Dr. Kun-Liang Guan is a distinguished molecular biologist and Chair Professor at Westlake University's School of Life Sciences, where he leads research on cellular signaling mechanisms related to organ development and cancer. Previously, he served as a Distinguished Professor of Pharmacology at the University of California, San Diego, and held faculty positions at the University of Michigan from 1992 to 2007. Born in Tongxiang, China in 1963, he received his Bachelor of Science from Hangzhou University before completing his doctoral studies at Purdue University in 1989 under Professor Henry Weiner. His career spans over three decades of impactful contributions to understanding cellular regulation mechanisms across leading research institutions in the United States before his recent return to China.
Dr. Guan's groundbreaking research has fundamentally advanced our understanding of critical cell signaling pathways, particularly the Hippo-YAP, mammalian Target of Rapamycin, and mitogen-activated protein kinase networks that govern cell growth, tissue homeostasis, and organ size regulation. His laboratory has published over 300 peer-reviewed articles with extraordinary impact, reflected in a Google Scholar H-index of 150, establishing him as one of the most cited researchers in molecular biology and genetics. His seminal work on protein phosphorylation mechanisms has provided crucial insights into tumorigenesis and cancer biology, with discoveries that have reshaped therapeutic approaches to multiple malignancies. The depth and breadth of his contributions across bacterial and viral pathogenesis, cancer biology, and metabolism have made his research foundational to modern molecular cell biology.
Beyond his scientific achievements, Dr. Guan has received numerous prestigious honors including the MacArthur Fellowship in 1998, widely regarded as the genius grant, and the American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology Young Investigator Award in 1999. Despite facing challenges including a two-year NIH funding suspension from 2019 to 2021 for failure to disclose foreign research support, he has demonstrated remarkable resilience in continuing his scientific pursuits. He has co-founded biotechnology companies including OncoImmune Inc. and Vivace Therapeutics, translating his basic research discoveries into potential therapeutic applications. Currently directing his laboratory at Westlake University, Dr. Guan continues to pioneer innovative approaches to understanding cell signaling dysregulation in cancer, mentoring the next generation of scientists, and strengthening international scientific collaboration between China and the global research community.
