Dr. Wei's research aims to understand how cellular architecture is organized at the molecular level and how its disruption leads to developmental defects and disease. She is particularly fascinated by microtubules and microtubule-based organelles, which together endow cells with both structural stability and dynamic adaptability.

Dr. Wei began her scientific training in chemistry, earning a B.S. and an M.S. from National Taiwan University, where she designed and synthesized DNA-cleaving molecules. Drawn to the complexity of living systems, she transitioned to biology to investigate DNA damage checkpoints and kinase signaling. This shift introduced her to cell cycle regulation and motivated her to pursue a Ph.D. in Cell Biology at UT Southwestern Medical Center under the mentorship of Dr. Joachim Seemann. There, she discovered how the mitotic spindle governs Golgi inheritance and how the Golgi in turn promotes microtubule assembly, revealing an intricate crosstalk between membrane systems and the cytoskeleton during cell division.

As a postdoctoral researcher with Dr. David Agard at UCSF & HHMI, Dr. Wei further expanded her expertise by applying biochemical and biophysical approaches to investigate γ-TuRC, the universal microtubule-nucleating complex essential for brain development. These experiences positioned her at the intersection of biochemistry, cell biology, and developmental neuroscience.

Since establishing her laboratory at Academia Sinica, Dr. Wei has built a multidisciplinary research program spanning molecular mechanisms to organismal physiology. By integrating cell biology, advanced imaging, biochemistry, biophysics, multiomics, and mouse genetics, her team revealed new roles for γ-TuRC in cortical development, identified SSNA1 as a key factor for ciliogenesis and spermatogenesis, and developed chemical tools to modulate microtubules. Driven by curiosity and a dedication to fundamental discovery, her group seeks to define how molecular assemblies give rise to cellular organization and ultimately shape life.

The Wei Laboratory investigates the molecular principles that build cellular architecture and sustain organismal physiology. Our research centers on the assembly, organization, and functional regulation of microtubules and microtubule-based organelles, particularly centrosomes and cilia. We seek to determine how precise control of these cytoskeletal structures governs physiological processes, and how their disruption leads to developmental defects and human disease.

To address these questions, we integrate cell biology, advanced imaging, biochemistry, biophysics, multiomics approaches, and mouse genetics. Our work spans three major research areas: centrosome and cilium biology, spermatogenesis, and neurodevelopment, with a strong emphasis on two clinically relevant conditions: male infertility and malformations of cortical development.