Weizhi Ji - Biography#

Prof. Weizhi Ji currently is a Member of Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), Professor and Director of the State Key Laboratory of Primate Biomedical Research, Institute of Primate Translational Medicine, Kunming University of Science and Technology. Upon graduation from Yunnan University in 1982, Prof. Ji worked at Kunming Institute of Zoology of CAS as a Principal Investigator till 2012, During this period, he served as a Director the institute between 1996-2005. From 1987 to 1989, Prof. Ji worked as a scientist at Oregon National Primate Research Center and the Smithsonian Institute. From 1995 to 1997, he worked at the University of Wisconsin as a visiting professor. From 1996-1998, Prof. Ji was named as the Director for China-US Joint Primate Biology Laboratory between Kunming Institute of Zoology, CAS and Wisconsin Primate Research Center, US.

During the last three decades Prof. Ji has been devoted to developing non-human primate disease models and to advance regenerative and developmental biology with the overarching aim to improve human health. His research has focused on the mechanisms of early embryo development regulation, stem cell pluripotency and nonhuman primate models for human neurodevelopmental and neurodegenerative diseases. He has established a world leading primate research platform encompassing cutting edge biotechnology ranging from in vitro fertilization, early embryonic development, gene editing to stem cell lines which allows a unique approach. His lab developed the first gene-modified rhesus and cynomolgus monkeys via Cas9/RNA-mediated gene targeting in 2014, first proved the feasibility to generate chimeric monkeys using ESCs in 2015 and succeeded in extending in vitro culture for monkey in 2019 and for human early embryos in 2020. These gives a rare opportunity to study the developmental events of gastrulation in primates and offers insights into the new discoveries of fundamental theories in embryonic development, stem cells and promotes the development of innovative treatment for neurodevelopmental disorders. Prof. Ji has been providing his expertise in the national committees for reproduction and development biology, stem cells research and has led a series of state key research projects by the Ministry of Science and Technology, China. His research has been published in internationally recognized journals, including Cell, Science, Nature, Cell Stem Cell, PNAS and others, among which the study of the first primates born with genomes engineered by precision gene-targeting methods published in Cell has been regarded as a milestone of animal disease model development and listed as one of the 10 technology breakthrough in 2014 by MIT Technology Review, Best Research Article of 2014 by Cell, one of the 8 Success in science of 2014 by Nature.