Scientists
Education and Appointments
Education
Ph.D. in Animal Genetics, Kunming Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences 1986-199
B. S. in Biochemistry, Fudan University 1982-1986
Professional Experience
Assistant Professor, Kunming Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences 1991-1992
Postdoctoral fellow, San Diego Zoo, Center for Reproduction of Endangered Species 1992-1995
Professor & Director, Laboratory of Cellular and Molecular Evolution, Kunming Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences 1995-2000
Vice Director, Kunming Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences 1996-2005
Director, Kunming Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences 2005-2012.4
Academician of the Chinese Academy of Sciences Distinguished Professor, Yunnan University 2003-
Academician of Third World Academy of Sciences (TWAS) 2007.11-
Director, State Key Laboratory of Genetic Resources and Evolution 2008-2016
Vice President, Chinese Academy of Sciences 2012.01-2024
Foreign academician of the European Academy of Sciences 2018-
Research Areas
1. Establishment and application of animal models of human social disorders
As the first domesticated animal, domestic dogs share potential mental diseases and disease-causing genes with humans and have cross-species social-emotional communication with humans. The research group focuses on major human mental diseases such as autism, obsessional disorder, and depression, and uses domestic dogs as the main animal model to explore the genetic basis and neurobiological mechanism affecting the behavior of social disorders, providing strong support for disease diagnosis, drug development, medical devices, and intervention treatment development.
2. Molecular basis of complex trait inheritance
During early domestication and recent rapid breed selection, domestic animals show abundant phenotypic diversity while the overall genetic diversity decreases, which provides key materials for studying the genetic mechanism of complex traits. The subject group uses emerging technologies such as population genomics, 3D genomics, single-cell mapping, gene editing and artificial intelligence to systematically and deeply analyze the molecular basis of complex trait inheritance mainly on important economic traits and advanced social behaviors of domestic animals. The related research work and its results will serve the seed industry innovation and large animal disease model creation and translational medicine application.
3. Genetic breeding and new variety creation
Focusing on the major strategic needs of the national "seed industry innovation", genetic and breeding research has been carried out for important domestic animals such as pigs and chickens, and new genes regulating important economic traits have been found. To study the effect of hybrid breeding system on the formation of phenotypic traits based on the resource genome interaction network of domestic animal breeds. Multi-omics techniques and methods were used to analyze the molecular regulatory network formed by traits. The construction of new molecular module breeding materials and the creation of new varieties were carried out by means of gene editing and core group precision design.
Supported Projects
Highlight active and recent major grants (last 5 years) . Include funding agency, project title , and period.
Funding Agency Project Title Role Period
1.National Natural Science Foundation of China (NSFC) project: “Evolutionary Innovation and Remodeling of Key Specialized Traits in Animals”, 2024.01-2028.12
2.STI2030-Major Projects, "Research on Neural Circuit Mechanism and Intervention of Social Disorder", 2021.12-2026.11
3.Kunming Spring City Plan High-level Innovation and Entrepreneurship Team Project "Animal Model and Translational Medicine Application", 2022.06-2027.05
4.Key Research and Development Program of Yunnan (202203AC100010) "Development and application of molecular detection and gene editing technology", 2022.01-2024.12
5.Key Research and Development Program task of the Ministry of Science and Technology "Molecular Regulatory Network for the Formation of High yield, high quality and High Efficiency Traits of Pigs", 2021.12-2026.11
Amount 5
Awards and Honors
List significant recognitions, fellowships, and honors :
