University of Washington Removed Origincell Title
The school stopped future awards from an endowed fund after the donor was labeled a Chinese military company.
Updated on Sept. 27, 2026 in Biotech
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The University of Washington has removed all public references to the Origincell Endowed Professorship and halted future distributions from the associated endowment. The move follows the United States Department of War designating the donor, Origincell Technology Co., Ltd., as a Chinese military company.
Why it matters
The decision reflects the tightening intersection between academic funding and national security oversight, particularly for institutions reliant on significant federal research dollars. The university’s actions highlight how the Department of War’s designation criteria now directly impact university naming rights and legacy gift management.
The professorship was established with a $1 million gift in late 2016 and held by Professor Dayong Gao starting in January 2017. The university’s International Agreements Risk Assessment Committee initiated the review following the 2025 military designation.
The players
University of Washington
A public research university in Seattle that received $1.39 billion in federal research funding during the 2025 fiscal year.
Origincell Technology Co., Ltd.
A Shanghai-based firm designated by the U.S. Department of War as a Chinese military company.
Dayong Gao
A professor who held the Origincell Endowed Professorship and co-authored 2021 research with firm executives.
The details
The university’s International Agreements Risk Assessment Committee — a body tasked with identifying potential conflicts in foreign research collaborations — reviewed the endowment following pressure from federal agencies. Professor Dayong Gao previously co-authored a 2021 research paper with executives from Origincell, a firm based in Shanghai. Staff have subsequently scrubbed the professorship title from university websites to align with the revised status of the donor.
Timeline
Late 2016: Origincell Endowed Professorship was created.
January 2017: Professor Dayong Gao received the professorship title.
January 2025: Department of War first listed Origincell as a military company.
March 2026: House Select Committee on China requested a funding pause.
June 2026: Department of War restated the Origincell military designation.
The Tech Race
The move aligns the university with a broader trend of institutions decoupling from entities identified on the Department of War's list of Chinese military companies. This follows specific pressure from the House Select Committee on China to safeguard the integrity of federal research ecosystems.
The change removes a named professorship title from university directories, altering how the associated chair is referenced in academic and public materials. It signals a shift in institutional policy that could influence future naming rights agreements and donor due diligence for students and faculty.
The takeaway
Institutional naming rights are increasingly subject to national security designations. Watch for future disclosures from the university regarding the final redistribution of the $1 million endowment principal.
Further reading
For additional context on how research institutions manage foreign partnerships, visit Biotech.
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