Taxonomy, phylogenomics, biogeography, seed dispersal, plant invasion

Sept. 2005 – July 2009 Yunnan University, China. Bachelor’s Degree

Sept. 2009 – Jan. 2015 University of Chinese Academy of Sciences Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)

2012.12-2013.12  Natural History Museum, London & Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew (Joint training PhD student)

2016.09-2017.09   Aberystwyth University, UK (Academic visitor)

2024.08-2025.08   University of Toronto, Canada (Academic visitor)

2026.06-now  Kunming Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences (Full professor)

2019.01-2026.06 Kunming Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences (Associate professor)

2015.02-2018.12  Kunming Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences (Assistant professor)

1. Wu Z-Y, Milne RI, Liu J, Nathan R*, Corlett RT, Li D-Z*: The establishment of plants following long-distance dispersal. Trends in Ecology & Evolution 2023, 38(3):289-300.

2. Wu Z-Y, Chapman MA, Liu J, Milne RI, Zhao Y, Luo Y-H, Zhu G-F, Cadotte MW, Luan M-B, Fan P-Z et al: Genomic variation, environmental adaptation, and feralization in ramie, an ancient fiber crop. Plant Communications 2024, 5:100942.

3. Wu Z-Y, Liu J, Provan J, Wang H, Chen CJ, Cadotte MW, Luo YH, Amorim BS, Li DZ*, Milne RI: Testing Darwin's transoceanic dispersal hypothesis for the inland nettle family (Urticaceae). Ecology Letters 2018, 21(10):1515-1529.

4. Wu Z-Y, Chapman MA, Milne RI, Liu J*, Luo Y-H, Fan P-Z, Zhu G-F, Weir JT, Corlett RT, Fu X-G et al: Climate-driven niche filtering limits post-dispersal establishment and genomic introgression in a riverine shrub. Journal of Integrative Plant Biology 2026, Online. https://doi.org/10.1111/jipb.70336

5. Wu Z-Y, Milne RI, Liu J, Slik F, Yu Y, Luo Y-H, Monro AK, Wang W-T, Wang H, Kessler PJA et al: Phylogenomics and evolutionary history of Oreocnide (Urticaceae) shed light on recent geological and climatic events in SE Asia. Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution 2022, 175:107555.

6. Wu Z-Y, Monro AK, Milne RI, Wang H, Yi T-S, Liu J, Li D-Z*: Molecular phylogeny of the nettle family (Urticaceae) inferred from multiple loci of three genomes and extensive generic sampling. Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution 2013, 69(3):814-827.

7. Wu Z-Y, Milne RI, Chen C-J, Liu J, Wang H, Li D-Z*: Ancestral State Reconstruction Reveals Rampant Homoplasy of Diagnostic Morphological Characters in Urticaceae, Conflicting with Current Classification Schemes. PLOS ONE 2015, 10(11):e0141821.

8. Khan R#, Wu Z-Y#, Sun Z-Y, Mambo WW, Kipkoech A, Ahmad M, Luo Y-H, Li ZH, Li DZ*, Liu J*: Heterogeneous landscape shaped the phylogeographical pattern of Debregeasia orientalis (Urticaceae) in southwestern China. Botanical Journal of the Linnean Society 2025, online, DOI: 10.1093/botlinnean/boaf094.

9. Wu Z-Y, Du X-Y, Milne RI, Liu J, Li D-Z*: Characterization of the complete chloroplast genome sequence of Cecropia pachystachya. Mitochondrial DNA Part B 2017, 2(2):735-737.

10. Wu Z-Y, Du X-Y, Milne RI, Liu J, Li D-Z: Complete chloroplast genome sequences of two Boehmeria species (Urticaceae). Mitochondrial DNA Part B 2018, 3(2):937-938.

11. Wu Z-Y, Li D-Z, Wang H, Wang W-T*: Two new species and one new variety of Elatostema (Urticaceae) from China. Annales Botanici Fennici, 2013. 75-78.

12. Wu Z-Y, Wang WT, Wang H, Li DZ: Two new species of Elatostema (Urticaceae) from southeast Yunnan, China. PhytoKeys 2011(7):57-62.

13. Wu Z-Y, Wang W-T, Wang H, Li D-Z*: Elatostema densistriolatum sp. nov., E. latistipulum sp. nov. and E. cyrtandrifolium var. hirsutum var. nov. (Urticaceae) from southwest China. Nordic Iournal of Botany 2011, 29(2):227-232.

14. Wu Z-Y, LI D-Z, Wang H, Wang W-T*: One new series with its only new species of Elatostema (Urticaceae) from southeast Yunnan, China. Plant Diversity 2012, 34(2):151-154.

