistry from Nanjing University in 2005 and his Doctor of Philosophy in Chemistry from Washington University in St. Louis in 2010, under the advisorship of John-Stephen Taylor. After his Ph.D., Wang worked as a Research Scientist at Mediomics, LLC from 2010 to 2012. He then pursued postdoctoral research at The Scripps Research Institute from 2012 to 2016, mentored by Peter G. Schultz. In July 2016, he joined Temple University as an Assistant Professor and has since been promoted to Associate Professor. Additionally, he is a primary member of the molecular therapeutics program at Fox Chase Cancer Center.

Wang’s research program integrates chemistry and biology to interrogate complex biological systems and develop novel therapeutics. His lab employs organic synthesis, biochemistry, cell biology, chemical proteomics, protein engineering, and molecular imaging to study post-translational modifications implicated in cancer, neurodegeneration, and immune disorders. Particular emphasis is placed on bioorthogonal reactions and chemical probes for protein-protein interactions and cellular events such as migration and differentiation. Wang has garnered significant recognition for his contributions, including the NSF CAREER Award (2022), Cottrell Scholar Award (2021), NIH Maximizing Investigators' Research Award (MIRA, R35, 2019), Scialog Fellow (2019), International Chemical Biology Society Young Chemical Biologist Award (2022), American Chemical Society Medicinal Chemistry Early Career Investigator Award (2023), and American Chemical Society Bio & Med Chem Au Rising Star Award (2024). He also received the College of Science and Technology Dean's Distinguished Teaching Award in 2021. Notable publications include “Aptamer-based fluorescent biosensors” (2011, cited 256 times), “Improving the stability of aptamers by chemical modification” (2011, 226 citations), “Genetically encoding phosphotyrosine and its nonhydrolyzable analog in bacteria” (2017, 163 citations), and “An immunosuppressive antibody–drug conjugate” (2015, 121 citations). With over 2,100 citations on Google Scholar, his work has profoundly influenced chemical biology and medicinal chemistry.