Mechanism of aging and aging-related diseases

Potential interventions and mechanisms to delay aging

​Disease modeling and drug screening based on human pluripotent stem cells

2005 – 2011, Ph.D., Cell biology, Peking University

2001 – 2005, B.Sc., Bioengineering, Nanchang University

2019 – Present, Professor, Beijing Institute of Genomics, CAS / China National Center for Bioinformation

2016 – 2019, Professor, Institute of Biophysics, CAS

2015 – 2016, Associate Professor, Institute of Biophysics, CAS

2011 – 2015, Research Associate, Institute of Biophysics, CAS

2025

1. Ding Y, Zuo Y, Zhang B, Fan Y, Xu G, Cheng Z, Ma S, Fang S, Tian A, Gao D, Xu X, Wang Q, Jing Y, Jiang M, Xiong M, Li J, Han Z, Sun S, Wang S, He F, Yang J*, Qu J*, Zhang W (co-corresponding author)*, Liu GH*. Comprehensive human proteome profiles across a 50-year lifespan reveal aging trajectories and signatures. Cell. 2025. 188(20): 5763-5784.

2. Fan Y, Zheng Y, Zhang Y, Xu G, Liu C, Hu J, Ji Q, Zhang S, Fang S, Lei J, Li LZ, Wang X, Xu X, Wang C, Wang S, Ma S, Song M, Jiang W, Zhu J, Feng Y, Wang J, Yang Y, Zhu G, Tian XL, Zhang H, Song W, Yang J, Yao Y*, Liu GH*, Qu J*, Zhang W (last corresponding author)*. ARID5A orchestrates cardiac aging and inflammation through MAVS mRNA stabilization. Nature Cardiovascular Research. 2025. 4(5):602-623.

3. Sun X, Che S, Wang H, Fan Y, Ding Y, Tan A, Yang K, Hu J, Zhang Y, Ma M, Hu J, Sun S, Ma S, Wang S, Izpisua Belmonte JC, Qu J*, Zhang W (lead contact)*, Liu GH*. Vascular organoid model of Hutchinson-Gilford progeria syndrome uncovers repression of the SRF pathway in premature aging. Developmental Cell. 2025. S1534-5807(25)00690-2.

4. Li H, Zhao W, Yang F, Qiao Q, Ma S, Yang K, Song S, Wang S, Qu J*, Liu GH*, Bao Y*, Zhang W (last corresponding author)*. Immunosenescence Inventory-a multi-omics database for immune aging research. Nucleic Acids Research. 2025. 53(D1):D1047-D1054.

5. Wang C, Jiang X, Li HY, Hu J, Ji Q, Wang Q, Liu X, Huang D, Yan K, Zhao L, Fan Y, Wang S, Ma S, Belmonte JCI, Qu J*, Liu GH*, Zhang W (last corresponding author)*. RIG-I-driven CDKN1A stabilization reinforces cellular senescence. Science China Life Sciences. 2025. 68(6):1646-1661.

2024

6. Wang Q, Wang X, Liu B, Ma S, Zhang F, Sun S, Jing Y, Fan Y, Ding Y, Xiong M, Li J, Zhai Q, Zheng Y, Liu C, Xu G, Yang J, Wang S, Ye J, Belmonte JCI, Qu J*, Liu GH*, Zhang W (last corresponding author)*. Aging induces region-specific dysregulation of hormone synthesis in the primate adrenal gland. Nature Aging. 2024. 4(3):396-413.

7. Zheng Z, Li J, Liu T, Fan Y, Zhai QC, Xiong M, Wang QR, Sun X, Zheng QW, Che S, Jiang B, Zheng Q, Wang C, Liu L, Ping J, Wang S, Gao DD, Ye J, Yang K, Zuo Y, Ma S, Yang YG*, Qu J*, Zhang F*, Jia P*, Liu GH*, Zhang W (last corresponding author)*. DNA methylation clocks for estimating biological age in Chinese cohorts. Protein & Cell. 2024. 15(8):575-593.

8. Yang Y, Lu X, Liu N, Ma S, Zhang H, Zhang Z, Yang K, Jiang M, Zheng Z, Qiao Y, Hu Q, Huang Y, Zhang Y, Xiong M, Liu L, Jiang X, Reddy P, Dong X, Xu F, Wang Q, Zhao Q, Lei J, Sun S, Jing Y, Li J, Cai Y, Fan Y, Yan K, Jing Y, Haghani A, Xing M, Zhu G, Song W, Horvath S, Esteban CR, Song M, Wang S, Zhao G, Li W, Izpisua Belmonte JC, Qu J*, Zhang W (co-corresponding author)*, Liu GH*. Metformin Decelerates Aging Clock in Male Monkeys. Cell. 2024. 187(22):6358-6378.

9. Ma S, Ji Z, Zhang B, Geng L, Cai Y, Nie C, Li J, Zuo Y, Sun Y, Xu G, Liu B, Ai J, Liu F, Zhao L, Zhang J, Zhang H, Sun S, Huang H, Zhang Y, Ye Y, Fan Y, Zheng F, Hu J, Zhang B, Li J, Feng X, Zhang F, Zhuang Y, Li T, Yu Y, Bao Z, Pan S, Esteban CR, Liu Z, Deng H, Wen F, Song M, Wang S, Zhu G, Yang J, Jiang T, Song W, Belmonte JCI, Qu J*, Zhang W (co-corresponding author)*, Gu Y*, Liu GH*. Spatial Transcriptomic Landscape Unveils Immunoglobin-associated Senescence as a Hallmark of Aging. Cell. 2024. 187(24):7025-7044.

