Biography
Dr. Shu-Jin Luo is a Professor at Peking University whose research focuses on the genomic diversity, evolution, and conservation of wild and domestic animals, with particular emphasis on the cat family (Felidae). She received her B.S. in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology from Peking University and her Ph.D. in Conservation Biology from the University of Minnesota, USA. After completing an NIH postdoctoral fellowship at the National Cancer Institute in Maryland, she returned to Peking University in 2009 to establish a research group applying molecular genomics to questions of mammalian evolution, adaptation, and systematics. Dr. Luo is the lead author of several landmark studies, including the identification of the Malayan tiger as a distinct subspecies (Panthera tigris jacksoni), the discovery of the genetic basis of white tigers, and reconstructions of the evolutionary histories of multiple felids, such as tigers, leopard cats, domestic cats in China, and the Chinese mountain cat. Dr. Luo has published nearly 100 peer-reviewed papers in leading journals including Nature Ecology & Evolution, Science, Science Advances, Current Biology, PNAS, and Cell Genomics, and her research on tigers has been incorporated into China’s national high school biology textbooks. She has been a member of the IUCN Cat Specialist Group since 2005 and serves as an expert member of the IUCN Cat Classification Task Force. Outside the laboratory, she is an avid outdoor sports enthusiast and mountaineer, having summited Yuzhu Mountain (6,178 m), Anemaqen Mountain (6,282 m), Haba Mountain (5,396 m), and Mont Blanc (4,810 m). She also served as an alpine ski technical official at the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympic Games, supporting training coordination and race operations for more than 90 Olympic teams.
Education
2006, Ph.D., Conservation Biology, University of Minnesota-Twin Cities, USA
1998, B.S., Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Peking University
Teaching
General Biology C (for non-majors)
Evolutionary Biology
Genomic Diversity, Evolution, and Conservation Biology
My research combines population genomics, phylogenetics, ancient DNA, and ecology to explore how genomic variation shapes evolution and adaptation in mammals. We study the genetic basis of phenotypic diversity, reconstruct evolutionary histories, and develop genomic tools for biodiversity conservation, with a special emphasis on felids.
Current research focuses on:
1. Genetic basis of morphology and adaptation in felids and other mammals.
2. Evolution, ecology, and conservation biology of endangered wildlife.
For more information, please visit us at http://luo-lab.org
1. Sun X, Peng L, Tsutaya T, Jiangzuo Q, Hasegawa Y, Hou Y, Han Y, Zhuang Y, Martins NFG, Madrigal JR, Taurozzi AJ, Mackie M, Troche G, Olsen JV, Cappellini E, O’Brien SJ*, Gilbert MTP*, Yamaguchi N*, Luo SJ* (2026). The Japanese Archipelago sheltered cave lions, not tigers, during the Late Pleistocene. PNAS 123(6): e2523901123. https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.2523901123
2. Han Y, Hu S, Liu K, Xu X, Doherty S, Jamieson AE, Manin A, Martins SG, Yang M, Yu C, Wang J, Wu Z, Chen C, Han S, Lu D, Peng L, Wu X, Li Z , Fan W, Cai Q, Cui Z, Yuan J, Li Z, Liu Y, Li Z, Liu Z, Ma Q, Shao J, Sun Z, Xing F, Yang W, Yang S, Yue L, Zhang P, Wang W, Zhang H, Zhuang Y, Sun X, Pan Y, Wu X, Frantz LAF, Yu H*, Alves JM*, Larson G*, Luo SJ* (2026). The late arrival of domestic cats in China via the Silk Road after 3,500 years of human-leopard cat commensalism. Cell Genomics 6: 101099.
