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| Resume: |
Dr. Zhai Weiwei is the principle investigator of the Evolutionary and Population Genomics lab at Institute of Zoology (IoZ), Chinese Academy of Sciences.He had his undergraduate training from University of Science and Technology of China (USTC) from 1997-2002. He then obtained his master in Biometry and Ph.D in Population Genetics from Cornell University (2002-2004, with Rasmus Nielsen) and University of California Berkeley (2004-2008, with Montgomery Slatkin). With a short postdoc at Berkeley (with Rasmus Nielsen), he came back to Beijing Institute of Genomics (BIG)，Chinese Academy of Sciences and worked with Prof Chung-I Wu as an associate investigator (2009-2013). In Sep 2013, he took on a PI position at Genome Institute of Singapore (GIS), ASTAR, Singapore. In 2018. 6, he returned back Beijing and started his new position at Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences. |
| Research Interests: |
Our lab focuses on using evolutionary and statistical approaches in understanding many interesting evolutionary processes. In particular, we are interested in understanding how adaptive evolution has driven the success of many model and non-model systems. Our research focuses on these three directions a). Methods for detecting adaptive evolution on large phylogenies. Using a method developed originally by Rasmus Nielsen known as the Mutational Mapping, we have extended the method to detect adaptive evolution on large phylogenetic trees (n>10,000 sequences). We focused on a specific process known as passage adaptation where viral strains are passaged in the culture media and strong convergent adaptive evolution occurs (Zhai et al 2007, Chen et al 2016 and 2019). b) Population Genetics of somatic cells and cancer genomics. In the past 10 years (since 2009), we started a new interdisciplinary area known as: Cell Population Genetics. The goal is to understand how cells in multi-cellular organism evolve. In particular, we have been interested in understanding the origin of tumor heterogeneity and tumor evolution in lung and liver cancers (Tao et al 2009, Hu et al 2013, Zhai et al 2017, Nahar*, Zhai*, Zhang* et al 2018). We want to take this study further to understand the evolution of somatic cells in general and evolutionary development. c) Empirical Population Genetics. Ever since graduate school, I have been interested in understanding the evolution of Humans (Green et al 2010), domesticated animals (e.g. dogs, Wang*, Zhai* et al 2013, Wang*, Zhai*, Yang*, Wang* et al 2016). At IoZ, we want to explore new model systems to understand species evolution and adaptation. |
| Awards and Honors: |
- 2010，AAAS Newcomb Cleveland Prize (Joint work on the Neanderthal project)
- 2012，Youth Innovation Promotion Association award
- 2017，Sanofi-Cell Research outstanding paper award of 2016 (joint work on dog evolution)
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| Selected Publications: |
- Chen J, Yang H, Teo ASM, Amer LB, Sherbaf FG, Tan CQ, Alvarez JJS, Lu B, Lim JQ, Takano A, Nahar R, Lee YY, Phua CZJ, Chua KP, Suteja L, Chen PJ, Chang MM, Koh TPT, Ong BH, Anantham D, Hsu AAL, Gogna A, Too CW, Aung ZW, Lee YF, Wang L, Lim TKH, Wilm A, Choi PS, Ng PY, Toh CK, Lim WT, Ma S, Lim B, Liu J, Tam WL, Skanderup AJ, Yeong JPS, Tan EH, Creasy CL, Tan DSW#, Hillmer AM#, Zhai W#. Genomic landscape of lung adenocarcinoma in East Asians. Nat Genet. 2020 Feb;52(2):177-186
- Xu M*, Yao Y*, Chen H*, Zhang S*, et al Zhai W#, Zeng YX#, Liu J#. Genome sequencing analysis identifies Epstein-Barr virus subtypes associated with high risk of nasopharyngeal carcinoma., Nat Genet. 2019 Jul;51(7):1131-1136. (co-corresponding author).
- Chen H, Alvarez JJS, Ng SH, Nielsen R, Zhai W. Passage adaptation correlates with the reduced efficacy of the influenza vaccine. Clinical Infectious Disease 2019 Sep 13;69(7):1198-1204.
- Zhai W*,#, Lim TK*, Zhang T*, Phang ST, Tiang Z, Guan P, Ng MH, Lim JQ, Yao F, Li Z, Ng PY, Yan J, Goh BK, Chung AY, Choo SP, Khor CC, Soon WW, Sung KW, Foo RS#, Chow PK# "The spatial organization of intra-tumour heterogeneity and evolutionary trajectories of metastases in hepatocellular carcinoma." Nat Commun 2017 Feb 27 ; 8 : 4565 (* Joint first, # Correspond ing authors)
- Chen H, Deng Q, Ng SH, Lee RT, Maurer-Stroh S, Zhai W "Dynamic Convergent Evolution Drives the Passage Adaptation across 48 Years' History of H3N2 Influenza Evolution." Mol Biol Evol 2016 Sep 7 Epub 2016 Sep 7
- Wang GD*, Zhai W*, Yang HC*, Wang L*, Zhong L, Liu YH, Fan RX, Yin TT, Zhu CL, Poyarko v 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 Res 2015 Dec 15 (* Equal contribution, Cover story)
- Hu Z, Fu YX, Greenberg AJ, Wu CI#, Zhai W# "Age-dependent transition from cell-level to population-level control in murine intestinal homeostasis revealed by coalescence analysis." PLoS Genet 2013 ; 9(2) : e1003326 Epub 2013 Feb 28 (# co-corresponding author)
- Zhai W, Nielsen R, Goldman N, Yang Z "Looking for Darwin in genomic sequences--validity and success of statistical methods." Mol Biol Evol 2012 Oct ; 29(10) : 2889-93 Epub 2012 Apr 3
- Green RE*, Krause J*, Briggs AW*, Maricic T*, Stenzel U*, Kircher M*, Patterson N*, Li H, Zhai W, Fritz MH, Hansen NF, Durand EY, Malaspinas AS, Jensen JD, Marques-Bonet T, Alkan C, Prüfer K, Meyer M, Burbano HA, Good JM, Schultz R, Aximu-Petri A, Butthof A, Hober B, Hoffner B, Siegemund M, Weihmann A, Nusbaum C, Lander ES, Russ C, Novod N, Affourtit J, Egholm M, Verna C, Rudan P, Brajkovic D, Kucan Z, Gusic I, Doronichev VB, Golovanova LV, Lalueza-Fox C, de la Rasilla M, Fortea J, Rosas A, Schmitz RW, Johnson PL, Eichler EE, Falush D, Birney E, Mullikin JC, Slatkin M, Nielsen R, Kelso J, Lachmann M, Reich D, Paabo S "A draft sequence of the Neandertal genome." Science 2010 May 7 ; 328(5979) : 710-22
- Zhai W, Nielsen R, Slatkin M "An investigation of the statistical power of neutrality tests based on comparative and population genetic data." Mol Biol Evol 2009 Feb ; 26(2) : 273-83 Epub 2008 Oct 14
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