Elected: 2021
Country (Nationality)
China
Discipline
Biosciences
Bio
Dr. Yang received his Ph.D. from University of Copenhagen, Denmark (1985-1988), and post-doctoral training in France (1988-1990) and the USA (1990-1994). He, as Chairman and co-founder of BGI-China which is regarded as one of the most important contributors to the genome research in the world, making a significant contribution to the International Human Genome Project (HGP, 1999-2003), the International HapMap Project (HapMap, 2002-2006), the International 1000 Genomes Project (G1K, 2008-2012), the International Cancer Genome Project (ICGP, 2008-present), the international collaboration on Yeast Genome Redesign and Synthesis (Sc2.0, 2011-2017), as well as sequencing and analyzing genomes of many other animals, plants, and microorganisms, with >600 publications in the internationally prestigious peer-reviewed journals, including >120 in Cell, Science, Nature and its series, with an H-index = 115 (Nov. 08, 2022).
Dr. Yang has been actively involved in international activities. He is the founder and Chair of the annual meetings of the International Conference on Genomics (ICG1-17) since 2006. He served as a member of the UNESCO’s International Bioethics Committee (IBC, 1998-2004) and an official representative of the Chinese Government in the Inter-Governmental Bioethics Committee (IGBC, 2004-2005), a member of the Expert Group on Biotech for the High Commissioner on Human Rights of the United Nations (2002-2003), a member of the WHO Working Groups (2002, 2005, etc.), as well as a member of the International Research Panel of the Presidential Commission for the Study of Bioethical Issues of the United States (2011-2014). Yang was also a member of the European Focus on Biotechnology in China (EFBIC, 2003-), and vice President of European Action on Global Life Sciences (EAGLS, 2005-). He is also Chair of the TWAS Advisory Committee on Covid (2021-present).