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.xgen.2025.101099
3. Wu ZB, Sui ZY, Peng LH, Ghemrawi M, Duncan G, Jones H, O’Brien SJ*, Luo SJ* (2025). Forensic assessment of kinship, genomic ancestry, and natural history of an iconic tiger of Harlem-New York city. Journal of Heredity 116(4): 397–407. https://doi.org/10.1093/jhered/esaf003
4. Sun X, Liu YC, Tiunov MP, Gimranov DO, Zhuang Y, Han Y, Driscoll CA, Pan Y, Li C, Pan Y, Velasco MS, Gopalakrishnan S, Yang RZ, Li BG, Jin K, Xu X, Uphyrkina O, Huang Y, Wu XH, Gilbert MTP, O’Brien SJ*, Yamaguchi N*, Luo SJ* (2023). Ancient DNA reveals genetic admixture in China during tiger evolution. Nature Ecology & Evolution 7: 1914-1929. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41559-023-02185-8
5. Fu Y, Zhuang Y, Luo SJ*, Xu X* (2023). An enhanced method for the use of reptile skin sheds as a high-quality DNA source for genome sequencing. Genes 14(9): 1678. https://doi.org/10.3390/genes14091678
6. Si S, Xu X*, Zhuang Y, Gao X, Zhang H, Zou ZT*, Luo SJ* (2021). The genetics and evolution of eye color in domestic pigeons (Columba livia). PLoS Genetics 17(8): e1009770. doi.org/10.1371/journal.pgen.1009770
7. Luo SJ (2021). The hidden Olympic spectator. Science 373 (6553): 404. doi.org/10.1126/science.abl3669 [Life in Science, Letter]
8. Yu H, Xing YT, Meng H, He B, Li WJ, Qi XZ, Zhao JY, Zhuang Y, Xu X, Yamaguchi N, Driscoll C, O’Brien SJ, Luo SJ* (2021). Genomic evidence for the Chinese mountain cat as a wildcat conspecific (Felis silvestris bieti) and its introgression to domestic cats. Science Advances 7: eabg0221. https://doi.org/10.1126/sciadv.abg0221
9. Zhang W*, Xu X, Yue B, Hou R, Xie J, Zou ZT, Han Y, Shen F, Zhang L, Xie Z, Yuan Y, Yin Y, Fu W, Chen D, Huang W, Liu Z, Tang Y, Zhao B, Zhang Q, Chen W, Zhang R, Chen J, Luo SJ*, Zhang Z* (2019). Sorting out the genetic background of the last surviving South China tigers. Journal of Heredity 110(6): 641-650. [Cover Story]
10. Luo SJ*, Liu YC, Xu X (2019). Tigers of the world: genomics and conservation. Annual Review of Animal Biosciences 7: 521-548. [Invited Review]
11. Liu YC, Sun X, Driscoll C, Miquelle DG, Xu X, Martelli P, Uphyrkina O, Smith JLD, O’Brien SJ, Luo SJ* (2018). Genome-wide evolutionary analysis of natural history and adaptation in the world’s tigers. Current Biology 28(23): 3840-3849. [Cover Story]
12. Yu H, Song S, Liu J, Li S, Zhang L, Wang D, Luo SJ* (2017). Effects of the Qinghai-Tibet railway on the landscape genetics of the endangered Przewalski’s gazelle (Procapra przewalskii). Scientific Reports 7:17983 | DOI:10.1038/s41598-017-18163-7
13. Xu X, Dong GX, Schmidt-Kuntzel A, Zhang XL, Zhuang Y, Fang R, Sun X, Hu XS, Zhang TY, Yang HD, Zhang DL, Marker L, Jiang ZF, Li R, Luo SJ* (2017). The genetics of tiger pelage color variations. Cell Research 27: 954-957.
14. Xu X, Sun X, Hu XS, Zhuang Y, Liu YC, Meng H, Miao L, Yu H, Luo SJ* (2016). Whole genome sequencing identifies a missense mutation in HES7 associated with short tails in Asian domestic cats. Scientific Reports 6: 31583 | DOI: 10.1038/srep31583
15. Xue HR, Yamaguchi N, Driscoll CA, Han Y, Bar-Gal GK, Zhuang Y, Mazak JH, Macdonald DW, O’Brien SJ, Luo SJ* (2015). Genetic ancestry of the extinct Javan and Bali tigers. Journal of Heredity 106(3): 247-257.
16. Zhang MQ, Xu X*, Luo SJ* (2014). The genetics of brown coat color and white spotting in domestic yaks (Bos grunniens). Animal Genetics 45(5): 652-659.
17. Luo SJ*, Zhang Y, Johnson WE, Miao L, Martelli P, Antunes A, Smith JLD, O’Brien SJ* (2014). Sympatric Asian felid phylogeography reveals a major Indochinese-Sundaic divergence. Molecular Ecology 23(8): 2072-2092.
18. Xu X, Dong GX, Hu XS, Miao L, Zhang XL, Zhang DL, Yang HD, Zhang TY, Zou ZT, Zhang TT, Zhuang Y, Bhak J, Cho YS, Dai WT, Jiang TJ, Xie C, Li R*, Luo SJ* (2013). The genetic basis of white tigers. Current Biology 23(11): 1031-1035. [Cover Story]
19. Luo SJ*, Johnson WE, Martenson J, Antunes A, Martelli P, Uphyrkina O, Traylor-Holzer K, Smith JLD, O’Brien SJ* (2008). Subspecies genetic assignments of worldwide captive tigers increase conservation value of captive populations. Current Biology 18(8): 592-596. [Cover Story]
20. Luo SJ, Kim JH, Johnson WE, van der Walt J, Martenson J, Yuhki N, Miquelle DG, Uphyrkina O, Goodrich JM, Quigley HB, Tilson R, Brady G, Martelli P, Subramaniam V, McDougal C, Hean S, Huang SQ, Pan W, Karanth UK, Sunquist M, Smith JLD, O’Brien SJ (2004). Phylogeography and genetic ancestry of tigers (Panthera tigris). PLoS Biology 2(12): 2275-2293/e442. [Cover Story]
