Wenjun Xie, Ph.D.

Wenjun Xie is currently an Assistant Professor of Medicinal Chemistry. He holds B.S. in chemistry and statistics, as well as a Ph.D. in physical chemistry, both awarded by Peking University. His postdoctoral endeavors were conducted at MIT and USC, the latter in collaboration with Dr. Arieh Warshel (Nobel Laureate). Dr. Xie’s research spans enzymology, enzyme engineering, computational chemistry, AI-driven drug discovery, gene editing and natural product biosynthesis.

The Xie Lab is committed to exploring the mechanisms through which nature evolves efficient catalysts, with the goal of transforming enzyme engineering and drug discovery. We utilize a comprehensive set of tools that includes artificial intelligence, computational chemistry, and biochemistry assays. Our research benefits from the collaborative synergy between computational scientists, life scientists, and engineers, creating a welcoming and cooperative atmosphere for research. Our lab focuses on three main areas: (1) the evolution-catalysis relationship; (2) rational enzyme engineering; and (3) AI-driven drug discovery. For additional details, please visit our group’s website at https://evocatalysis.github.io.