Li Minyong, noted Chinese chemist and Royal Society fellow, dies at age 49

Sudden death marks China’s latest loss of a leading science mind at the height of their research career

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Li Minyong is remembered for making significant contributions to biomedical innovation in China. Photo: Handout

Published: 5:59pm, 28 Nov 2025

Li Minyong, a prominent medicinal chemist and a fellow of multiple international research societies, died on November 16 at the age of 49.

His sudden death marks China’s latest loss of a leading scientist at the height of their research career.

Li, a professor and deputy dean of the school of pharmaceutical sciences at Hainan University, dedicated himself to pioneering drug discovery through light-controlled and bioactive visualisation technologies.

He was elected a Fellow of Britain’s Royal Society of Chemistry in 2019 and of the Royal Society of Biology in 2021. In 2022, he was elected a Fellow of the International Association of Advanced Materials in Sweden.

Last year, he was named a Changjiang Distinguished Professor, one of the most prestigious academic titles in China’s higher education granted by the Ministry of Education.

Li broke through multiple critical core technologies for visualising target proteins in major diseases, making significant contributions to biomedical innovation in China, according to an obituary released by his institution on the evening of November 17.

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