15. Wu Z-Y, Wang H, Li D-Z*: Supplementary description of achenes of seven species in Elatostema (Urticaceae). Guihaia 2012, 32(05):603-606.

16. Wu Z-Y, Wang H, Li D-Z*: Supplementary description of inflorescences of three species in Elatostema (Urticaceae). Plant Diversity 2012, 34(01):13.

17. Li Z-P, Qi H-L, Liu F-L, Zhao Y, Monro AK, Abdullah A, Song X-Y, Wang Y-H, Wu Z-Y*, Liu J*: Multi-scale evolutionary forces shape the phylogeography of an Old World disjunct plant genus Girardinia (Urticaceae). Palaeogeography, Palaeoclimatology, Palaeoecology 2026, 699: 113970.

18. Fu X-G#, Liu J#, Milne RI, Monro AK, Liu S-Y, Tian Q, Stull GW, Kipkoech A, Yi T-S*, Li D-Z*, Wu Z-Y*: A robust phylogenomic framework supports a revised intrafamilial classification of Urticaceae. Plant Diversity 2026, 48(2): 289-306.

19. Deng L-J, Li Y-L, Wang F-Y, Sun X-Q, Milne RI, Liu J*, Wu Z-Y*: Comparative metabolomics of two nettle species unveils distinct high-altitude adaptation mechanisms on the Tibetan Plateau. BMC Plant Biology 2025, 25:640.

20. Zhao Y, Milne R, Liu J, Li Z-P, Fu X-G, Li K, Kipkoech A, Wu Z-Y*: An integrated study of ramie (Boehmeria nivea), and its wild, cultivated, and feral forms. Ecology and Evolution 2025, 15 (3): e71126.

21. Kipkoech A, Li K, Milne RI, Oyebanji OO, Wambulwa MC, Fu X-G, Wakhungu DA, Wu Z-Y*, Liu J*: An integrative approach clarifies species delimitation and biogeographic history of Debregeasia (Urticaceae). Plant Diversity 2025, 47：229-243.

22. Zhao Y, Milne R, Li Z-P, Kipkoech A, Wu Z-Y*: Boehmeria nivea var. strigosa (Urticaceae), a new variety from southwest China. Guihaia 2024, 44(9):1617-1624.

23. Ogoma CA, Liu J, Stull GW, Wambulwa MC, Oyebanji O, Milne RI, Monro AK, Zhao Y, Li D-Z*, Wu Z-Y*: Deep Insights Into the Plastome Evolution and Phylogenetic Relationships of the Tribe Urticeae (Family Urticaceae). Frontiers in Plant Science 2022, 13: 870949.

24. Sun Z-Y, Liu J, Wambulwa MC, Li Z-H, Wu Z-Y*: The complete chloroplast genome sequences of an endemic species of Urticaceae (Debregeasia hekouensis). Mitochondrial DNA Part B 2021, 6(11):3300-3302.

25. Wang R-N, Milne RI, Du X-Y, Liu J*, Wu Z-Y*: Characteristics and Mutational Hotspots of Plastomes in Debregeasia (Urticaceae). Frontiers in Genetics 2020, 11: 729.

26. Wang R-N, Liu J, Li Z-H, Wu Z-Y*: Complete chloroplast genome sequences of Debregeasia orientalis (Urticaceae). Mitochondrial DNA Part B 2019, 4(1):1830-1831.

27. Wambulwa MC, Zhu G-F, Luo Y-H, Wu Z-Y, Provan J, Cadotte MW, Jump AS, Wachira FN, Gao L-M, Yi T-S et al: Incorporating genetic diversity to optimize the plant conservation network in the Third Pole. Global Change Biology 2025, 31(3):e70122.

28. Fan P-Z#, Zhu G-F#, Wambulwa MC, Milne RI, Wu Z-Y, Luo H-Y, Shavvon RS, Jump AS, Maity D, et al: Genetic origins and climate-induced erosion in economically important Asian walnuts. Conservation Biology 2025, e70125.

29. Ahmad M, Luo Y-H, Rathee S, Spicer R, Zhang J, Wambulwa MC, Zhu G-F, Cadotte MW, Wu Z-Y, Khan SM, et al: Multifaceted plant diversity patterns across the Himalaya: Status and outlook. 2025, Plant Diversity 2025, 47 (4): 529-543.

