Sow-Hsin Chen (Chinese: 陳守信; pinyin: Chén shǒuxìn; Pe̍h-ōe-jī: Tân Siú-sìn; 1935 – 26 June 2021),[1] was a Taiwanese physicist and Professor Emeritus at Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT).

[4] Chen received his postdoctoral training at the Atomic Energy Research Establishment (AERE) in Harwell, U.K. with Professor Peter A. Egelstaff during 1966–1967.

[3] Chen was promoted to Full Professor of Applied Radiation Physics at the Department of Nuclear Science and Engineering of MIT in 1974.

"[7] Chen's major research activity was in the use of neutron, x-ray and laser scattering spectroscopy to investigate materials properties of complex fluids and soft condensed matter.

[14][15][16] Chen was active as an organizer of domestic and over 20 international conferences and symposia as well as the NATO Advanced Study Institutes.

He served as an advisor to the National Science Council and the Institute of Nuclear Energy Research of the Republic of China (ROC), and the Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute (KAERI) of the Republic of Korea on the matter of nuclear power planning and development in the respective countries since 1972.

These coincide with his diversified research interests, which include bulk and confined water, cement hydration kinetics, colloids, critical phenomena, dynamic light scattering, group theory, hydrogen storage materials, neutron and x-ray inelastic scattering, protein dynamics, x-ray and neutron diffraction and reflectivity, and others.

Beginning in 1995, special scientific meetings were organized every five years to bring together over 100 colleagues, former and current students, and friends to honor Chen for his continuing contributions to the field of soft-matter physics.