Zhao Zhendong
 Zhao Zhendong  (scientist, COVID-19/Premature death) | ||||||||
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| Born | 1967 | |||||||
| Died | September 17, 2020 (Age 53) | |||||||
Cause of death | "heart attack" | |||||||
| Nationality | Chinese | |||||||
| Interests | • Sinovac • “COVID-19/Vaccine” | |||||||
Led a technical support team for the research and development of COVID-19 vaccines.
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Zhao Zhendong was a prominent Chinese immunologist who died of a heart attack in September 2020. Before his death, Zhao had worked for more than half a year under a tight schedule and heavy workload with other researchers to accelerate the research and development of COVID-19 vaccines.
Career
Zhao earned a doctorate in medicine in 1998 and did postdoctoral study between 1998 and 2002 at the Cleveland Clinic Foundation in the United States. He got a job at Peking University in 2003 and then began working for the Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences (CAMS) in 2008.[1]
He "had been working on the front line since the outbreak of the epidemic, … provided suggestions and technical support for the research and development of COVID-19 vaccines－including participating in drafting a general standard for biosecurity for vaccine production－and made great contributions to COVID-19 vaccine research and development," an obituary noted. [1]
Before his death, Zhao had worked for more than half a year under a tight schedule and heavy workload with other researchers to accelerate the research and development of COVID-19 vaccines, according to his colleagues at the academy.[1]
Wang Chen, president of the CAMS, said in addition to his dedication to seeking truth, Zhao was also a man that always spoke the truth, even at the risk of offending others. "He was a frank scholar, almost to the degree of bluntness," he said. "He would tell his real thoughts and stood for truth even when faced with objection. It is a precious trait for scholars, which is why he deserves respect."[1]
