Dehua Pei, a professor in the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, has been named a Fellow of the National Academy of Inventors (NAI). This award recognizes “exceptional achievements as an inventor and significant impact on the innovation ecosystem, economic development, and society,” according to the award notification. 

The National Academy of Inventors is a non-profit organization dedicated to encouraging inventors in academia, following the model of the National Academies of the United States. Election as a Fellow “reflects not only personal accomplishments but also dedication to advancing technology and fostering innovation for the benefit of society,” according to NAI.

“The major goal of academic research, at least in the fields of chemistry and biochemistry, is to make fundamental discoveries,” Pei said. “What we have demonstrated is that professors can also translate their fundamental discoveries into something of immediate benefits to society. In fact, a faculty member enjoys the rare privilege of being able to pursue entrepreneurship while holding a full-time position at the university.”

Pei’s research ranges from the mechanics of biological phenomena and development of new methodologies to applications of these studies to the discovery of novel therapeutic agents. Currently, his group is investigating how large biomolecules travel across the cell membrane and developing a new class of drugs called intracellular biologics that target proteins previously regarded as “undruggable” by the drug industry.

Pei joins 20 other Ohio State NAI Fellows, including Nobel Prize winner Pierre Agostini. The official induction ceremony will be held at the NAI Annual Meeting in Los Angeles in June 2026.