Speaker

Dr. LIANG Bill Wenqing is co-founder, the chairperson of the Board, an executive Director and the chief executive officer of CF PharmTech. He had over two decades of experience in the pharmaceutical and related investment industries. Dr. LIANG obtained a Ph.D. in molecular and cellular biology from the University of Massachusetts in the United States in 1996. After obtaining his doctorate degree, Dr. LIANG pursued his professional career as a post-doctoral fellow at Harvard Medical Schoo. Dr. LIANG also obtained an MBA from University of Southern California in the United States in May 2001.

Dr. Xitong Liang is an Assistant Professor at the School of Life Sciences, Peking University, and an Investigator at the IDG/McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Center for Quantitative Biology, and Peking-Tsinghua Center for Life Sciences. He received B.S. in Biology from Peking University and Ph.D. in Neuroscience from Washington University in St. Louis, USA. Dr. Liang conducted his postdoctoral research with Prof. Gilles Laurent at the Max Planck Institute for Brain Research in Germany. Using cephalopods (e.g., octopus, squid, and cuttlefish) as a novel model system, his research explores the diversity and evolution of animal behavior, AI for neuroscience, and brain-inspired AI.

Dr. Jinzhong Lin is a Professor at Fudan University, where he leads the Fudan Center for mRNA Translational Research and the Shanghai Zhangjiang mRNA Innovation and Translation Center. He received his Ph.D. in Biophysics from the Chinese Academy of Sciences and completed his postdoctoral training at Yale University with Nobel Laureate Thomas Steitz. Dr. Lin’s research focuses on the molecular mechanisms of mRNA translation. His group has established a fully reconstituted human in vitro translation system and combines biochemical, structural, and synthetic biology approaches to dissect how mRNA elements and translation factors regulate protein synthesis. These mechanistic insights form the foundation for rational mRNA design in therapeutics. Since returning to China in 2017, Dr. Lin has also played a leading role in mRNA drug development. He established the nation’s first academic mRNA drug development center and led the development of China’s first mRNA COVID-19 vaccine, which completed Phase III clinical trials and received emergency use authorization. He has authored over 60 peer-reviewed publications, advancing both fundamental RNA biology and its translational applications.

Managing Director, CR CP Life Science Fund

Mr. Liu is now the Managing Director of the CR CP Life Science Fund, whose shareholders, CR Group and CP Group are on the Fortune Global 500 List. Before that, Mr. Liu was the Business Director of the Strategic Management Department at CR Group, responsible for strategic research and project investment in life science and technology; and as Senior Director of China Resources Pharmaceutical Group Co., Ltd. (HK: 03320), responsible for business development and international cooperation. He has also served as the Senior Director of China Resources Pharmaceutical Business Group, the General Manager of China Resources Pharmaceutical Airport (Beijing) International Trading Co., Ltd., the Deputy General Manager of Beijing Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd., and the COO of Zhoulin Bio-spectrum Technology Co., Ltd. Prior to 2004, Mr. Liu was a pharmacy manager at CVS Group in the United States, and worked at the New York Healthcare Group as a clinical pharmacist.

Pengtao Liu is a biologist and geneticist. He earned a BS degree from Henan Normal University and an MPhil from the Institute of Genetics, Chinese Academy of Sciences. Pentao pursued his studies in human genetics at Baylor College of Medicine under the guidance of Professor James Lupski, where he obtained his Ph.D. supervised by Professor Allan Bradley. Following a postdoctoral training at the National Cancer Institute in the USA with Professor Neal Copeland and Nancy Jenkins, Pentao joined the faculty of the Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute in Cambridge, U.K. He currently serves as a professor at the University of Hong Kong and leads InnoHK Centre for Translational Stem Cell Biology, focusing on advancing stem cell technologies, producing clinically relevant cell products, and screening drug candidates.

Pentao’s group have developed a highly efficient six-factor method for rapidly reprogramming somatic cells into iPSCs, discovered a novel type of cancer cell-killing cell, and successfully derived expanded potential stem cells from preimplantation embryos of various mammalian species. These unique stem cells exhibit broader developmental potential compared to other pluripotent stem cell types, demonstrating genetic and epigenetic stability. They are being investigated for applications in understanding human cell lineage development, drug screening, cell-based therapies, and agriculture.

