Dr. Cong-Yi (CY) Wang

Principle Investigator and Scientific Director

Email

cwang@hbku.edu.qa

Phone

4-7078

Dr. Cong-Yi (CY) Wang

Principle Investigator and Scientific Director

Educational Qualifications

PhD in Medical Immunology

Experimental Medicine

Entity

Qatar Biomedical Research Institute

Division

Diabetes Research Center

Biography

Dr. Cong-Yi (CY) Wang is the Scientific Director of the Diabetes Research Center at the Qatar Biomedical Research Institute. He earned his Ph.D. in Medical Immunology from Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, China. He completed postdoctoral training in population genetics, genomics, and immunology of type 1 diabetes (T1D) at the University of Florida under Dr. Noel Maclaren, a pioneer in endocrinology and metabolism.

Dr. Wang was later recruited as a tenure-track Assistant Professor at the Center for Biotechnology and Genomic Medicine, Medical College of Georgia (now Augusta University), where he studied genetic and environmental factors influencing T1D risk. He was also appointed Scientific Director of the Georgia Exoteric and Molecular Laboratories at the Medical College of Georgia Health Science Center after his tenure as Assistant Professor.

In 2014, Dr. Wang was recruited by the Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, as a tenured professor. At Tongji Hospital, he established the Center for Biomedical Research, Tongji Biobank, and the Tongji SPF Animal Center. He served as Director of the Center for Biomedical Research, Tongji Biobank, and the National Health Commission Key Laboratory of Respiratory Diseases, as well as Associate Director of Sponsored Program Administration.

Dr. Wang’s research focuses on the genetic and epigenetic mechanisms of type 1 and type 2 diabetes. His team investigates the crosstalk between different cell types and metabolic organs, by which he aims to identify diet-derived metabolites or small molecules that could be employed to prevent or treat metabolic disorders such as obesity and insulin resistance.

PhD in Medical Immunology

Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, China

2008

Experimental Medicine

Tongji Medical University, China

1989

  • The genetic and epigenetic factors underlying metabolic and autoimmune disorders
  • Diet-derived metabolites or small molecules for the prevention/intervention or treatment of metabolic or autoimmune disorders
  • The crosstalk between metabolic organs or organelles within the cells and their relevance to the development of metabolic disorders
  • The mechanisms underlying the recurrence of obesity following weight loss

Scientific Director

Diabetes Research Center, Qatar Biomedical Research Institute

2025 - Present

Principle Investigator

Diabetes Research Center, Qatar Biomedical Research Institute

2025 - Present

Visiting Professor

Department of Pharmacology, University of Hong Kong

2025 - Present

Professor and Director

The Center for Biomedical Research, Tongji Hospital, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, China

2014 - 2025

Associate Professor

The Center for Biotechnology and Genomic Medicine, Georgia Regents University, Georgia

2007 - 2010

Assistant Professor

The Center for Biotechnology and Genomic Medicine, Georgia Regents University, Georgia

2002 - 2007

Zhou, Q., Gao, J., Wu, G., Wang, C., Huang, T., Wang, Y., Gao, Z., Xie, H., Xiang, K., Zhang, W., Zhang, T., Kong, W., Xiong, F., Zhang, S., Yu, Q., Fan, X., Liu, S., Liu, Y., & Wang, C.-Y. (2025). Adipose progenitor cell-derived exosomal miR-145a-5p orchestrates macrophage program to alleviate midlife obesity. Nature Communications.

Wang, Y., Xie, H., Liu, Q., Wang, N., Zhu, J., Dong, R., Wang, Y., Sun, F., Gao, J., Gao, Z., Huang, T., Liu, X., Yu, Q., Wang, T., Li, Y., Song, D., Luo, X., Liu, S., Zhang, S., Yin, H., Kong, W., & Wang, C.-Y. (2025, January 27). Inhibition of Kdm2a in skeletal muscle improves the metabolic capability and flexibility against the challenge of metabolic stress. Nature Metabolism.

Luo, J., Wang, F., Zhao, J., Yang, C., Rong, S., Lu, W., Chen, Q., Zhou, Q., Xiao, J., Wang, Y., Luo, X., Li, Y., Song, D., Zhang, S., Chen, S., Yang, P., Xiong, F., Yu, Q., Zhang, S., Sun, F., & Wang, C.-Y. (2024). Protein disulfide isomerase 3 (PDIA3) potentiates macrophage-mediated inflammation in obesity by regulating the RhoA-YAP signaling. Cell Metabolism, 36(10), 2262–2280.e5.

Yang, C.-L., Wang, F.-X., Luo, J.-H., Rong, S.-J., Lu, W.-Y., Chen, Q.-J., Wang, T., Song, D.-N., Liu, J., Mo, Q., Chen, Y., Liu, Y.-J., Yan, T., Gu, W.-K., Zhang, S., Xiong, F., Yu, Q.-L., Zhang, Z.-Y., Liu, S., Eizirik, D., Dong, L.-L., Sun, F., & Wang, C.-Y. (2024). PDIA3 orchestrates effector T cell program by regulating STAT1 and PKM2 cytoplasm-to-nucleus shuttling. Molecular Therapy.

Zhang, J., Zou, Y., Chen, L., Xu, Q., Zhou, Q., Luo, X., Liu, Q., Li, Y., Zhang, S., Xiong, F., Yang, P., Sun, F., Yang, T., Weng, J., Eizirik, D. L., Yan, J., Zhou, Z., & Wang, C.-Y. (2023). A functional variant in Myo9b confers genetic susceptibility to type 1 diabetes by regulating dendritic cell metabolism and function. Nature Communications, 14(1), 5977.

  • 2023; The third prize award, Translational Research, Health Committee of Hubei State
  • 2021; The first prize award, Translational Research, Health Committee of Hubei State
  • 2019; The 11th Top Talent Scientist Award, Qiaokou, Wuhan, China
  • 2011; Professor, The One Hundred Talented Scientist program in Hubei State
  • 2011; Professor, Chutian Scholar Program, Hubei