Dr. Wei Yan, an internationally recognized fertility researcher and former professor of medicine at the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, is the new director of Washington State University’s School of Molecular Biosciences.
Yan took over the position on Jan. 1, when he succeeded professor and former director Dr. Michael Griswold, who led the school two separate times, the first from 1999 to 2003 and the second from 2015 to 2023.
Yan, former director of the National Center for Reproductive Epigenomics and senior investigator at The Lundquist Institute for Biomedical Innovation at Harbor-UCLA Medical Center, said he joined WSU based on its esteemed Center for Reproductive Biology housed within the School of Molecular Biosciences.
“My decision to join WSU was driven by my long-standing familiarity with the university’s renowned reproductive biology program and strong commitment to creating a supportive, collaborative, and thriving environment for faculty, staff, and trainees,” Yan said. “I am excited to be here in Pullman.”
Dr. Wei Yan joined WSU based on its esteemed Center for Reproductive Biology housed within the School of Molecular Biosciences.
The School of Molecular Biosciences is housed within the College of Veterinary Medicine and focuses on research in reproductive and developmental sciences, infectious diseases, functional genomics, and DNA repair and chromosome structure.
Yan’s research centers on genetic and epigenetic regulation of fertility and contributions of gametes to reproduction, embryonic development, and health. His lab is currently working to understand how germ cells — sperms and eggs — are formed through a process known as gametogenesis.
“The overarching goal of our research is twofold: first, to assist patients struggling with infertility, and second, to prevent the transmission of genetic and non-genetic diseases through sperm and eggs, thereby promoting the health of future generations and making a lasting impact on both patient care and public health,” Yan said.
One of the most remarkable findings from his lab is that sperm and eggs not only deliver the DNA — the father’s and mother’s genomes — to the offspring, but also carry the instructions that regulate when and where genes are turned on or off.
Yan brings with him six members of his UCLA laboratory — Dr. Huili Zheng, senior research scientist; Dr. Zhuqing (Kyle) Wang, research assistant professor; Dr. Rubens DM Magalhães, bioinformatician; Hayden McSwiggin, PhD candidate; Rui Wang, bioinformatician; and Siying Meng, microinjectionist.
