Lei Wang

Lei Wang is a Professor in the Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry at the UCSF School of Pharmacy. His research focuses on expanding the genetic code to incorporate unnatural amino acids into proteins for biological investigation and therapeutic development. He holds positions at the Cardiovascular Research Institute and the Helen Diller Family Comprehensive Cancer Center.

Education:

• PhD, University of California, Berkeley (2002)
• MSc, Physical Chemistry, Peking University (1997)
• Bachelor of Science, Organic Chemistry, Peking University (1994)

Research Interests:

Wang’s lab pioneers methods to expand the genetic code in cells and organisms, enabling the study of biological processes and the development of biotherapeutics. Key areas include proximity-enabled bioreactivity for covalent protein engineering, RF1 knockout in E. coli, and investigations into ion channels and GPCRs. His work bridges chemistry and biology to manipulate proteins with unprecedented precision.

Publications:

His recent work highlights covalent protein drugs, crosslinking techniques, and genetic code expansion in model organisms. These studies advance drug design, cellular imaging, and fundamental biological mechanisms.

Awards:

• 2021 Emil Thomas Kaiser Award (Protein Society)
• 2008 NIH Director’s New Innovator Award
• 2003 Young Scientist Award (Science/AAAS)
• Multiple industry and foundation grants

Advising & Grants:

He mentors students and postdocs in chemical biology, molecular biology, and cell biology. His lab receives funding from NIH, CIRM, and private foundations. Recent grants include the HDFCCC “Bridging the Gap” Award (2022).

Labs & Teams:

Wang’s lab is part of the UCSF Cardiovascular Research Institute, emphasizing interdisciplinary collaboration. Team members specialize in organic chemistry, molecular biology, and neuroscience.