Remembering Simon Chan: a Brilliant Scientist with a Transformative Vision
Simon Chan, Associate Professor of Plant Biology at the University of California, Davis, died on August 22 at the age of 38. He had been suffering from primary sclerosing cholangitis, an autoimmune disorder, and developed complications while awaiting a liver transplant.
Born in 1974 in Auckland, New Zealand, Chan earned his bachelor’s degree in biochemistry from the University of Auckland in 1996 before completing his Ph.D. in cell biology at UC San Francisco in 2002 under Professor Elizabeth Blackburn. He went on to conduct postdoctoral research at UCLA with Professor Steven Jacobsen, ultimately joining the UC Davis faculty in 2006 and receiving tenure in June 2012.
A self-proclaimed fundamental biologist, Chan focused on uncovering how chromosome inheritance works—how genetic material is faithfully passed from parent to offspring. Working with the model organism Arabidopsis thaliana, he made a groundbreaking discovery: a way to grow plants from seeds that are genetically identical to the parent.
By enabling plants to pass desirable traits such as pest resistance, fruit flavor, or drought tolerance to all of their offspring, his work eliminated the generations of inbreeding traditionally required to “breed true,” offering a transformative approach to plant breeding with far-reaching implications for global agriculture.
Uncovering the Machinery of Chromosomes
Chan’s scientific research centered on the biology of centromeres, the chromosome regions that anchor to spindle microtubules during cell division through the kinetochore complex.
His laboratory made the landmark discovery that when Arabidopsis plants expressing altered CENH3 proteins are crossed with wild type, chromosomes from the mutant parent are selectively eliminated, yielding haploid progeny. This insight opened the door to a wide range of advances, from dramatically accelerating the mapping of plant traits to simplifying the production of hybrid seed, and from developing new breeding strategies based on chromosome-content engineering—often described as “reverse breeding”—to deepening our understanding of centromere evolution, genome elimination, and haploid-induced chromosome rearrangements.
Chan’s scientific trajectory accelerated further when, in June 2011, he was selected as one of two UC Davis scientists in the inaugural class of HHMI–GBMF Investigators, funded jointly by the Howard Hughes Medical Institute and the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation. Chan planned to expand his work to crop plants such as tomatoes and Chinese cabbage. At the same time, he collaborated with plant breeders in Colombia, Tanzania and Kenya to explore new strategies for breeding bananas, plantain and cassava—staple crops for millions of the world’s poorest people—through a project supported by the NSF-BREAD program, a joint initiative of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation and the National Science Foundation.
A Mentor, Musician, and Beloved Colleague
While Chan’s scientific contributions were extraordinary, those who knew him remember just as clearly his warmth, generosity, and enthusiasm. He was a dedicated mentor whose passion for science and commitment to his students made him a role model across the department. Colleagues described him as “one of a kind,” a “rare intellect,” and a superb mentor who inspired everyone around him. His exuberant smile, often the first thing people noticed, left an impression on all who worked with him.
Outside the laboratory, Chan loved music—especially jazz—and played bass guitar and saxophone. As a teenager he dreamed of becoming a professional musician before choosing a life in science. Friends and colleagues recalled his enthusiasm not only for research but also for music, movies, food and the world in general. He is survived by his parents, Avril and Robert Chan; his sister, Caron Chan; and her husband and two children.
A Legacy Sustained Through the Simon Chan Memorial Fellowship
Although the scientific community lost Simon far too soon, his influence continues through a program that carries his name and honors his commitment to young scientists. Originally established as the Simon Chan Memorial Endowment, it is today the Simon Chan Memorial Fellowship, awarded to graduate students in the Department of Plant Biology.
Chan’s fellowship supports their research experience and growth, reflecting Simon’s lifelong dedication to mentoring the next generation of scholars and his belief in the power of curiosity-driven science. Through this ongoing support of emerging researchers, the spirit of Simon’s work—and his dedication to improving lives around the world—continues to flourish at UC Davis.