30. Yan L-J, Fan P-Z, Wambulwa MC, Qi H-L, Chen Y, Wu Z-Y, Milne RI, Khan R, Luo Y-H, Gao L-M et al: Human-associated genetic landscape of walnuts in the Himalaya: implications for conservation and utilization. Diversity and Distributions 2024, 30(4):e13809.

31. Song X-Y, Wambulwa MC, Milne R, Mambo WW, Wu Z-Y, Li Z-H, Luo Y-H, Vu DD, Cai J, Zhu G-F et al: Deep plastid phylogeographic divergence of beaked hickory (Carya sinensis) calls for transboundary conservation in a biodiversity hotspot. Tree Genetics & Genomes 2024, 20(6):50.

32. Wambulwa MC, Luo Y-H, Zhu G-F, Milne R, Wachira FN, Wu Z-Y, Wang H, Gao L-M, Li D-Z*, Liu J*: Determinants of Genetic Structure in a Highly Heterogeneous Landscape in Southwest China. Frontiers in Plant Science 2022, 13: 779989.

33. Wambulwa MC, Fan P-Z, Milne R, Wu Z-Y, Luo Y-H, Wang Y-H, Wang H, Gao L-M, Xiahou Z-Y, Jin Y-C et al: Genetic analysis of walnut cultivars from southwest China: Implications for germplasm improvement. Plant Diversity 2022, 44(6):530-541.

34. Magige EA, Fan P-Z, Wambulwa MC, Milne R, Wu Z-Y, Luo Y-H, Khan R, Wu H-Y, Qi H-L, Zhu G-F et al: Genetic Diversity and Structure of Persian Walnut (Juglans regia L.) in Pakistan: Implications for Conservation. Plants 2022, 11(13):1652.

35. Liu J, Milne RI, Zhu G-F, Spicer RA, Wambulwa MC, Wu Z-Y, Boufford DE, Luo Y-H, Provan J, Yi T-S et al: Name and scale matter: Clarifying the geography of Tibetan Plateau and adjacent mountain regions. Global and Planetary Change 2022, 215:103893.

36. Wambulwa MC, Milne R, Wu Z-Y, Spicer RA, Provan J, Luo Y-H, Zhu G-F, Wang W-T, Wang H, Gao L-M et al: Spatiotemporal maintenance of flora in the Himalaya biodiversity hotspot: Current knowledge and future perspectives. Ecology and Evolution 2021, 11(16):10794-10812.

37. Liu J, Milne RI, Cadotte MW, Wu Z-Y, Provan J, Zhu G-F, Gao L-M*, Li D-Z*: Protect Third Pole's fragile ecosystem. Science 2018, 362(6421):1368-1368. (IF=43.7, 1区)

38. Wang W-T*, Wu Z-Y: Six new species of Elatostema (Urticaceae) from Yunnan. Plant Diversity 2016, 38(1):17-22.

39. Batool Z, Khan SM, Abdullah A, Hussain J, Khan MS, Hussain I, Abbass Z, Wu Z-Y, Balslev H: foraging wild food plants in the dry gorges of pakistan’s high karakorum mountains: A generational perspective. Economic Botany 2025, 79(4):529-550.

40. Khan MS, Khan SM, Abdullah, Liu J, Wu Z-Y, Hussain J, Zeb SA, Mohammad N, Batool Z, Saqib Z et al: Ecological assessment of Iris hookeriana across subalpine and alpine regions of the Hindu-Himalayas. Frontiers in Forests and Global Change 2025, 8 1539025.

41. Liu J, Magige EA, Fan P-Z, Wambulwa MC, Wu Z-Y, Luo Y-H, Qi H-L, Gao L-M, Milne R: Genetic imprints of grafting in wild iron walnut populations in southwestern China. BMC Plant Biology 2023.

42. Wang F-Y, Wu Z-Y, Cui H, Li Y-L, Deng L-J, Wang H, Liu J*:Species boundaries of Cannabina clade of Urtica in the Third Pole. Biodiversity 2025, 33(8):25138.

(1) 2024-2026    Applied and Fundamental Research Foundation of Yunnan Province; Title: Wild Germplasm resources mining and innovative utilization of Boehmeria nivea, an important fiber plant. $13,800

(2) 2023-2026  CAS ‘Light of West China’ Program; Title: Colonization mechanism of long-distance dispersal of plants and comparison of different dispersal modes. $69,000. 

(3) 2022-2025  National Natural Science Foundations of China; Title: The mechanisms of colonization and diversification following long-distance dispersal in Urticaceae. $92,000. 

(4) 2020-2025   Yunnan Young & Elite Talents Project; Title: Study on reason and mechanism of global disjunction distribution pattern of plants. $69,000. 

