Li Wei

Li Wei is a professor and principal investigator at the Institute of Zoology (IZ), Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS). He received his BSc degree from Wu Han University (2006), and his PhD degree from IZ, CAS (2012). He joined IZ, CAS, in 2013, as a professor of Star Program, and established his own research group; there he was promoted to professor in 2016 after a stringent assessment, in which he scored excellent. In 2017, Li was promoted to the vice director of the State Key Laboratory of Stem Cell and Reproductive Biology. His research focus is on stem cells and genetic engineering research: he aims to understand the genetic basis of certain reproduction- and regeneration-related functions/phenotypes, and to reconstitute such phenotype/function in a given cell or organism for research and therapeutic purposes. Current interests include developing cutting-edge genome engineering technologies and mammalian synthetic biology; dissection of genetic and epigenetic basis of reproduction- and regeneration-related phenotypes; clinical application of gene therapy. He is the recipient, among others, of the International Award of the Japanese Association for Laboratory Animal Science.