UCLA virologist Xia Xian joins Wuhan lab studying highly pathogenic virus

Rising star scientist leaves US and returns to his alma mater where he will research viruses that can cause life-threatening diseases

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The research interests of Xia Xian, formerly a project scientist at the University of California, Los Angeles, cover structural biology, virology and pathogenic microorganisms. Photo: Handout

Published: 10:00am, 1 Feb 2026Updated: 4:29pm, 1 Feb 2026

Xia Xian, a virologist who was formerly a project scientist at the University of California, Los Angeles, has left the United States to take up a position studying highly pathogenic viruses – those with a strong ability to cause severe disease or illness – at his alma mater, Wuhan University, in central China.

According to the university’s website, Xia became a full-time research professor and principal investigator in November at the College of Life Sciences and the State Key Laboratory of Virology and Biosafety, also known in Chinese as the National Key Laboratory of Highly Pathogenic Viruses and Biosafety.

Approved for establishment in December 2024, the laboratory is jointly hosted by the Wuhan Institute of Virology and Wuhan University. Its focus is on the mechanisms of deadly viral infection, novel immunological strategies and other innovations.

Xia, whose research covers structural biology, virology and pathogenic microorganisms, conducted postdoctoral research at UCLA from 2018 to 2024.

Specifically, the virologist has long focused on the structural and functional relationships of protein complexes associated with pathogenic microorganisms and human diseases.

This process involves techniques such as single-particle cryo-electron microscopy (cryo-EM) and cryo-electron tomography (cryo-ET), according to his university profile.

Last year, he led a study that applied cutting-edge atomic imaging and AI-driven modelling to create the most detailed 3D map yet of the flagellum of Trypanosoma brucei, the single-celled parasite that causes sleeping sickness.

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UCLA virologist Xia Xian joins Wuhan lab studying highly pathogenic virus

.css-1c6uqr6{color:inherit;font-weight:inherit;font-size:inherit;font-family:inherit;line-height:inherit;overflow-wrap:break-word;}Rising star scientist leaves US and returns to his alma mater where he will research viruses that can cause life-threatening diseases

Rising star scientist leaves US and returns to his alma mater where he will research viruses that can cause life-threatening diseases