National Academy of Inventors honors VCU’s Shunlin Ren as a fellow

By Jeff Kelley

For nearly four decades at Virginia Commonwealth University — first as a doctoral student, then as a faculty member — Shunlin Ren has dedicated himself to research in what he acknowledges is “a very low-visibility field.” But his achievements, which could significantly advance the treatment of liver disorders, haven’t gone unnoticed.

In December, Ren, M.D., Ph.D., was notified of the “greatest honor of my life”: election to the 2025 class of fellows of the National Academy of Inventors, the highest professional distinction for academic inventors in the United States.

“I have not been recognized for anything since elementary school,” said Ren, a professor of internal medicine at the VCU School of Medicine. “Very few people understand what we are doing, so this recognition is a true milestone for me, for my group and for our research.”

The NAI honor acknowledges Ren’s pioneering work in lipid biology and cellular-stress signaling. His research has led to a new class of therapeutic compounds that his lab — and a pharmaceutical giant — are exploring to treat a wide range of inflammatory and metabolic diseases. Ren has filed more than 70 international patents, including 12 in the United States.

Ren joins 10 other VCU faculty inventors who have been elected as NAI fellows in recent years.

“Dr. Ren’s election as a fellow of the National Academy of Inventors recognizes the power of innovative research to create new therapies to save and improve lives,” said P. Srirama Rao, Ph.D., VCU’s vice president for research and innovation who was named an NAI fellow in 2024. “His work in the area of lipid metabolism, with potential for developing a new class of therapeutic drugs, exemplifies the kind of discovery-driven research that advances science and delivers meaningful impact for society.”

The NAI fellowship highlights academic inventors who have demonstrated a prolific spirit of innovation in creating or facilitating inventions that have made a tangible impact on quality of life. Collectively, NAI fellows hold over 5,000 issued U.S. patents, and their inventions have generated over $3.2 trillion in revenue and created 1.2 million jobs.

Ren’s most well-known discovery is a sulfated oxysterol compound that regulates more than 1,000 genes at once, rather than acting on a single receptor or enzyme like traditional drugs. Ren said the molecule, named DUR-928, appears to influence broad cellular pathways involved in metabolism, inflammation and cellular stress — properties that may make it relevant across multiple diseases.

In 2012, VCU’s TechTransfer and Ventures office secured an exclusive licensing agreement with biopharmaceutical company Durect, giving it rights to develop and commercialize DUR-928 and related molecules. This past September, the company was acquired by Bausch Health, which is planning a Phase 3 “registrational” trial to evaluate 90-day survival in patients with severe alcoholic hepatitis. The compound is designated a “breakthrough therapy” by the Food and Drug Administration, designed to expedite the development and review of drugs that are intended to treat a serious condition.

Yet Ren’s research extends far beyond a single condition. He and collaborator Yaping Wang, Ph.D., are studying applications that show promise for other liver disorders such as Metabolic Dysfunction-Associated Steatohepatitis (MASH), and potentially broader acute organ injuries or metabolic diseases.

Ren joined VCU in 1989 and completed his Ph.D. in 1992. He has spent his entire scientific career at the university. “My whole life is here,” he said. “I love VCU.”

Ren and Wang envision expanding into diagnostics, prevention and new therapeutic targets. They may even launch their own company to accelerate clinical translation.

“We discovered this compound 20 years ago. It should not take another 20 to bring new medicines to patients. I hope it will be successful and will save many, many people’s lives,” said Ren, who emphasized his ongoing commitment.  “I will not retire. I’ll work until my last day and die at my bench. That is how exciting this field is to me.”

The NAI will induct its fellows and new members in June 2026 in Los Angeles.