1984年获兰州大学学士；

1987年获兰州大学硕士；

1994年荷兰Wageningen大学博士；

1996年美国Cold Spring Harbor实验室博士后；

1996-2000年新加坡国立大学分子农业生物学院博士后；

2000－2002年新加坡Temasek Life Sciences Laboratory高级科学家，植物生殖和棉花生物技术实验室主任；

2003年加入中国科学院遗传与发育生物学研究所；

2004年获中国科学院“百人计划”择优支持；

2004年国家杰出青年科学基金获得者。

植物生殖发育的分子遗传学，尤其是雌配子体和胚胎发育过程中细胞极性、细胞命运、细胞分化和雌雄配子细胞相互作用的分子遗传机制。其目标是利用拟南芥、水稻等模式植物来探讨发育生物学的基本问题，并以此为模式研究农作物基因功能。

研究主要集中在以下三个方面： 

1.生殖细胞分化的分子机理 

利用Gene Trap和Enhancer Trap等插入突变系统和激光共聚焦显微技术，通过对配子体突变体的遗传分析和基因克隆，研究植物雌配子体发育的遗传调控机制，了解植物有性生殖过程中的基因调控及分子机理。 

2.雌雄生殖细胞识别与受精的分子机理

通过分子遗传学和细胞生物学等多学科手段，研究花粉管定向生长和雌雄生殖细胞识别和相互作用的分子机理。 

3.农作物重要农艺性状的生物技术改良

利用功能基因组学方法，克隆重要功能基因并研究其作用机理，建立农作物快速有效的遗传转化实验系统，通过转基因技术改良农作物。

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2. Li H.J., Xue Y., Jia D.J., Wang T., Shi D.Q., Liu J., Cui F., Xie Q., Ye D., and Yang W.C. (2011). POD1 regulates pollen tube guidance in response to micropylar female signaling and acts in early embryo patterning in Arabidopsis. Plant Cell DOI:10.1105/ tpc.111.088914

3. Shi, D.Q. and Yang, W.C. (2011). Ovule development in Arabidopsis: progress and challenge. Curr Opin Plant Biol 14:74-80.

4. Li, H.J., Liu, N.Y., Shi, D.Q., Liu, J., and Yang, W.C. (2010). YAO is a nucleolar WD40-repeat protein critical for embryogenesis and gametogenesis in Arabidopsis. BMC Plant Biology 10:169.

5. Liu, M., Shi, D.Q., Yuan, L., Liu J., and Yang, W.C. (2010). SLOW WALKER3, encoding a putative DEAD-box RNA helicase, is essential for female gametogenesis in Arabidopsis. J Integrat Plant Biol 52: 817-828.

6. Yang, W.C., Shi, D.Q., and Chen, Y.H. (2010). Female gametophyte development in flowering plants. Annu Rev Plant Biol61:89–108.

7. Deng, Y., Dong, H., Mu, J., Ren, B., Zheng, B., Ji, Z., Yang, W.C., Liang, Y., and Zuo, J. (2010). Arabidopsis histidine kinase CKI1 acts upstream of HISTIDINE PHOSPHOTRANSFER PROTEINS to regulate female gametophyte development and vegetative growth. Plant Cell 22: 1232–1248.

8. Shi, D.Q. and Yang, W.C. (2009). Pollen germination and tube growth. In Plant Developmental Biology – Biotechnological Perspectives (eds. E.C. Pua and M.R. Davey), Springer-Verlag, Heidelberg. Vol. I, pp245-282.

9. Li, N., Yuan, L., Liu, N., Shi, D., Li, X., Tang, Z., Liu, J., Sundaresan, V., and Yang， W.C. (2009). SLOW WALKER2, a NOC1/MAK21 homologue, is essential for coordinated cell cycle progression during female gametophyte development in Arabidopsis. Plant Physiology 151: 1486-1497.

10. Ruan, M.B., Zhao, Y.T., Meng, Z.H., Wang, X.J., and Yang W.C. (2009). Conserved miRNA analysis in Gossypium hirsutum through small RNA sequencing. Genomics 94: 263-268.

11. Liu, M., Yuan, L., Liu, N.Y., Shi, D.Q., Liu, J., and Yang, W.C. (2009). GAMETOPHYTIC FACTOR1, involved in pre-mRNA splicing, is essential for megagametogenesis and embryogenesis in Arabidopsis. J Integrat Plant Biol 51: 261-271.

12. Liu, N.Y., Zhang, Z.F., and Yang, W.C. (2008). Isolation of embryo-specific mutants in Arabidopsis: Plant transformation. In Methods in Molecular Biology: Plant Embryogenesis (ed. M.F. Suarez and P.V. Bozhkov), pp91-100. Humana Press, Totowa, USA.

13. Liu, N.Y., Zhang, Z.F., and Yang, W.C. (2008). Isolation of embryo-specific mutants in Arabidopsis: Genetic and phenotypic analysis. In Methods in Molecular Biology: Plant Embryogenesis (ed. M.F. Suarez and P.V. Bozhkov), pp101-109. Humana Press, Totowa, USA.

