Lai-Xi Wang

Lai-Xi Wang is a Distinguished University Professor in the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry at the University of Maryland, College Park. His research focuses on glycobiology, synthetic carbohydrate chemistry, and antibody engineering, with applications in vaccine development and cancer therapy. He holds affiliations including the Institute of Human Virology and the University of Maryland School of Medicine, and has served in leadership roles such as Chair of the Gordon Research Conference on Carbohydrates.

• Education: PhD from Shanghai Institute of Organic Chemistry (1991), followed by postdoctoral work at Johns Hopkins University (1994) and MIT (1997).

Research interests span glycan structure-function relationships, antibody glycoengineering, and carbohydrate-based HIV vaccine design. His lab employs interdisciplinary approaches combining organic chemistry, molecular biology, and immunology.

Awards include Fellowships from the National Academy of Inventors (2023), American Chemical Society (2019), and AAAS (2014), as well as the Melville L. Wolfrom Award in Carbohydrate Chemistry (2014).

• Students: Has mentored 25 postdoctoral fellows, 10 PhD students, and 16 undergraduates.

Current projects include chemoenzymatic glycoprotein synthesis, antibody glycan engineering to enhance therapeutic efficacy, and HIV vaccine development targeting glycan-dependent antigens.