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Rod A. Wing

Distinguished Visiting Professor , Plant Science

Biological and Environmental Science and Engineering Division
Email icon rod.wing@kaust.edu.sa

How do we feed our world without destroying our planet? 

Program Affiliations

Biography

Professor Rod Wing is a plant biologist with over three decades of experience advancing crop science through genome-based approaches. His academic career spans faculty appointments at Texas A&M University, Clemson University, and the University of Arizona, U.S., where he founded the Arizona Genomics Institute. He is widely recognized for developing genomic tools that have enabled high-quality genome sequencing in rice and other major crops. Professor Wing has led multiple international collaborations and holds honorary appointments for his leadership in plant genetics and contributions to global food and environmental security. 

Research Interests

Professor Wing's work on the genome biology of rice and other crop plants and their wild relatives has empowered the agricultural community across the globe to address both fundamental and applied questions in pursuit of the 10-billion people question: How can we grow enough nutritious food to feed the world by 2060 without destroying our planet? 
Keyword tag icon
Genetics genomics computational biology evolutionary biology

Education Profile

  • 1980 B.A. Biochemistry, University of California, Berkeley

  • 1987 Ph.D. Genetics, University of California, Davis

  • 1987-1988 Postdoctoral Research Associate, Plant Gene Expression Center, U.C. Berkeley-USDA/ARS

  • 1988-1990 USDA/ARS Terry Kinney Postdoctoral Fellow, Plant Gene Expression Center, U.C. Berkeley-USDA/ARS

  • 1990-1991 Research Associate, Cornell University, NSF Plant Science Center, Ithaca, NY

Awards and Recognitions

  • The HPCwire Editor’s Choice Awards: Best Use of HPC in Life Sciences (2024) 

  • Member, Board of Trustees, Almarai Scientific Innovation Award (2023–present) 

  • Member, NEOM x CARE's Council – Sustainable Food Prize (2023–present) 

  • Chair, International Advisory Committee, Huazhong Agricultural University, China (2022–present) 

  • Elected Foreign Fellow, Indian National Academy of Agricultural Sciences (2022) 

  • Regents Professor, University of Arizona (2019–present) 

  • Honorary Professor, Queensland Alliance for Agriculture and Food Innovation, University of Queensland, Australia (2016–present) 

  • International Beijing Da Bei Nong Technology Group Science & Technology Award (2015) 

  • AXA Chair in Genome Biology and Evolutionary Genomics, AXA Research Foundation (2014–2019) 

  • Elected Fellow, American Association for the Advancement of Science (2010) 

  • Alexander von Humboldt Research Award (2009–2010) 

  • First Holder of the Shennong Professorship, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, China (2006–present) 

  • First Holder, Bud Antle Endowed Chair of Excellence in Agriculture and Life Science, University of Arizona (2005–present) 

  • USS Arizona Outstanding University Achievement Honoree – Rice Genome Sequencing Project (2005) 

  • U.S. Representative, International Rice Genome Sequencing Project (2003–2005) 

  • USDA Secretary’s Award 

  • First Holder of the Robert and Lois Coker Endowed Chair of Molecular Genetics, Clemson University (1996–2002) 

  • Scientific Advisory Board Member, TIGR – Arabidopsis Genome Sequencing Project (1996–1998) 

Publications

  • Fornasiero, A., Feng, T., Al-Bader, N., et al. (2025). Oryza genome evolution through a tetraploid lens. Nature Genetics. DOI: 10.1038/s41588-025-02183-5 

  • Stein, J.C., Yu, Y., Copetti, D., et al. (2018). Genomes of 13 domesticated and wild rice relatives reveal genetic conservation, turnover, and innovation across the genus Oryza. Nature Genetics, 50, 285-296. 

  • Wang, M., Yu, Y., Haberer, G., et al. (2014). The genome of African rice (Oryza glaberrima): Evidence for independent domestication. Nature Genetics, 46, 982-988.  

  • The International Rice Genome Sequencing Project. (2005). The map-based sequence of the rice genome. Nature, 436, 793-800. 

  • Google Scholar

Research Areas

  • Computational Bioscience