Award/Honor Awarding Organization Year
International
Biodiversity Leadership Awards, Bay and Paul Foundations, USA, 2002
Domestic
National Prizes
Natural Science Prizes of China, Third Grade, 1997 (Cellular and Molecular Evolution of endemic and rare animals in China)
Natural Science Prizes of China, Second Grade, 2006 (Mitochondrial Genomic Diversity and History of Human Population in East Asia)
Natural Science Prizes of China, Second Grade, 2014 (Genomic diversity and the evolution of Asian populations)
Province Prizes
Natural Science Prizes of Yunnan Province, First Grade, 1996 (Molecular evolution of genus Macaca)
Natural Science Prizes of Yunnan Province, First Grade, 2001 (Study on the biology of Yunnan Snub-nosed monkey)
Natural Science Prizes of Yunnan Province, First Grade, 2005 (Mitochondrial Genomic Diversity and History of Human Population in East Asia)
Natural Science Prizes of Yunnan Province, First Grade, 2010 (Molecular Phylogeny of Eutheria (Placental Mammals)
Natural Science Prizes of Yunnan Province, Top Grade, 2013 (Genome Diversity and Evolution of Asian)
Natural Science Prizes of Yunnan Province, First Grade, 2013 (Molecular mechanism of adaptive evolution of animals)
Natural Science Prizes of Yunnan Province, First Grade, 2020 (Origin and domestication of domestic animals)
Individual Awards
Pacesetter for Young Scientists & Technologies of China, the Government of China, 1994
The 3rd Prizes for Young Scientists of China, the Government of China, 1996
Ho Leung Ho Lee Prize for Science and Technology, Ho Leung Ho Lee Foundation, 2004
Prizes for Innovation of Life Sciences (Conference of Global Chinese biological scientist), 2004
May 4th Youth Medal of China, 2004
Prizes of Outstanding Contribution for Science & Technologies of Yunnan Province, 2005
ChangJiang River Scholar Accomplishment Award, First Grade, 2006
The 2nd Achievement Award for Life Sciences of Tan Jiazhen, 2009
Publications
1. Ryder OA, McLaren A, Brenner S, Zhang YP, Benirschke K. (2000) Ecology - DNA banks for endangered animal species. Science,, 288:275-277. DOI: 10.1126/science.288.5464.275
2. Murphy WJ, Eizirik E, Johnson WE, Zhang YP, Ryder OA, O'Brien SJ. Molecular phylogenetics and the origins of placental mammals. Nature, 2001, 409:614-618. DOI: 10.1038/35054550
3. Zhang JZ, Zhang YP, Rosenberg HF. Adaptive evolution of a duplicated pancreatic ribonuclease gene in a leaf-eating monkey. Nature Genetics, 2002, 30:411-415. DOI:10.1038/ng852
4. Savolainen P, Zhang YP, Luo J, Lundeberg J, Leitner T. Genetic evidence for an East Asian origin of domestic dogs. Science, 2002, 298:1610-1613. DOI: 10.1126/science.1073906
5. Wang GD#, Zhai WW#, Yang HC#, Wang L#, Zhong L, Liu YH, Fan RX, Yin TT, Zhu CL, Poyarkov AD, Irwin DM, Hytonen MK, Lohi H, Wu CI, Savolainen P*, Zhang YP*. Out of southern East Asia: the natural history of domestic dogs across the world. Cell Research, 2016, 26:21-33. DOI: 10.1038/cr.2015.147
6. Wang MS#, Thakur M#, Peng MS#, Jiang Y#, Frantz LAF#, Li M, Zhang JJ, Wang S, Peters J, Otecko NO, Suwannapoom C, Guo X, Zheng ZQ, Esmailizadeh A, Hirimuthugoda NY, Ashari H, Suladari S, Zein MSA, Kusza S, Sohrabi S, Kharrati-Koopaee H, Shen QK, Zeng L, Yang MM, Wu YJ, Yang XY, Lu XM, Jia XZ, Nie QH, Lamont SJ, Lasagna E, Ceccobelli S, Gunwardana HGTN, Senasige TM, Feng SH, Si JF, Zhang H, Jin JQ, Li ML, Liu YH, Chen HM, Ma C, Dai SS, Bhuiyan AFH, Khan MS, Silva GLLP, Le TT, Mwai OA, Ibrahim MNM, Supple M, Shapiro B, Hanotte O, Zhang GJ, Larson G, Han JL*, Wu DD*, Zhang YP*. 863 genomes reveal the origin and domestication of chicken. Cell Research, 2020, 38: 693-701. DOI: 10.1038/s41422-020-0349-y
7. Xie HB#*, Wang LG#, Fan CY#, Zhang LC#, Adeola CA, Yin X, Zeng ZB*, Wang LX*, Zhang YP*. Genetic architecture underlying nascent speciation of Eurasian domestic pigs. Molecular Biology and Evolution, 2020, 38:3556-3566 DOI: 10.1093/molbev/msab117
8. Xie HB#, Yan C#, Adeola A.C.#, Wang K#, Huang CP#, Xu MM, Qiu Q, Yin X, Fan CY, Ma YF, Yin TT, Gao Y, Deng JK, Okeyoyin A.O., Oluwole O.O., Omotosho O,M.O. Okoro M.O.V, Omitogun G.O., Dawuda P.M., Olaogun S.C., Nneji L.M., Ayoola A.O., Sanke O.J., Luka P.D., Okoth E, Lekolool I, Mijele D, Bishop R.P., Han JL*, Wang W*, Peng MS*, Zhang YP*.African Suid Genomes Provide Insights into the Local Adaptation to Diverse African Environments. Molecular Biology and Evolution, 2022, 39(12):msac256. DOI: 10.1093/molbev/msac256
