Personal Introduction

Dr. Gelin Wang is a Principal Investigator at Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine. She received her bachelor’s, master’s, and doctoral degrees from Wuhan University and has held academic and research positions at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Calico Life Sciences (an Alphabet-affiliated research company), and Tsinghua University School of Pharmaceutical Sciences. Her research focuses on the molecular mechanisms of aging and cell death, as well as the development of therapeutics for neurodegenerative diseases and cancer. Through her work, she has identified novel therapeutic targets and promising drug candidates. As corresponding or first author, Dr. Wang has published extensively in leading journals, including Cell, Molecular Cell, Cell Research, Nature Chemical Biology, Angewandte Chemie International Edition, Nature Communications, Genes & Development, PNAS, and Nature. She also holds multiple patents, several of which are advancing toward translational applications.

Publications

1. Zu,Y.#, Wu, C.#, Li, F.#, Yao, H.#, Xia, Y.#, Zhang, R.#, Li, L., Chen, S., Shi, Q., Xi, S., Pang, H., Liu, M., Wang, L., Terpack, S., Wang, W., Chen, S., Zhang, H., Wang, Y., Yang, M., Huang, S., Zhou, F., Tang, Y., Hu, Z., Fan, S., Tang, Y., Lee,Y. and Wang, G.* (2025). The NAMPT enzyme employs a switch that directly senses AMP/ATP and regulates cellular responses to energy stress. Molecular Cell 85, 2271–2286.

2. Yao, H.#, Liu, M.#, Wang, L.#, Zu, Y.#, Wu, C.#, Li, C., Zhang, R., Lu, H., Li, F., Chen, S., Gu, X., Liu, T., Yang, M., Hua, L., Tang Y.* and Wang, G.* (2022). Discovery of small-molecule activators of nicotinamide phosphoribosyltransferase (NAMPT) and their preclinical neuroprotective activity. Cell Research 32, 570-584.

3. Xiao, K.#, Zhang, N.#, Li, F.#, Hou, D.#, Zhai, X., Xu, W.*, Wang, G.*, Wang, H.*, Zhao, L.* (2022). Pro-oxidant response and accelerated ferroptosis caused by synergetic Au(I) release in hypercarbon-centered gold(I) cluster prodrugs. Nature Communications 13, 4669.

4. Wang, L. B.#, Liu, M. H.#, Zu, Y. M.#, Yao, H., Wu, C., Zhang, R. X., Ma, W. N., Lu, H. G., Hua, L., Wang, G.*, Tang, Y. F.* (2022). Optimization of NAMPT Activators to Achieve in vivo Neuroprotective Efficacy. European Journal of Medicinal Chemistry 236, 114260.

5. Lei, X. Q., Li, Y. H., Lai, Y., Hu, S. K., Qi, C., Wang, G.*, Tang, Y. F.* (2021). Strain-Driven Dyotropic Rearrangement: A Unified Ring-Expansion Approach to α-Methylene-γ-butyrolactones. Angew. Chem. Int. Ed. 60, 4221–4230.

6. Qi, C., Wang, X., Shen, Z., Chen, S., Yu, H., Williams, N. and Wang, G*. (2018). Anti-mitotic chemotherapeutics promote apoptosis through TL1A-activated death receptor 3 in cancer cells. Cell Research 28, 544-555. (cover story)

7. Wang, G.#, Han, T.#, Nijhawan, D., Theodoropoulos, P., Naidoo, J., Yadavalli, S., Mirzaei, H., Pieper, A.A., Ready, J.M.* and McKnight, S.L.* (2014). P7C3 neuroprotective chemicals function by activating the rate-limiting enzyme in NAD salvage. Cell 158, 1324-1334.

8. Wang, G.*, Wang, X., Yu, H., Wei, S., Williams, N.S., Holmes, D.L., Halfmann, R., Naidoo, J., Wang, L., Li, L., Chen, S., Harran, P., Lei, X.* and Wang. X.* (2013). Small-molecule activation of the TRAIL Receptor DR5 in human cancer cells. (*First and co-corresponding author) Nature Chemical Biology 9, 84-89. Commented by Stu Borman (2013). Small molecule makes cancer want to kill itself: agent is the first small molecule found to trigger death receptor on cancer-cell surfaces. Chemical & Engineering News, 91 (2): 37.

