Li Zhen

Assistant Professor, Comparative Genomics & Evolutionary Biology

I am an Assistant Professor at Ghent University and a Staff Scientist at the VIB-UGent Center for Plant Systems Biology, where I am dedicated to contribute to comparative genomics and evolutionary biology. My scientific journey began and continues to evolve within the Van de Peer lab, where I also completed my PhD. I remain closely affiliated with the lab while running my own research projects to explore plant genome evolution and the genomic changes driving biodiversity. My current ongoing project explores how gene loss, traditionally seen as regressive, can actually drive adaptation and innovation in plants. I am particularly interested in how the loss of genes shapes evolutionary trajectories, restructures biological networks, and contributes to the emergence of new traits. I have investigated these dynamics across diverse plant lineages, from tracing gene loss after whole-genome duplications to uncovering adaptive gene losses in mycoheterotrophic orchids. I recently secured an FWO research project grant to further investigate the evolutionary significance of gene loss across plant lineages, developing a framework to analyze over hundreds of genomes across the plant kingdom. In addition, I actively collaborate on projects that span multiple disciplines and involve cutting-edge tools, such as AI-driven phylogenomics and fossil-informed analyses of genome size evolution. I am in the process of building a vibrant, interdisciplinary research team, and through my work, I hope to contribute both to fundamental insights into plant evolution and to practical applications in agriculture and biodiversity conservation.