9. Dai SS#, Sulaiman X#, Isakova J#, Xu WF#, Abdulloevich NT, Afanasevna ME, Ibrohimovich KB, Chen X, Yang WK, Wang MS, Shen QK, Yang XY, Yao YG, Aldashev AA, Saidov A, Chen W, Cheng LF*, Peng MS*,Zhang YP*. The genetic echo of the Tarim mummies in modern Central Asians.Molecular Biology and Evolution, 2022,39(9):msac179. DOI: 10.1093/molbev/msac179
10. He Y#, Zhang X#, Peng MS#, Li YC#, Liu K#, Zhang Y, Mao L, Guo Y, Ma Y, Zhou B, Zheng W, Yue T, Liao Y, Liang SA, Chen L, Zhang W, Chen X, Tang B, Yang X, Ye K, Gao S, Lu Y, Wang Y, Wan S, Hao R, Wang X, Mao Y, Dai S, Gao Z, Yang LQ, Guo J, Li J, Liu C, Wang J, Sovannary T, Bunnath L, Kampuansai J, Inta A, Srikummool M, Kutanan W, Ho HQ, Pham KD, Singthong S, Sochampa S, Kyaing UW, Pongamornkul W, Morlaeku C, Rattanakrajangsri K; Consortium of Anthropological Research in Southeast Asia and Southwest China (CASEAC); Kong QP*, Zhang YP*, Su B*. Genome diversity and signatures of natural selection in mainland Southeast Asia. Nature, 2025,643(8071):417-426. DOI: 10.1038/s41586-025-08998-w
Collaborations and Networks
List key institutional, national, or international collaborations
Universities:
1.Yunnan University, To construct the main phylogenetic relationships of Drosophila family based on phylogenetic genomics (2015)
2.Yunnan University, Reproductive ecology and non-genetic polytype of Colocasiomyia gigantea species group (2016)
3.Yunnan University, Functional study of human TBC1D8B gene in cancer (2017)
4.Zhaotong University, Molecular evolution of the RNASE A superfamily in Cetartiodactyla (2017)
5.Yunnan University, Population genetics and biogeography of Hemiculter leucisculus (2018)
6.Jiaying University, Molecular mechanism of melanin deposition and breeding history of black-bone chicken in China revealed by population genome analysis (2018)
7.Sokoine University of Agriculture, African indigenous pig Genomics (2022)
Research Institutes:
1.KTH Royal Institute of Technology, Stockholm,Sweden. Dog domestication (2002-)
2. National Park Service Headquarters, Federal Capital Territory, Abuja, Nigeria. Guinea fowl genome project (2018)
3.National Park Service Headquarters, Federal Capital Territory, Abuja, Nigeria. African wild suid genomics (2019)
Member
Researchers
Dr. Min-Sheng Peng, Professor (pengminsheng@mail.kiz.ac.cn)
Dr. Hai-Bing Xie, Associate Professor (xiehb@mail.kiz.ac.cn)
Dr. Zhong-Yin Zhou, Associate Professor (zhouzhongyin@mail.kiz.ac.cn)
Dr. Yan-Hu Liu, Associate Professor (liuyanhu@mail.kiz.ac.cn)
Dr. Adeniyi C. Adeola, Associate Professor (chadeola@mail.kiz.ac.cn)
Dr. Jin-Xiu Li, Assistant Professor (lijinxiu@mail.kiz.ac.cn)
Dr. Jian-Bo Li, Research Assistant (lijianbo@mail.kiz.ac.cn)
Dr. Xian-Ci Xue, Research Assistant (xuexianci@mail.kiz.ac.cn)
Dr. Yun-Yu, Research Assistant (yuyun@mail.kiz.ac.cn)
Dr. Yi-Qiao Wu, Research Assistant (wuyiqiao@mail.kiz.ac.cn)
Dr. Cheng Ma, Research Assistant (macheng@mail.kiz.ac.cn)
Technicians
Dr. Yun Gao, Professor (gaoy@mail.kiz.ac.cn)
Dr. Ting-Ting Yin, Senior Engineering (yintingting@mail.kiz.ac.cn)
Ms. Chun-Ling Zhu, Experimentalist (zhucl@mail.kiz.ac.cn)
Mr. Jia-Kun Deng, Engineer (dengjiakun@mail.kiz.ac.cn)
Ms. Guo-Li Xie, Engineer (xieguoli@mail.kiz.ac.cn)
Ms. Shu-Run Zhang, Assistant Experimentalist (zhangshurun@mail.kiz.ac.cn)
Mr. Ru-Nian Wu, Assistant Engineer (wurunian@mail.kiz.ac.cn)
Ms. Yun-Chun Zhang, Assistant Engineer (zhangyunchun@mail.kiz.ac.cn)
Mr. Xiao-Yang, Assistant Engineer (yangxiao@mail.kiz.ac.cn)
Ms. Xuan-Jing Yu, Assistant Engineer (yuxuanjing@mail.kiz.ac.cn)
Mr. Zhao-Pu, Assistant Engineer (puzhao@mail.kiz.ac.cn)
Ms. Li-Jiao Gu, Assistant Engineer (gulijiao@mail.kiz.ac.cn)
Mr. Xie LZ, Assistant Engineer (xielinzhe@mail.kiz.ac.cn)
Graduate students
Doctoral students
SS Dai, 2017; C Yan, 2018; MM Xu, 2018; YD Zhang, 2018; YJ Li, 2019; X Wang, 2019; BW Zhou, 2019; L Odongo, 2019; J Li, 2020; X Liu, 2020; WJ Kong, 2020; R Wang, 2020; WT Qin, 2021; X Shi, 2021; TP Shi, 2021; L Tao, 2021; C Guo, 2021; YB Tong, 2022; YH Xiao, 2022; YL Yang, 2022; XY Jiang, 2022
Master students
FJ Wang, 2019; RR Wu, 2020; MT Ding, 2020; MN Cao, 2020; LS Liu, 2021; DJ Ceng, 2021; XC Song, 2021; AS Huang, 2022; X Chen, 2022; M Muthoni, 2022