10. Li H, Wu S, Li J, Xiong Z, Yang K, Ye W, Ren J, Wang Q, Xiong M, Zheng Z, Zhang S, Han Z, Yang P, Jiang B, Ping J, Zuo Y, Lu X, Zhai Q, Yan H, Wang S, Ma S, Zhang B, Ye J, Qu J, Yang YG*, Zhang F*, Liu GH*, Bao Y*, Zhang W (last corresponding author)*. HALL: a comprehensive database for human aging and longevity studies. Nucleic Acids Research. 2024. 52(D1):D909-D918.

2023

11. Li J, Xiong M, Fu XH, Fan Y, Dong C, Sun X, Zheng F, Wang SW, Liu L, Xu M, Wang C, Ping J, Che S, Wang Q, Yang K, Zuo Y, Lu X, Zheng Z, Lan T, Wang S, Ma S, Sun S, Zhang B, Chen CS, Cheng KY, Ye J, Qu J, Xue Y, Yang YG*, Zhang F*, Zhang W (lead contact)*, Liu GH*. Determining a Multimodal Aging Clock in a Cohort of Chinese Women. Med. 2023. 4(11):825-848.

12. Wang C, Yang K, Liu X, Wang S, Song M, Belmonte JC, Qu J*, Liu GH*, Zhang W (last corresponding author)*. MAVS antagonizes human stem cell senescence as a mitochondrial stabilizer. Research. 2023. 6:0192.

13. Liu X, Liu Z, Wu Z, Ren J, Fan Y, Sun L, Cao G, Niu Y, Zhang B, Ji Q, Jiang X, Wang C, Wang Q, Ji Z, Li L, Esteban CR, Yan K, Li W, Cai Y, Wang S, Zheng A, Zhang YE, Tan S, Cai Y, Song M, Lu F, Tang F, Ji W, Zhou Q, Belmonte JCI, Zhang W (co-corresponding author)*, Qu J*, Liu GH*. Resurrection of endogenous retroviruses during aging reinforces senescence. Cell. 2023. 186(2):287-304.

14. Li LZ, Yang K, Jing Y, Fan Y, Jiang X, Wang S, Liu GH*, Qu J*, Ma S*, Zhang W (last corresponding author)*. CRISPR-based screening identifies XPO7 as a positive regulator of senescence. Protein & Cell. 2023. 14(8):623-628.

2022-2015

15. Ma S, Wang S, Ye Y, Ren J, Chen R, Li W, Li J, Zhao L, Zhao Q, Sun G, Jing Y, Zuo Y, Xiong M, Yang Y, Wang Q, Lei J, Sun S, Long X, Song M, Yu S, Chan P, Wang J, Zhou Q, Belmonte JCI, Qu J*, Zhang W*, Liu GH*. Heterochronic parabiosis induces stem cell revitalization and systemic rejuvenation across aged tissues. Cell Stem Cell. 2022. 29(6):990-1005.

16. Geng L, Zhang B, Liu H, Wang S, Cai Y, Yang K, Zou Z, Jiang X, Liu Z, Li W, Wu Z, Liu X, Chu Q, Liu GH*, Qu J*, Zhang W (last corresponding author)*. A comparative study of metformin and nicotinamide riboside in alleviating tissue aging in rats. Life Medicine. 2022. 2(1):lnac045.

17. Ma S, Sun S, Geng L, Song M, Wang W, Ye Y, Ji Q, Zou Z, Wang S, He X, Li W, Rodriguez Esteban C, Long X, Guo G, Chan P, Zhou Q, Belmonte JC*, Zhang W (co-corresponding author)*, Qu J*, Liu GH*. Caloric Restriction Reprograms the Single-Cell Transcriptional Landscape of Rattus Norvegicus Aging. Cell. 2020. 180(5):984-1001.

18. Zhang W (first author)#, 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 GH*, Hu B*. SIRT6 Deficiency Results in Developmental Retardation in Cynomolgus Monkeys. Nature. 2018. 560(7720):661-665.

19. Zhang W (first author)#, 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 GH*, Belmonte JCI*. A Werner syndrome stem cell model unveils heterochromatin alterations as a driver of human aging. Science. 2015. 348(6239):1160-8.

Review or Opinion

1. The X-Age Project to construct a Chinese aging clock. Nature Aging. 2025. 5(9):1669-1685.

2. The Aging Biomarker Consortium represents a new era for aging research in China. Nature Medicine. 2023. 29(9):2162-2165.

3. The quest to understand aging during and after COVID-19. Cell Stem Cell. 2021. 28(5):805-807.

4. The ageing epigenome and its rejuvenation. Nature Reviews Molecular Cell Biology. 2020. 21(3):137-150.

Individual awards

2024 Zhong Nanshan Youth Science and Technology Innovation Award

2024 Beijing Outstanding Young Scientist Fund

2024 Outstanding Mentor of Chinese Academy of Sciences

2021 Outstanding Young Researcher in Stem Cells

2021 Outstanding Member of the Youth Innovation Promotion Association of the Chinese Academy of Sciences

2018 National Natural Science Foundation of China Excellent Youth Fund

2015 China Association for Science and Technology Young Talent Support Project

Collective Awards

2025 Top 10 Scientific Advances in Life Sciences of China

2024 Top 10 Scientific Advances in Life Sciences of China

2023 Top 10 Scientific Advances in Life Sciences of China

2023 Top 10 Scientific Advances of China​

2020 Top 10 Scientific Advances in Life Sciences of China

2020 Top 10 Scientific Advances of China​

2018 Top 10 Scientific Advances in Life Sciences of China