Computational Biology Department

ZHANG Weiqi
zhangwq(AT)big.ac.cn

Biography & Introduction

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
2005–2011, Ph.D., Cell biology, Peking University
2001–2005, B.Sc., Bioengineering, Nanchang University

Research Fields

1. Mechanism of aging and aging-related diseases
2. Potential interventions and mechanisms to delay aging
3. Disease modeling and drug screening based on human pluripotent stem cells

Selected Publications

2025

1. 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.

2. 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.

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.

6. Geng L, Ping J, Wu R, Yan H, Zhang H, Zhuang Y, Ning T, Wang J, Liang C, Zhang J, Chu Q, Zhang J, Wen Y, Jing Y, Sun S, Qiao Q, Zhao Q, Ji Q, Ma S, Cai Y, Zheng Y, Zou Z, Diao Z, Li M, Zhang H, Hu J, Fu L, Kang W, Bai R, Zhao H, Zhang S, Ding Y, Lei J, Wang W, Ji Y, Gou B, Sun G, Yin J, Yan P, Li H, Wang Z, Ma S, Liu Z, Shan H, Wang Q, Cao T, Yang S, Wang C, Yang P, Fan Y, Ye Y, Hu J, Jiang M, Wang Y, Liu K, Li Y, Li Y, Li J, Ci W, Jin ZB, Fu X, Zhang X, Zhao G, Izpisua Belmonte JC, Wang S*, Song M*Zhang W (co-corresponding author)*, Qu J*, Liu GH*. Systematic profiling reveals betaine as an exercise mimetic for geroprotection. Cell. 2025. 188(19):5426-5428.

2024

7. 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.

8. 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.

9. 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.

10. 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.

11. 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

12. 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.

13. Sun S, Li J, Wang S, Li J, Ren J, Bao Z, Sun L, Ma X, Zheng F, Ma S, Sun L, Wang M, Yu Y, Ma M, Wang Q, Chen Z, Ma H, Wang X, Wu Z, Zhang H, Yan K, Yang Y, Zhang Y, Zhang S, Lei J, Teng ZQ, Liu CM, Bai G, Wang YJ, Li J, Wang X, Zhao G, Jiang T, Belmonte JCI, Qu J*Zhang W (co-corresponding author)*, Liu GH*. CHIT1-positive microglia drive motor neuron ageing in the primate spinal cord. Nature. 2023. 624(7992):611-620.

14. 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.

15. 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.

16. 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

17. 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.

18. 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.

19. 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.

20. Zhang W (first author)#, Zhang S#, Yan P#, Ren J#, Song M, Li J, Lei J, Pan H, Wang S, Ma X, Ma S, Li H, Sun F, Wan H, Li W, Chan P, Zhou Q, Liu GH*, Tang F*, Qu J*. A single-cell transcriptomic landscape of primate arterial aging. Nature Communications. 2020. 11(1):2202.

21. 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.

22. 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 clockNature 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.

Contact:
Tel:+86-10-8409-7843