Dr. Bang-An Wang is a geneticist whose research weaves together experimental and computational approaches to explore epigenetics in brain development and neurodegeneration.

He earned his B.S. in biochemistry from Shandong University and his Ph.D. in biochemistry and molecular biology from the Chinese Academy of Sciences. As a graduate student in the lab of Dr. Guo-liang Xu, Dr. Wang identified dysfunction in the Lefty-Nodal pathway as the molecular mechanism underlying embryonic developmental defects caused by the disrupted DNA demethylation pathway.

In 2016, Dr. Wang joined the lab of Dr. Joseph Ecker at Salk Institute for Biological Studies, where he held roles as a postdoctoral fellow and a staff scientist. While at Salk, he investigated epigenetic regulation of brain cell heterogeneity and its effects on neurodevelopment and neurodegeneration. Dr. Wang co-developed snmCAT-seq, a novel, robust single cell multi-omics method that enables capture of methylome, transcriptome and open chromatin within one cell. snmCAT-seq has enabled discovery across numerous high-impact projects that explore cell diversity in the brain, including the National Institutes of Health BRAIN Initiative, the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative Human Cell Atlas and the American Heart Association-Allen Initiative in Brain Health and Cognitive Impairment.

In 2025, Dr. Wang joined Van Andel Institute’s Department of Neurodegenerative Science as an assistant professor. His lab leverages multi-disciplinary methods to explore the roles of epigenetics in neurodevelopment and neurodegenerative disorders.

Dr. Wang’s research has resulted in several awards, including the 2018 Salk Innovation Award and inclusion in the Top 10 Scientific Advances in China in 2016 and 2012.