2001.09 - 2005.07  B.Sc., Bioengineering, Nanchang University, Nanchang, China

2005.09 - 2011.07  Ph.D., Cell biology, Peking University, Beijing, China

2011.10 - 2015.10  Research Associate, Institute of Biophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences

2015.10 - 2016.12  Associate Professor, Institute of Biophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences

2016.12 - 2019       Professor, Institute of Biophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences

Her research interests are focused on the understanding of genetic and epigenetic basis of aging and longevity, using a series of techniques including human stem cell, gene editing, experimental animal models, and genome-wide analyses.

1. Zhang W*, Wan H*, Feng G*, Qu J*, Wang J, Jing Y, Ren R, Liu Z, Zhang L, Chen Z, Wang S, Zhao Y, Wang Z, Yuan Y, Zhou Q, Li W, Liu G-H and Hu B. SIRT6 deficiency results in developmental retardation in cynomolgus monkeys. Nature. 2018;560:661-665.(*equal contribution)

2. Zhang W*, Li J*, Suzuki K*, Qu J*, Wang P, Zhou J, Liu X, Ren R, Xu X, Ocampo A, Yuan T, Yang J, Li Y, Shi L, Guan D, Pan H, Duan S, Ding Z, Li M, Yi F, Bai R, Wang Y, Chen C, Yang F, Li X, Wang Z, Aizawa E, Goebl A, Soligalla RD, Reddy P, Esteban CR, Tang F, Liu G-H and Belmonte JCI. A Werner syndrome stem cell model unveils heterochromatin alterations as a driver of human aging. Science. 2015;348:1160.(*equal contribution)

3. Kubben N, Zhang W^#, Wang L, Voss TC, Yang J, Qu J^#, Liu G-H and Misteli T. Repression of the Antioxidant NRF2 Pathway in Premature Aging. Cell. 2016;165:1361-1374.(^#Cosenior author)

4. Zhang W*, Song M*, Qu J and Liu G-H. Epigenetic Modifications in Cardiovascular Aging and Diseases. Circulation Research. 2018;123:773-786. (*equal contribution)

5. Zhang W, Qu J, Suzuki K, Liu G-H and Belmonte JCI. Concealing cellular defects in pluripotent stem cells. Trends in Cell Biology. 2013;23:587-592.

6. Geng L*, Liu Z*, Zhang W^#, Li W, Wu Z, Wang W, Ren R, Su Y, Wang P, Sun L, Ju Z, Chan P, Song M^#, Qu J^# and Liu G-H^#. Chemical screen identifies a geroprotective role of quercetin in premature aging. Protein & Cell. 2018. (^#Corresponding author)

7. Wang P, Liu Z, Zhang X, Li J, Sun L, Ju Z, Li J, Chan P, Liu G-H^#, Zhang W^#, Song M^# and Qu J^#. CRISPR/Cas9-mediated gene knockout reveals a guardian role of NF-κB/RelA in maintaining the homeostasis of human vascular cells. Protein & Cell. 2018.(^#Corresponding author)

8. Li Y*, Zhang W*, Chang L, Han Y, Sun L, Gong X, Tang H, Liu Z, Deng H, Ye Y, Wang Y, Li J, Qiao J, Qu J, Zhang W and Liu G-H. Vitamin C alleviates aging defects in a stem cell model for Werner syndrome. Protein & Cell. 2016;7:478-488. (*equal contribution)

9. Wu Z*, Zhang W*, Song M*, Wang W, Wei G, Li W, Lei J, Huang Y, Sang Y, Chan P, Chen C, Qu J, Suzuki K, Belmonte JCI and Liu G-H. Differential stem cell aging kinetics in Hutchinson-Gilford progeria syndrome and Werner syndrome. Protein & Cell. 2018;9:333-350. (*equal contribution)

10. Guan D*, Zhang W*, Zhang W, Liu GH and Belmonte JCI. Switching cell fate, ncRNAs coming to play. Cell Death & Disease. 2013;4:e464. (*equal contribution)

11. Zhao Y, Yin X, Qin H, Zhu F, Liu H, Yang W, Zhang Q, Xiang C, Hou P, Song Z, Liu Y, Yong J, Zhang P, Cai J, Liu M, Li H, Li Y, Qu X, Cui K, Zhang W, Xiang T, Wu Y, Zhao Y, Liu C, Yu C, Yuan K, Lou J, Ding M and Deng H. Two Supporting Factors Greatly Improve the Efficiency of Human iPSC Generation. Cell Stem Cell. 2008;3:475-479.

12. Yang J*, Zhang W*, Jiang W, Sun X, Han Y, Ding M, Shi Y and Deng H. P21cip-Overexpression in the Mouse β Cells Leads to the Improved Recovery from Streptozotocin-Induced Diabetes. PLOS ONE. 2009;4:e8344. (*equal contribution

13. Yang J, Li J, Suzuki K, Liu X, Wu J, Zhang W, Ren R, Zhang W, Chan P, Izpisua Belmonte JC, Qu J, Tang F and Liu G-H. Genetic enhancement in cultured human adult stem cells conferred by a single nucleotide recoding. Cell Research. 2017;27:1178.

14. Tong Z, Fan Y, Zhang W, Xu J, Cheng J, Ding M and Deng H. Pancreas-specific Pten deficiency causes partial resistance to diabetes and elevated hepatic AKT signaling. Cell Research. 2009;19:710.

15. Ren R, Deng L, Xue Y, Suzuki K, Zhang W, Yu Y, Wu J, Sun L, Gong X, Luan H, Yang F, Ju Z, Ren X, Wang S, Tang H, Geng L, Zhang W, Li J, Qiao J, Xu T, Qu J and Liu G-H. Visualization of aging-associated chromatin alterations with an engineered TALE system. Cell Research. 2017;27:483.