Dr. Liu is an experienced biotechnologist, virologist, biochemist, and serial entrepreneur. He leads the Avirmax team to innovate, develop, and manufacture the next generation of AAV gene therapeutics (NGAGT) for eye diseases. Prior to Avirmax, Dr. Liu was the chief scientist of biological development in Bayer Pharmaceuticals. Dr. Liu was a cofounder and the president of Abmaxis, Inc. which was acquired by Merck in 2006. Dr. Liu was the group leader of Genentech BSL-3 Virology Lab. He developed many bioprocess technologies implemented in biologics manufacturing. In the past 30 years, he played important roles in the innovation, development, manufacturing, and regulatory submissions of 35 biologic products, including AAV genetic products, out of which 10 are widely used biologics in the market. He co-discovered and characterized a new virus, the rabbit hemorrhagic disease virus (RHDV), and the rabbit calicivirus in 1984.

Dr. Liu received his Ph.D. in Biochemistry from Kansas State University and his post-doctoral training with Dr. Arthur Kornberg (Nobel Laureate), Stanford University. Dr. Liu is a member of ASGCT, AAO, ARVO, and an advisor of the Bioengineering Department of Santa Clara University.

Dr. Shoupeng Liu received a B.Sc. Degree in Physics from Beijing Normal University, and a master’s degree from the Institute of Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS). She then went to the University of Konstanze, Germany, where she earned her Ph.D. in Physics. After her postdoctoral research at the University of Notre Dame, U.S.A., she returned to China to join the Suzhou Institute of Biomedical Engineering and Technology (SIBET), CAS, in 2014. She was a professor in the Medical Electronics Laboratory and one of the founders of the Science partner journal BMEF. She is now working in the Science Beijing office and responsible for outreach and training activities in Asia.

Dr. Will Liu is the Managing Director of Bioventures at BeOne Medicines. He and team create, incubate, and invest in biotech startups at BeOne Venture Labs. Building on 28 years of experience in venture capital, pharmaceutical and biotech industry, Dr. Liu co-conceived the Venture Labs’ business model at BeOne. Along with a highly capable scientific team, he has helped scientists and entrepreneurs to turn their original ideas into multiple fledgling biotech startups. Prior to starting the BeiGene Venture Labs, Dr. Liu was a Partner at Eight Roads Ventures focusing on the investment of early-stage biotech companies. In addition to generating high investment returns, he also fostered multiple highly successful biotech companies including Structure Therapeutics and Insilico Medicine. Before becoming a venture capitalist, Dr. Liu spent 20 years in the pharma industry. His industrial experience ranges from R&D to business development, including various important roles at MNC pharmaceutical companies, such as the Head of Worldwide BD for Neuroscience at GSK, and China Head of External Innovation at Merck KGaA. Dr. Liu graduated from Nankai University in China and holds a PhD degree in Chemistry from the University of Michigan.

Dr. Liu Xing obtained his Ph.D. in Biochemistry from The Chinese University of Hong Kong. After that, he engaged in the technology and testing industry. In 2017, he joined BGI Group, a world-leading institution in life science, and is committed to providing affordable precision medicine and public health solutions for local society. In 2022, he was awarded the Chief Executive’s Commendation for Community Service of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region for his contributions during the epidemic. He is a Member of Chongqing Youth Federation. He serves as panelist of Expert Review Panel of Logistics and Supply Chain MultiTech R&D Centre and public adviser of Panel of Film Censorship Advisers.

Yong Liu, PhD., Deputy Dean, School of Artificial Intelligence, Beijing University of Posts and Telecommunications

Dr. Yong Liu is a professor at Beijing University of Posts and Telecommunications. He received his PhD from the Institute of Automation, Chinese Academy of Sciences (CASIA) in 2008 and obtained his MSc from Beijing University of Technology in 2005. From June 2008 to January 2021, he worked at CASIA as an assistant/associate/full professor. He was a visiting scholar from April 2011 to March 2012 in the Brain Mapping Unit at the University of Cambridge.

To date, Dr. Yong Liu has authored more than 100 peer-reviewed journal articles (including Science Advances, eClinicalMedicine, Advanced Science, Brain, Biological Psychiatry, Science Bulletin) and has an h-index of 55. In recent years, Dr. Yong Liu’s work has focused on studying generalizable, reproducible, and neuroscientifically interpretable imaging biomarkers for Alzheimer’s Disease based on multi-center and multi-modal imaging.