The hematopoiesis is precisely regulated by multiple factors. Any improper dysregulation in this process will cause developmental defects or severe hematological diseases. Identification of key regulatory factors in hematopoietic stem cell (HSC) development is critical for fully understanding the molecular mechanisms, building up the regulatory network and thus providing new strategies for treatment of diseases. The Wang laboratory employs genetic approaches in zebrafish to identify and characterize key factors that regulate HSC emergence, expansion, and function in vivo. To evaluate the evolutionary conservation and translational relevance of these factors, we utilize complementary models, including human iPSC in vitro differentiation and murine in vivo functional analyses.
Ph.D., Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China, 2009-2013
M.S., University of Science and Technology Beijing, Beijing, China, 2007-2009
B.S., Jiangsu University, Jiangsu, China, 2003-2007
Professor, Institute of Hematology and Blood Diseases Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, 2019-
Associate professor, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 2016-2019
Postdoctoral fellow, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 2013-2016
PRINCIPAL HONORS, AWARDS:
2025 Zeiss - Zebrafish Scientific Research Award - Outstanding Young Scholar Award
2022 The 9th Youth Science and Technology Award of the Chinese Zoological Society
SELECTED PUBLICATIONS:
(*corresponding author, #co-first author)
1. Jiani Guo#, Mengyao Liu#, Feng Liu, Lu Wang*. Jund orchestrates cis-regulatory element dynamics to facilitate endothelial-to-hematopoietic transition. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2025 Jun 10;122(23):e2426714122.
2. Fan Liu#, Mengke Wang#, Suwei Gao#, Gege Song, Mengyao Liu, Ying Li, Piao Sun, Weiyi Lai, Hailin Wang, Yun-Gui Yang*, Feng Liu*, Ying Yang*, Lu Wang*. RNA m5C methylation mediated by Ybx1 ensures hematopoietic stem and progenitor cell expansion. Cell Reports, 2025 Feb 25;44(2):115324.
3. Ying Li#, Can Li#, Mengyao Liu, Shicheng Liu, Feng Liu*, Lu Wang*. The RNA-binding protein CSDE1 promotes hematopoietic stem and progenitor cell generation via translational control of Wnt signaling. Development, 2023 Nov 1; 150(21): dev201890.
4. Xia J#, Liu M#, Zhu C, Liu S, Ai L, Ma D, Zhu P, Wang Lu*, Liu Feng*. Activation of lineage competence in hemogenic endothelium precedes the formation of hematopoietic stem cell heterogeneity. Cell Res. 2023 Jun;33(6):448-463.
5. Li Y#, Tang C#, Liu F, Liu F, Zhu P*, Wang L*. DNA methylation safeguards endothelial-to-hematopoietic transition by repression of Notch signaling. Development. 2022 May 15;149(10):dev200390. doi: 10.1242/dev.200390.
6. Lv P#, Ma D#, Gao S#, Zhang Y#, Bae YK#, Liang G, Gao S, Choi JH, Kim CH, Wang L*, Liu F*. Generation of foxn1/Casper Mutant Zebrafish for Allograft and Xenograft of Normal and Malignant Cells. Stem Cell Reports. 2020 Sep 8;15(3):749-760.
7. Lu X, Zhang Y, Liu F*, and Wang L*. Rac2 Regulates the Migration of T Lymphoid Progenitors to the Thymus During Zebrafish Embryogenesis. J Immunol. 2020, 204(9):2447-2454.
8. Liu ZB, Tu HQ, Kang YS, Xue YY, Ma DY, Zhao CT, Li HY, Wang L*, Liu F*. Primary cilia regulate hematopoietic stem and progenitor cell specification through Notch signaling in zebrafish. Nature Commun. 2019, 10(1):1839.
9. Liu F, Liu F*, Wang L*. COVID-19 and cardiovascular diseases. J Mol Cell Biol. 2021. 13(3):161-7.
10. Yang Y#, Wang L#, Han X#, Yang WL#, Zhang M#, Ma HL, Sun BF, Li A, Xia J, Chen J, Heng J, Wu B, Chen YS, Xu JW, Yang X, Yao H, Sun J, Lyu C, Wang HL, Huang Y, Sun YP, Zhao YL, Meng A, Ma J*, Liu F* and Yang YG*. (2019) RNA 5-Methylcytosine Facilitates the Maternal-to-Zygotic Transition by Preventing Maternal mRNA Decay. Mol Cell. 2019, 75(6):1188-1202.
11. Wang L, Liu ZB, Lin H, Ma DY, Tao QH, Liu F*. Epigenetic regulation of left-right asymmetry by DNA methylation. EMBO J. 2017, 36(20):2987-97.
12. Zhang CX#, Chen YS#, Sun BF#, Wang L#, Yang Y#, Ma DY, Lv JH, Heng J, Ding YY, Xue YY, Lu XY, Xiao W, Yang YG*, Liu F*. m6A modulates haematopoietic stem and progenitor cell specification. Nature. 2017, 549(7671):273-76.
13. Wang L#, Liu TH#, Xu LJ#, Gao Y, Wei YL, Duan C, Chen GQ, Lin S, Patient R, Zhang B, Hong DL, Liu F*. Fev regulates hematopoietic stem cell development via ERK signaling. Blood. 2013, 122(3):367-75.
14. Ma DY#, Wang L#, Wang SF#, Gao Y, Wei YL, Liu F*. Foxn1 maintains thymic epithelial cells to support T-cell development via mcm2 in zebrafish. PNAS. 2012, 109(51):21040-5.
15. Wang L, Zhang PP, Wei YL, Gao Y, Patient R, Liu F*. A blood flow-dependent klf2a-NO signaling cascade is required for stabilization of hematopoietic stem cell programming in zebrafish embryos. Blood. 2011, 118(15):4102-10.