Resume：

• Dr. Dawei LI is the Professor of the kiwifruit germplasm and breeding centre at Wuhan Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences. He has co-authored over 60 publications, including Molecular Plants, New Phytologist and Plant Biotechnology Journal, holds ten patents, published four monographs and one English chapter, and bred 15 kiwifruit varieties. His research on kiwifruit has received three first prizes from the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs of China, Chinese Academy of Sciences, and Science and Technology Department of Hubei Province, China.

   

  Education and qualifications:

  2022-present, Professor, Wuhan Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences

  2016-2017, Visiting Scholar, New Zealand Institute of Plant and Food Research

  2015-2022, Associate Researcher, Wuhan Botanical Garden, CAS

  2010-2015, Assistant Researcher, Wuhan Botanical Garden, CAS

  2005-2010, Ph.D., Wuhan/South China Botanical Garden, CAS,

  2001-2005, Bachelor, School of Life Science, Wuhan University

Professional specialty：

• The current research interests include (1) Kiwifruit Germplasm assessment and new cultivar breeding; (2) Gene functional studies (Ascorbic acid, trichome); and (3) Gene editing and molecular breeding.

Funded projects：

Academic service：

• 1.Member of Youth Innovation Promotion Association, Chinese Academy of Sciences
  2.Off-campus graduate tutor, Anhui Agricultural University of China
  3.Executive Director, Kiwifruit Branch of China Horticultural Society
  4.Scientific Committee of the 10.th International Kiwifruit Symposium
  5.Reviewer of New Phytologist, Plant Biotechnology Journal, Plant Physiology, etc.

Members：

Aawards and honors：

Major publications：

• 1. RenGang Zhang, Hang Zhao, Justin L. Conover, HongYun Shang, DeTuan Liu, MinJie Zhou, XiongFang Liu, KaiHua Jia, ShiCheng Shao, MengMeng Li, ChongYang Jin, YiHui Liu, XiaoYi Shen, DaWei Li^*, Martin A. Lysak^*, Jonathan F. Wendel^*, XiaoYang Ge*, YongPeng Ma^*. 2025. Reticulate allopolyploidy and subsequent dysploidy drive evolution and diversification in the cotton family. Nature Communications, 16(1):7480.
  2. Chengcheng Ling, Jun Yang, Jiale Xu, Wei Tang, Yunyan Liu, Yingzhen Wang, Pengwei Li, Yan He, Zhiyin Ouyang, Shuqi Chen, Fei Xing, Xinxin Wang, Pu Liu, Yajing Liu, Runze Wang, Xiaofen Liu, Xueren Yin, Heqiang Huo, Dawei Li, Jan Smalle, Yongsheng Liu，Songhu Wang*. 2025. Natural variation of AcEGY3 mediates chloroplastic ROS homeostasis to confer kiwifruit thermotolerance. Nature Communications, 16(1):6184.
  3. Ni Ma, Xiaopeng Li, Dong Ci, Hai Yue Zeng, Congxiao Zhang, Xiaodong Xie, Caihong Zhong, Xing Wang Deng^*, Dawei Li^*, Hang He^*.2025. Chromatin topological domains associate with the rapid formation of tandem duplicates in plants. Advanced science, 12, 2408861.
  4. Xiaoying Liu, Yachen Li, Xianzhi Zhang, Xiaodong Xie, Abu Naim Md Muzahid, Jing Tu, Lansha Luo, Gudeta Chalchisa, Haiyan Lv, Hua Tian, Sean M Bulley^*, Dawei Li^*, Caihong Zhong^*. 2025. AcABI5a integrates abscisic acid signaling to developmentally modulate fruit ascorbic acid biosynthesis in kiwifruit. Horticulture Research, 24:uhaf111.
  5. Haolin Wu, Wenjie Yang, Guanyong Dong, Quanjun Hu^*, Dawei Li^*, Jianquan Liu^*.2025. Construction of the super pan-genome for the genus Actinidia reveals structural variations linked to phenotypic diversity. Horticulture Research, uhaf067.
  6. Dawei Li^#, Yan Min^#, Chang Cheng, Xiaoying Liu, Xiaodong Xie, Gudeta Chalchisa, Chen Peng, Quan Jiang, Naidong Xiao, Jianbo Cai^*, Caihong Zhong^* .2025. The diversity and disparity of mineral elements in global kiwifruits. Food Research International, 203, 115844.
  7. Xiaoying Liu, Sean Bulley, Erika Varkonyi-Gasic, Caihong Zhong^*, Dawei Li^* .2023. Kiwifruit bZIP transcription factor AcePosF21 elicits ascorbic acid biosynthesis during cold stress. Plant Physiology, 192: 982-999.
  8. Xiaoying Liu, Rongmei Wu, Sean M. Bulley^*, Caihong Zhong^*, Dawei Li^* .2022. Kiwifruit Xiaoying Liu^#, Chang Cheng^#, Yan Min, Xiaodong Xie, Abu Naim Md. Muzahid, Haiyan Lv, Hua Tian, Congxiao Zhang, Can Ye, Shifeng Cao, Peng Chen^*, Caihong Zhong^*, Dawei Li^* .2023. Increased ascorbic acid synthesis by overexpression of AcGGP3 ameliorates copper toxicity in kiwifruit. Journal of Hazardous Materials, 460: 132393.
  9. Liu Xiaoying, Wu Rongmei, Sean M. Bulley^*, Zhong Caihong^*, Li Dawei^*. 2022. MYBS1‐like and GBF3 transcription factors influence l‐ascorbic acid biosynthesis by activating transcription of GDP-L-galactose phosphorylase 3. New Phytologist, 234: 1782-1800.
  10. Xue Han^#, Yilin Zhang^#, Qiong Zhang^#, Ni Ma, Xiaoying Liu, Wenjing Tao, Zhiying Lou, Caihong Zhong, Xingwang Deng^*, Dawei Li^*, Hang He^* .2022. Two haplotype-resolved, gap-free genome assemblies of Actinidia latifolia and Actinidia chinensis shed light on regulation mechanisms of vitamin C and sucrose metabolism in kiwifruit. Molecular Plant, 16, 452-470.