Le Kang
Chinese Academy of Sciences
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Primary Section: 61, Animal, Nutritional, and Applied Microbial Sciences Secondary Section: 27, Evolutionary Biology Membership Type:
International Member
(elected 2021)
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Biosketch
Le Kang is CAS Distinguished Professor in Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS). He is an international recognized expert in entomology and ecological genomics due to his outstanding studies on molecular mechanisms of phenotypic plasticity and adaptation of locusts at genetic and epigenetic levels by using interdisciplinary methods. His studies provide insight into swarm formation, plague outbreaks, and sustainable control of locusts. Kang received his Ph.D. Degree in ecology at Institute of Zoology, CAS in 1990. From 1992 to 1993, he worked in Kansas State University and University of Nebraska-Lincoln as visiting scholar and post-doc fellow, respectively. Since 1995, Kang has been working as a full professor in Institute of Zoology, CAS. He was elected member of Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) in 2011, fellow of The Third World Academy of Sciences (TWAS) in 2012, and foreign member of Academia Europaea (AE) in 2020.
Research Interests
Kang’s research interests include the ecological genomics, phenotypical plasticity and behavioral neurobiology based on locust model system. Locusts are the most dangerous agricultural pests and have remarkable polyphenism in response to environmental changes. Therefore, locust is an ideal model to study the relationships between expression and regulation of genes and environmental conditions. He and his group have examined insect adaptation to environment at genomic, transcriptional and epigenetic levels. To understand the molecular mechanism of polyphenism, they investigated genetic and epigenetic regulation of phenotypic plasticity. Additionally, they have elucidated the neural and behavioral mechanisms of locusts and other insects in response to pheromones and inform-chemicals. His research has recently expanded to potential application of locust as a model system for human health and diseases.
