Dr. Wei received his Ph.D. from the Department of Bioenvironmental Systems Engineering at National Taiwan University (NTU). He subsequently served as a postdoctoral researcher in the Department of Food Science at Rutgers University, New Jersey, USA. His expertise spans environmental toxicology, food toxicology, functional foods, and environmental microbiology.

Dr. Wei currently leads the Food Toxicology and Nutraceuticals Laboratory, where his research group employs an invertebrate nematode model to investigate the in vivo toxic effects of environmental and food contaminants, including mycotoxins, per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), fungicides, cosmetic ingredients, and food-processing byproducts. His research focuses on development, aging, reproduction, neurodegenerative diseases, lipid metabolism, immunity, and transgenerational toxicity.

In addition to examining the detrimental impacts of these toxicants, his group explores the potential of natural bioactive compounds to mitigate their adverse effects. Dr. Wei’s research also elucidates the underlying molecular mechanisms of these processes, providing valuable toxicological insights for future prevention and protection strategies.

Our lab focuses on understanding how food and environmental contaminants affect living organisms under different exposure scenarios and on uncovering the molecular mechanisms behind these effects. We are also interested in exploring the potential of natural substances to enhance organismal resilience and regulatory capacity, either by preventing toxicant-induced damage or by alleviating their adverse effects.

We use the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans as an in vivo model organism in our research. This model offers many advantages, including strong evolutionary conservation with mammals, ease of cultivation under laboratory conditions, rapid development with a short lifespan, efficient evaluation of multiple biological endpoints, and access to a wide range of well-established molecular and genomic tools.