Education

1995-1999 Ph.D. in Genetics, Michigan State University

1993-1995 M.S./Ph.D. candidate in Phytopathology, University of Kentucky

1987-1991 B.S. in Biochemistry, Peking University

 

Academic Experience

2019-Present Professor with tenure, Peking University

2018-Present Director, Peking University Genome Editing Research Center

2016-2021     Investigator, Beijing Advanced Innovation Center for Genomics, Peking University

2015-Present Investigator, Peking-Tsinghua Center for Life Sciences, Peking University

2014-Present Investigator, Biomedical Pioneering Innovation Center, Peking University

2016-2019     Associate Professor with tenure, School of Life Sciences, Peking University

2010-2016     Assistant Professor, School of Life Sciences, Peking University

2007-2019     Investigator, School of Life Sciences, Peking University

2005-2007     Research Associate, Department of Genetics, Stanford University School of Medicine

1999-2004     Postdoctoral fellow in Genetics, Stanford University School of Medicine

Overview of Academic Research

1.  Develop novel genome and RNA editing tools, optimize current gene editing techniques, and apply them into gene therapy

2.  Develop a variety of high-throughput functional genomics approaches based on gene editing technology, and mainly focus on the functional identification of protein-coding genes, non-coding genes and critical sites, thus facilitating the understanding of the molecular mechanisms underlying human major diseases, including cancer and infection

3.  Develop novel nucleic acid therapeutics and novel vaccine technology based on the circular RNA platform

4.  Publish high-impact papers as the first or corresponding author in journals including Nature, Cell and Nature Biotechnology, and apply for >20 invention patents with 9 patents authorized.

Major Honor and Awards

Tan Jiazhen Life Science Award, China Patent Award, Scientific Chinese “The People of the Year Awards”, China Ministry of Science and Technology Innovation Talent Promotion Plan: Technology Innovation and Entrepreneurship, Beijing Advanced Worker, Beijing Science & Technology Award, Special Contribution Award for Innovation and Entrepreneurship of Overseas Returnee in Beijing, Bayer Investigator Award, Roche Chinese Young Investigator Award, Zheng Changxue Teaching Award of Peking University, Dongbao Fellowship of Peking University, etc.

Representative Research Achievements 

1. Qu L, Yi Z, Shen Y, Lin L, Chen F, Xu Y, Wu Z, Tang H, Zhang X, Tian F, Wang C, Xiao X, Dong X, Guo L, Lu S, Yang C, Tang C, Yang Y, Yu W, Wang, J, Zhou Y, Huang Q, Yisimayi A, Liu S, Huang WJ Cao Y, Wang Y, Zhou Z, Peng X, Wang J, Xie X, Wei W*. (2022) Circular RNA Vaccines against SARS-CoV-2 and Emerging Variants. Cell 185(10), 1728-1744.

 

2. Yi Z, Qu L, Tang H, Liu Z, Liu Y, Tian F, Wang C, Zhang X, Feng Z, Yu Y, Yuan P, Yi Z, Zhao Y, Wei W*. (2022) Engineered circular ADAR-recruiting RNAs increase the efficiency and fidelity of RNA editing in vitro and in vivo. Nature Biotechnology 40, 946–955.

 

3. Xu P, Liu Z, Liu Y, Ma H, Xu Y, Bao Y, Zhu S, Cao Z, Wu Z, Zhou Z and Wei W*. (2021) Genome-wide interrogation of gene functions through base editor screens empowered by barcoded sgRNAs. Nature Biotechnology 39, 1403–1413.

 

4. Qu L, Yi Z, Zhu S, Wang C, Cao Z, Zhou Z, Yuan P, Tian F, Liu Z, Bao Y, Zhao Y, Wei W*. (2019) Programmable RNA editing by recruiting endogenous ADAR using engineered RNAs. Nature Biotechnology 37, 1059-1069.

 

5. Zhao X, Zhang G, Liu S, Chen X, Peng R, Dai L, Qu X, Li S, Song H, Gao Z, Yuan P, Liu Z, Li C, Shang Z, Li Y, Zhang M, Qi J, Wang H, Du N, Wu Y, Bi YH, Gao S, Shi Y, Yan J, Zhang Y, Xie Z*, Wei WS* and Gao GF*. (2019) Human neonatal Fc receptor is the cellular uncoating receptor for enterovirus B. Cell 177, 1-13.

 

6. Liu Y, Cao Z, Wang Y, Guo Y, Xu P, Yuan P, Liu Z, He Y and Wei W*. (2018) Genome-wide screening for functional long noncoding RNAs in human cells by Cas9 targeting of splice sites. Nature Biotechnology 36, 1203-1210.

 

7. Zhu S, Li W, Liu J, Chen C-H, Liao Q, Xu P, Xu H, Xiao T, Cao Z, Peng J, Yuan P, Brown M, Liu X* & Wei W*. (2016) Genome-scale deletion screening of human long non-coding RNAs using a paired-guide RNA CRISPR library. Nature Biotechnology 34, 1279-1286.

 

8. Zhou Y, Zhu S, Cai C, Yuan P, Li C, Huang Y and Wei W*. (2014) High-throughput Screening of a CRISPR/Cas Library for Functional Genomics in Human Cells. Nature 509(7501): 487-91.