Dr. Xiaowei Zhuang

Biography

Xiaowei Zhuang works in the areas of single-molecule biology and bioimaging, developing imaging techniques to study biological systems quantitatively. The understanding of living organisms has greatly benefited from advancements in imaging tools. In particular, understanding the inner workings of cells requires imaging techniques that can achieve molecular-scale resolution, allowing for direct visualization of molecular interactions and processes within cells. Members of the Zhuang lab apply their diverse expertise in chemistry, physics, biology, and engineering to develop imaging methods that offer single-molecule sensitivity and nanometer-scale resolution, enabling dynamic imaging capabilities to meet various biological challenges. The lab further applies these tools to study a variety of biological problems, including how proteins and nucleic acids interact, how viruses infect cells, and how neurons compute. Zhuang received his B.S. degree in Physics from the University of Science and Technology of China and earned his Ph.D. in Physics from the University of California at Berkeley. He completed his postdoctoral training in biophysics at Stanford University. In 2001, he became an assistant professor at Harvard University and was promoted to associate professor in 2005 and to full professor in 2006. He joined the Howard Hughes Medical Institute as an investigator in 2005.

Research Interests

Experience