Harvard HIV scientist Xie Zhenfei joins China’s national virus lab in Wuhan

South China Morning PostCenterEN 2 min read 100% complete by Shi HuangOctober 30, 2025 at 05:00 AM

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Xie Zhenfei, a Harvard University scientist known for his HIV vaccine research using mRNA technology, has moved from the Ragon Institute to become an independent principal investigator at China’s State Key Laboratory of Virology and Biosafety in Wuhan. Xie was first author on a groundbreaking 2022 Science paper that demonstrated how mRNA vaccines could combat HIV by training the immune system against multiple viral strains. The laboratory, established jointly by Wuhan University and the Chinese Academy of Sciences’ Wuhan Institute of Virology, now focuses on highly pathogenic virus infection mechanisms and novel immune intervention strategies. Xie’s move to China marks a significant shift in his career trajectory from HIV vaccine research at Harvard to leading independent studies in virology and biosafety in Wuhan.

Key Topics & Entities

Sichuan Agricultural University 40% Wuhan Institute of Virology 60% Ragon Institute ×270% Wuhan ×370% State Key Laboratory of Virology and Biosafety ×380% Harvard University ×380% Xie Zhenfei ×7100%

Keywords

xie zhenfei 100% hiv vaccine 90% mrna technology 80% wuhan laboratory 80% harvard university 70% immune system training 70% viral mutation 60% biosafety laboratory 60% virus research 50% independent investigator 40%

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South China Morning Post

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Wuhan

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xie zhenfei hiv vaccine mrna technology wuhan laboratory harvard university immune system training viral mutation biosafety laboratory virus research independent investigator

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