In memoriam: Simon H. Chang – American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology

Simon H. Chang, a protein biochemist and biochemistry professor, died Jan. 19, 2022. He was 91. He had been a member of the American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology since 1975.
Born June 6, 1930, in Wuhan, China, Chang completed his undergraduate studies in Taiwan and conducted laboratory work at the U.S. Naval Medical Research Unit in Taipei. He immigrated to the U.S. in 1959 and earned master’s and Ph.D. degrees in biochemistry from Oklahoma State University. He then conducted research at the Institute for Enzyme Research at the University of Wisconsin in the lab of Nobel laureate Gobind Khorana. In 1968, he joined the faculty of Louisiana State University.
Chang focused on the organic synthesis of DNA and transfer RNA. His early research at LSU examined the structure and function of transfer RNA molecules. Later, he studied the genetics, structure and function of phosphofructokinase, or PFK. PFK is a key regulatory enzyme that catalyzes the rate-limiting step of glycolysis. Chang was among the first scientists to crystallize a mammalian PFK molecule and publish its structure. In his paper, he described the role of three key amino acid residues in the allosteric regulation of PFK activity in rabbit muscle.
Beyond research, Chang was dedicated to teaching biochemistry. He developed and continuously updated LSU’s undergraduate biochemistry laboratory course, even after retirement. He also introduced recombinant DNA technology to students in undergraduate and graduate laboratory courses.
According to his obituary, despite a childhood marked by war, political strife, poverty and dislocation, he had a strong will to learn and achieved remarkable success in his career and life. Throughout his career, he mentored and provided opportunities to women, immigrants and others who might otherwise have been overlooked.
To honor his contributions to LSU, his family established the Dr. Simon H. Chang Scholarship in Biological Sciences, which supports undergraduate and graduate students in the field.
Chang is survived by his wife, Ling Ing; two daughters; three siblings; and two grandchildren.
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Jessica Desamero is a graduate of the biochemistry Ph.D. program at the City University of New York Graduate Center and an ASBMB volunteer contributor.
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