16. Pan H, Guan D, Liu X, Li J, Wang L, Wu J, Zhou J, Zhang W, Ren R, Zhang W, Li Y, Yang J, Hao Y, Yuan T, Yuan G, Wang H, Ju Z, Mao Z, Li J, Qu J, Tang F and Liu G-H. SIRT6 safeguards human mesenchymal stem cells from oxidative stress by coactivating NRF2. Cell Research. 2016;26:190.

17. Liu G-H, Suzuki K, Li M, Qu J, Montserrat N, Tarantino C, Gu Y, Yi F, Xu X, Zhang W, Ruiz S, Plongthongkum N, Zhang K, Masuda S, Nivet E, Tsunekawa Y, Soligalla RD, Goebl A, Aizawa E, Kim NY, Kim J, Dubova I, Li Y, Ren R, Benner C, del Sol A, Bueren J, Trujillo JP, Surralles J, Cappelli E, Dufour C, Esteban CR and Belmonte JCI. Modelling Fanconi anemia pathogenesis and therapeutics using integration-free patient-derived iPSCs. Nature Communications. 2014;5:4330.

18. Liu G-H, Qu J, Suzuki K, Nivet E, Li M, Montserrat N, Yi F, Xu X, Ruiz S, Zhang W, Wagner U, Kim A, Ren B, Li Y, Goebl A, Kim J, Soligalla RD, Dubova I, Thompson J, Iii JY, Esteban CR, Sancho-Martinez I and Belmonte JCI. Progressive degeneration of human neural stem cells caused by pathogenic LRRK2. Nature. 2012;491:603.

19. Li Y, Zhang Q, Yin X, Yang W, Du Y, Hou P, Ge J, Liu C, Zhang W, Zhang X, Wu Y, Li H, Liu K, Wu C, Song Z, Zhao Y, Shi Y and Deng H. Generation of iPSCs from mouse fibroblasts with a single gene, Oct4, and small molecules. Cell Research. 2010;21:196.

20. Duan S, Yuan G, Liu X, Ren R, Li J, Zhang W, Wu J, Xu X, Fu L, Li Y, Yang J, Zhang W, Bai R, Yi F, Suzuki K, Gao H, Esteban CR, Zhang C, Belmonte JCI, Chen Z, Wang X, Jiang T, Qu J, Tang F and Liu G-H. PTEN deficiency reprogrammes human neural stem cells towards a glioblastoma stem cell-like phenotype. Nature Communications. 2015;6:10068.

21. Zhang W*, Guan D*, Qu J, Zhang W and Liu G-H. Non-viral iPSCs: a safe way for therapy? Protein & Cell. 2012;3:241-245. (*equal contribution)

22. Zhang W*, Duan S*, Li Y, Xu X, Qu J, Zhang W and Liu G-H. Converted neural cells: induced to a cure? Protein & Cell. 2012;3:91-97. (*equal contribution)

23. Zhang W*, Ding Z* and Liu G-H. Evolution of iPSC disease models. Protein & Cell. 2012;3:1-4. (*equal contribution)

24. Xu X, Yang J, Fu L, Ren R, Yi F, Suzuki K, Liu K, Ding Z, Qu J, Zhang W, Li Y, Yuan T, Yuan G, Sui L, Guan D, Duan S, Pan H, Wang P, Zhu X, Montserrat N, Li M, Bai R, Liu L, Izpisua Belmonte JC and Liu G-H. Direct reprogramming of porcine fibroblasts to neural progenitor cells. Protein & Cell. 2014;5:4-7.

25. Wang S, Liu Z, Ye Y, Li B, Liu T, Zhang W, Liu G-H, Zhang YA, Qu J, Xu D and Chen Z. Ectopic hTERT expression facilitates reprograming of fibroblasts derived from patients with Werner syndrome as a WS cellular model. Cell Death & Disease. 2018;9:923.

26. Wang S, Hu B, Ding Z, Dang Y, Wu J, Li D, Liu X, Xiao B, Zhang W, Ren R, Lei J, Hu H, Chen C, Chan P, Li D, Qu J, Tang F and Liu G-H. ATF6 safeguards organelle homeostasis and cellular aging in human mesenchymal stem cells. Cell Discovery. 2018;4:2.

27. Wang P*, Zhang W*, Yang J, Qu J and Liu G-H. Higher-order genomic organization in pluripotent stem cells. Protein & Cell. 2012;3:483-486. (*equal contribution)

28. Pan H*, Zhang W*, Zhang W and Liu G-H. Find and replace: editing human genome in pluripotent stem cells. Protein & Cell. 2011;2:950-956. (*equal contribution)

29. Fu L, Xu X, Ren R, Wu J, Zhang W, Yang J, Ren X, Wang S, Zhao Y, Sun L, Yu Y, Wang Z, Yang Z, Yuan Y, Qiao J, Belmonte JCI, Qu J and Liu G-H. Modeling xeroderma pigmentosum associated neurological pathologies with patients-derived iPSCs. Protein & Cell. 2016;7:210-221.

30. Ding Z, Sui L, Ren R, Liu Y, Xu X, Fu L, Bai R, Yuan T, Hao Y, Zhang W, Pan H, Liu W, Yu H, Esteban CR, Yu X, Yang Z, Li J, Wang X, Belmonte JCI, Liu G-H, Yi F and Qu J. A widely adaptable approach to generate integration-free iPSCs from non-invasively acquired human somatic cells. Protein & Cell. 2015;6:386-389.

(From Weiqi Zhang, September 29, 2018)