Wang Xiaodong, Director of the National Institute of Biological Sciences in Beijing, was awarded the King Faisal Prize (KFP) in Science in Riyadh, the capital of Saudi Arabia, on January 9, becoming the fifth scientist of Chinese origin to win the honor.

Launched by the King Faisal Foundation and first awarded in 1979, the prize recognizes the outstanding work of individuals and institutions in five major categories, including medicine and science.

Wang received the award for his pioneering discoveries that led to changes in understanding the functions and death of adult cells. It has contributed to the development of treatments and drugs that stop cell death and resist life-threatening diseases.

Born in Xinxiang, Henan Province in central China in 1963, Wang received a PhD from the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center at Dallas in 1991. He is a member of the United States National Academy of Sciences and the Chinese Academy of Sciences. He is also a member of the Howard Hughes Medical Institute.