Wen-Hsiung Li (Chinese: 李文雄; pinyin: Lǐ Wénxióng; born September 22, 1942) is a Taiwanese-American scientist working in the fields of molecular evolution, population genetics, and genomics. He is currently the James Watson Professor of Ecology and Evolution at the University of Chicago and a Principal Investigator at the Institute of Information Science and Genomics Research Center, Academia Sinica, Taiwan.

Wen-Hsiung Li
李文雄
Born
Wen Hsiung Li

(1942-09-22) September 22, 1942 (age 82)
Citizenship
Alma materChung Yuan Christian University
National Central University (MS)
Brown University (PhD)
Known forMale-Driven Evolution[3][4][5]
Molecular clock[6]
Genomics[7]
AwardsBalzan Prize for Genetics and Evolution (2003)[1]
Mendel Medal (2009)[2]
Scientific career
FieldsApplied mathematics
InstitutionsUniversity of Chicago
Academia Sinica
University of Texas
University of Wisconsin-Madison
ThesisMathematical Studies On Mutational Damages In Finite Populations (1972)
Doctoral advisorWendell Fleming
Other academic advisorsMasatoshi Nei
Doctoral studentsBrinda K. Rana
WebsiteLi Laboratory at University of Chicago
Wen Hsiung Li Profile at Academia Sinica

Biography

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Li was born in 1942 in Taiwan. In 1968 he received a M.S. in geophysics from National Central University. In 1972 he received his Ph.D in applied mathematics at Brown University in Providence, Rhode Island. From 1972 to 1973 he was a post-doctoral researcher at the University of Wisconsin Madison (genetics), working with James F. Crow. In 1973 he moved to the University of Texas, where he was appointed as a professor in 1984. Since 1998 he has been a professor at The University of Chicago.

Scientific contributions

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Li is best known for his studies on the molecular clock (i.e. rates and patterns of DNA sequence evolution[8]) and on the patterns and consequences of gene duplication.[9]

In 2003, he received the international Balzan Prize for his contribution to genetics and evolutionary biology, and was elected to the National Academy of Sciences, who cited his role in "establishing theoretical foundations for molecular phylogenetics and evolutionary genomics"[1]. He is the author of the first textbook in the field of molecular evolution, Molecular Evolution and Fundamentals of Molecular Evolution (co-authored with Dan Graur), and an author on more than 200 peer-reviewed publications.

Honors

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Selected publications

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Selected books

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  • Li, W.-H. (2006). Molecular Evolution. Sinauer. ISBN 0-87893-480-4.
  • Dan Graur; Wen-Hsiung Li (2000). Fundamentals of Molecular Evolution: Second Edition. Sinauer Associates, Inc. 1st edition. 1991.[11]

References

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  1. ^ "Balzan Prize for Genetics and Evolution". International Balzan Prize Foundation website. International Balzan Prize Foundation. Retrieved February 8, 2014.
  2. ^ "Mendel Medal". The Genetics Society website. The Genetics Society. Retrieved February 8, 2014.
  3. ^ Shimmin, L. C.; Chang, B. H. J.; Li, W. H. (1993). "Male-driven evolution of DNA sequences". Nature. 362 (6422): 745–7. Bibcode:1993Natur.362..745S. doi:10.1038/362745a0. PMID 8469284. S2CID 4345931.
  4. ^ Makova, K. D.; Li, W. H. (2002). "Strong male-driven evolution of DNA sequences in humans and apes". Nature. 416 (6881): 624–6. Bibcode:2002Natur.416..624M. doi:10.1038/416624a. PMID 11948348. S2CID 4386652.
  5. ^ "Males' DNA propels evolution, study says". Chicago Tribune. 11 April 2002. Retrieved June 1, 2014.
  6. ^ Lewin, R. (1985). "Molecular clocks scrutinized". Science. 228 (4699): 571. Bibcode:1985Sci...228..571L. doi:10.1126/science.3983640. PMID 3983640.
  7. ^ Li, W. H.; Gu, Z.; Wang, H.; Nekrutenko, A. (2001). "Evolutionary analyses of the human genome". Nature. 409 (6822): 847–9. Bibcode:2001Natur.409..847G. doi:10.1038/35057039. PMID 11237007.
  8. ^ Li, Wen-Hsiung; Tanimura, Masako (March 1987). "The molecular clock runs more slowly in man than in apes and monkeys". Nature. 326 (6108): 93–96. Bibcode:1987Natur.326...93L. doi:10.1038/326093a0. ISSN 1476-4687. PMID 3102974. S2CID 4368098.
  9. ^ Li, Wen-Hsiung; Gu, Zhenglong; Cavalcanti, AndreR.O.; Nekrutenko, Anton (2003-03-01). "Detection of gene duplications and block duplications in eukaryotic genomes". Journal of Structural and Functional Genomics. 3 (1): 27–34. doi:10.1023/A:1022644628861. ISSN 1570-0267. PMID 12836682. S2CID 10823014.
  10. ^ "SMBE Motoo Kimura Lifetime Contribution Award". Society of Molecular Biology and Evolution. Retrieved April 12, 2019.
  11. ^ Clegg, Michael T. (10 May 1991). "Review of Fundamentals of Molecular Evolution by Wen-Hsiung Li and Dan Graur". Science. 252 (5007): 864–865. doi:10.1126/science.252.5007.864.b. S2CID 239822185. p. 865
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