James J. Chou (周界文, born August 26, 1970, Shanghai, China) is full Professor of Biological Chemistry and Molecular Pharmacology at Harvard Medical School. He is the son of Kuo-Chen Chou. He pioneered the use of Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) Spectroscopy to visualize the membrane regions (transmembrane and membrane-proximal) of cell surface proteins, particularly those of immune receptors and viral membrane proteins. The membrane regions of cell surface proteins are difficult targets for X-ray crystallography because they are generally very hydrophobic and often dynamic; they are also too small for state-of-the-art cryogenic electron microscopy. The NMR methods pioneered by Chou constitute a general means of revealing these “blind spots” in structural biology. Using these methods, Chou m