14. Pu, L., Li, Q., Fan, X.P., Yang, W.C., Xue, Y.B. (2008). A R2R3 MYB transcription factor GhMYB109 is required for cotton fiber development. Genetics 180:811-820.

15. Wang, F., Shi, D.Q., Liu, J., and Yang, W.C. (2008). Novel nuclear protein ALC-INTERACTING PROTEIN1 is expressed in vascular and mesocarp cells in Arabidopsis. J Integrat Plant Biol 50: 918-927.

16. Liu, J., Zhang, Y., Qin, G., Tsuge, T., Sakaguchi, N., Luo, G., Sun, K., Shi, D., Aki, S., Zheng, N., Aoyama, T., Oka, A., Yang, W.C., Umeda, M., Xie, Q., Gu, H., and Qu L.J. (2008). Targeted degradation of the cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitor ICK4/KRP6 by RING-type E3 ligases is essential for mitotic cell cycle progression during Arabidopsis gametogenesis. Plant Cell 20: 1538-1554.

17. Chen, Y.H., and Li, H.J., Shi, D.Q., Yuan, L., Liu, J., Sreenivasan, R., Baskar, R., Grossniklaus, U., and Yang, W.C. (2007). The central cell plays a critical role for pollen tube guidance in Arabidopsis. Plant Cell 19: 3563-3577.

18. Escobar-Restrepo, J.M., Huck, N., Kessler, S., Gagliardini, V., Gheyselinck, J., Yang, W.C., and Grossniklaus, U. (2007). The FERONIA receptor-like kinase mediates male-female interactions during pollen tube reception. Science 317: 656-660.

19. Meng, Z.H., Liang, A.H., and Yang, W.C. (2007). Effects of hygromycin on cotton cultures and its application in Agrobacterium-mediated cotton transformation. In Vitro Cell Dev Biol-Plant 43: 111-118.

20. Song, X.F., Yang, C.Y., Liu, J., and Yang, W.C. (2006). RPA, a Class II ARFGAP protein, activates ARF1 and U5 and plays a role in root hair development in Arabidopsis. Plant Physiology 141: 966-976.

21. Ding, Y.H., Liu, N.Y., Tang, Z.S., Liu, J., and Yang, W.C. (2006). Arabidopsis GLUTAMINE-RICH PROTEIN23 is essential for early embryogenesis and encodes a novel nuclear PPR motif protein that interacts with RNA polymerase II subunit III. Plant Cell 18: 815-830.

22. Chen, Y.H., Wu, X.M., Ling, H.Q., and Yang, W.C. (2006). Transgenic expression of DwMYB2 impairs iron transport from root to shoot in Arabidopsis thaliana. Cell Research 16: 830-840.

23. Yang, W.C. (2005). Female gametophyte development, In Handbook of Seed Science and Technology (ed. Basra, A.S.), pp.27-62. The Haworth Press, Inc. New York.

24. Yang, S.L., Jiang, L., Puah, C.S., Xie, L.F., Zhang, X.Q., Chen, L.Q., Yang, W.C., and Ye, D. (2005). Overexpression of TAPETUM ETERMINANT1 alters the cell fates in the Arabidopsis carpel and tapetum via genetic interaction with EXCESS MICROSPOROCYTES1/EXTRA SPOROGENOUS CELLS. Plant Physiology 139:186-191.

25. Shi, D.Q., Liu, J., Xiang, Y.H., Ye, D., Sundaresan, V., and Yang, W.C. (2005). SLOW WALKER1, essential for gametogenesis in Arabidopsis, encodes a WD40 protein involved in 18S ribosomal RNA biogenesis. Plant Cell 17: 2340-2354.

26. Li, X.B., Fan, X.P., Wang, X.L., Cai, L., and Yang, W.C. (2005). The cotton ACTIN1 gene is functionally expressed in fibers and participates in fiber elongation. Plant Cell 17: 859-875.

27. Jiang, J., Yang, S.L., Xie, L.F., Puah, C.S., Zhang, X.Q., Yang, W.C., Sundaresan, V., and Ye, D. (2005). VANGUARD1 encodes a pectin methylesterase that enhances pollen tube growth in the Arabidopsis style and transmitting tract. Plant Cell 17: 584-596.

28. Rotman, N., Durbarry, A., Wardle, A., Yang, W.C., Chaboud, A., Faure, J.-F., Berger, F., and Twell, D. (2005). A novel class of MYB factors controls sperm-cell formation in plants. Current Biology 15: 244-248.

29. Yang, S.L., Xie, L.F., Mao, H.Z., Puah, C.S., Yang, W.C., Lixi Jiang, L.X., Sundaresan, V., and Ye, D. (2003). The TAPETUM DETERMINANT 1 gene is required for cell specialization in the Arabidopsis anther. Plant Cell 15: 2792-2804.

30. Wu, X.M. Lim, S.H., and Yang, W.C. (2003). Characterization, expression and phylogenetic study of R2R3-MYB genes in orchid. Plant Mol Biol 51: 959-972.