(5) 2020-2023   National Natural Science Foundations of China; Title: The domestication and spatiotemporal evolution of economically important plant (Boehmeria nivea). $95,340.

(6) 2020-2021  Biological Resources Programme, Chinese Academy of Sciences; Title: Evaluation of conservation coverage of important economic plant germplasm resources bank and optimization of collection strategy. $28,000.

(7) 2019-2022    CAS’ Youth Innovation Promotion Association; Title: Evaluation of genetic information coverage of species in germplasm bank. $110,000.

(8) 2019-2020   Open research project of “Cross-Cooperative Team” of the Germplasm Bank of Wild Species, Kunming Institute of Botany, CAS; Title: The exploitation of wild germplasm resources IN Boehmeria nivea. $28,000

(9) 2017-2020 Applied and Fundamental Research Foundation of Yunnan Province; Title: Plastid phylogenomics of Boehmeria, an economically important plant. $13,800

(10) 2017-2019  National Natural Science Foundations of China; Title: Plastid phylogenomics of Urticaceae. $33,161

(11)2016-2018  CAS Southeast Asia Biodiversity Research Institute youth talent project; Title: Plastid phylogenomics of Oreocnide, a genus endemic to Southeast Asia. $28,000

My research mainly focuses on plant systematics and biogeography, with solid hands-on experience in classical plant taxonomy, plant phylogenetic genomics, and plant long-distance dispersal (LDD). Most of my research takes the nettle family (Urticaceae) as the core research object. During my systematic investigation of this plant family, I have discovered 16 new taxa to date, reconstructed the most comprehensive phylogenetic framework of Urticaceae, and analyzed the evolutionary trends of 19 key morphological traits.

Regarding plant long-distance dispersal, I have collaborated with international scholars on related interdisciplinary research. In 2018, I integrated phylogenetic molecular dating with biogeographical, ecological, seed biological and oceanographic data. This study verified that seawater-mediated long-distance dispersal plays a vital role in shaping the global geographical distribution patterns of Urticaceae, providing the first empirical evidence for Darwin’s transoceanic dispersal hypothesis applicable to inland terrestrial plants (https://doi.org/10.1111/ele.13132). In 2023, I published a review article in Trends in Ecology & Evolution (https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tree.2022.11.003). This paper comprehensively elaborates on the regulatory mechanisms of plant colonization following long-distance dispersal, summarizes the global research progress of the post-LDD establishment phase in plant colonization, and identifies six core key determinants of successful post-dispersal establishment. On the basis of the above research findings, we proposed a general quantitative theoretical framework for post-LDD plant colonization. This framework aims to provide a standardized quantitative theoretical support for the research of plant colonization after long-distance dispersal, and can also be applied to assess the biological invasion risk of exotic species. Meanwhile, we systematically identified and illustrated three major existing research challenges and promising future research opportunities in this field.

In a broader research scope, I also devote my efforts to exploring the origin and macroevolutionary history of plant species, inferring plant environmental adaptation mechanisms, and revealing the formative causes of modern plant geographical distribution patterns. In 2024, I have conducted in-depth research on the domestication process and feralization genomics of the economically important fiber crop ramie (Boehmeria nivea) (https://doi.org/10.1016/j.xplc.2024.100942). In 2026, I have also explored how geographical isolation formed by river system barriers affects the species origin and evolutionary history of another economically important plant speciesDebregeasia orientalis (https://doi.org/10.1111/jipb.70336).

In addition, I am currently carrying out ongoing research on two worldwide invasive plant species, Urtica dioica and Erigeron canadensis. By integrating population genomics, phylogenetic genomics and multi-dimensional ecological analysis, I am attempting to clarify their invasive origin, global dispersal routes and underlying molecular invasion mechanisms from a comprehensive genomic perspective.

Prof. Richard Ian Milne
University of Edinburgh

Prof. Marc Cadotte
University of Toronto

Prof. Mark Chapman
University of Southampton

Prof. Richard T. Corlett
Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew

Prof. Ran Nathan
Hebrew University of Jerusalem

Dr. Alex Monro
Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew

Current Students

Fu Xiaogang, PhD Candidate

Amos Kipkoech, PhD Candidate

Duan Lianqing, Master’s Candidate

Alumni (Graduated Students)

Zhao Ying, Master’s graduate

Li Ke, Master’s graduate

Deng Lijuan, Master’s graduate

Li Yinlei, Master’s graduate

Catherine Akinyi, Master’s graduate

1. Member of CAS’ Youth Innovation Promotion Association

2. Yunnan Young & Elite Talent