9. Li, F., Wu, C., Wang, G.* (2024). Targeting NAD metabolism for the therapy of age‐related neurodegenerative diseases. Neurosci. Bull. 40(2):218-240. (Invited review)

10. Gu, X., Yao, H., Kwon, I.*, Wang, G.* (2022). Small-molecule activation of NAMPT as a potential neuroprotective strategy, Life Medicine 1, 270–272. (Invited research highlight)

11. Cai, Y.#, Song, W.#, Li, J.#, Jing, Y.#, Liang, C.#, Zhang, L.#, Zhang, X.#, Zhang, W.#, Liu, B.#, An, Y.#, Li, J.#, Tang, B.#, Pei, S.#, Wu, X.#, Liu, Y.#, Zhuang, C.#, Ying Y.#, Dou, X.#, Chen, Y.#, Xiao, F.#, Li, D.#, Yang, R.#, Zhao, Y.#, Wang, Y.#, Wang, L.#, Li, Y.#, Ma, S.*, Wang, S.*, Song, X.*, Ren, J.*, Zhang, L.*, Wang, J.*, Zhang, W.*, Xie, Z.*, Qu, J.*, Wang, J.*, Xiao, Y.*, Tian Y.*, Wang G.*, Hu, P.*, Ye, J.*, Sun, Y.*, Mao, Z*, Kong, Q.*, Liu, Q.*, Zou, W.*, Tian, X.*, Xiao, Z.*, Liu, Y.*, Liu, J.*, Song, M.*, Han, J.* & Liu, G.* (2022). The landscape of aging. Sci China Life Sci 65, 2354–2454.

12. Wang, G., Shang, L., Burgett, A.W., Harran, P.G.*, Wang, X.* (2007). Diazonamide toxin reveals a novel function for Ornithine Amino Transferase in mitotic cell division. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA. 104, 2068-2073.

13. Jia, J.#, Amanai, K.#, Wang, G.#, Tang, J., Wang, B., Jiang, J*. (2002). Shaggy/GSK3 antagonizes Hedgehog signalling by regulating Cubitus interruptus. Nature 416, 548-552.

14. Wang, G. and Jiang, J.* (2004). Multiple Cos2/Ci complexes regulate Ci subcellular localization through microtubule dependent and independent mechanisms. Developmental Biology 268, 493-505.

15. Wang, G., Amanai, K., Wang, B., Jiang, J.* (2000). Interactions with Costal2 and suppressor of fused regulate nuclear translocation and activity of Cubitus interruptus. Genes & Development 14, 2893-2905.

16. Wang, G., Wang, B., Jiang, J.* (1999). Protein Kinase A antagonizes Hedgehog signaling by regulating both the activator and repressor forms of Cubitus interruptus. Genes & Development 13, 2828-2837.

17. Wang, G.*, Peng, Z., Shen, P. (2000). Cloning and overexpression of the tyrosinase mel gene from Pseudomonas maltophilia. (*First and corresponding author) FEMS Microbiology Letters 185, 23-27.

18. Xi, S., Zhang, J. Y., Guo, Z., Zu, Y. M., Liu, Y., Wang, G., Tang, Y. F.* (2022). Facile access to spiro[4,5]decanes through oxidative dearomatizationinduced ring expansion of cyclobutanes. Synthesis 54, 3962-3976.

19. Jesús-Cortés, H.D., Xu, P., Drawbridge, J., Estill, S.J., Huntington, P., Tran, S., Britt, J., Tesla, R., Morlock, L., Naidoo, J., Melito, L.M., Wang, G., Williams, N.S., Ready, J.M., McKnight, S.L., and Pieper, A.A.* (2012). Neuroprotective efficacy of aminopropyl carbazoles in a mouse model of Parkinson disease. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA. 109, 17010-17015.

20. Gao, S., Wang, Q., Wang, G., Lomenick, B., Liu, J., Fan, C.W., Deng, L.W., Huang, J., Lum, L., Chen, C.* (2012). The chemistry and biology of Nakiterpiosin – C-nor-D-Homos- teroids. Synlett 16, 2298-2310.

21. Zhang, W., Zhao, Y., Tong, C., Wang, G., Wang, B., Jia, J. and Jiang, J.* (2005). Hedgehog-regulated Costal2-kinase complexes control phosphorylation and proteolytic processing of Cubitus interruptus. Developmental Cell 8, 267-278.

22. Liu, Y., Wang, G., Zhao, R., Shen, P. and Qu, S.* (2005). Microcalorimetric study on the growth of Escherichia coli HB101 effected by recombinant plasmid. ACTACHIMI- CASINICA 63, 327-331.