Our Team
Driving Innovation: The Minds Behind Our Mission

Dr. Long-Cheng Li, as the CEO of Ractigen Therapeutics, is celebrated for pioneering RNA activation (RNAa). His extensive background encompasses clinical practice, academic research, and bioinformatics, fueling the development of saRNA-based therapeutics. Dr. Li’s medical career, marked by over ten years as a physician and surgeon, laid the groundwork for his research endeavors in the United States, where he melded clinical expertise with scientific exploration. His tenure as an Associate Professor at the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF) saw significant advancements in RNAa understanding. In addition to his academic pursuits, Dr. Li’s entrepreneurial spirit led him to establish Protocol Online, an invaluable resource for life science researchers, and to develop MethPrimer, a crucial bioinformatics tool for DNA methylation studies in epigenetics. These achievements demonstrate his ability to innovate and excel in diverse scientific areas. Since founding Ractigen Therapeutics in 2016, Dr. Li has been instrumental in developing groundbreaking saRNA therapeutics for diseases lacking adequate treatments. Prior to Ractigen, he held a specially appointed professorship at Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences. A recognized authority, Dr. Li is a sought-after speaker at global conferences, universities, and companies.

Dr. Moorim Kang, a distinguished research scientist, completed his Ph.D. in Pharmacy at Chungnam National University, Korea, in 2008. He further honed his research skills during a postdoctoral fellowship at the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF) in the Long-Cheng Li lab, starting in August 2010. His research during this period was primarily focused on the development of small activating dsRNA-based therapeutics targeting CDKN1A for bladder cancer treatment.

With a strong background in evaluating various drug candidates, including small molecules and small nucleic acids such as saRNA, Dr. Kang has made significant contributions to the field. His work is reflected in over 30 peer-reviewed articles he has authored and co-authored, nine of which are dedicated to saRNA.

In December 2016, Dr. Kang joined Ractigen Therapeutics as the R&D Director, where he played a pivotal role in setting up in vitro and in vivo experiments for saRNA drug development. His exceptional work led to his promotion to Chief Technology Officer (CTO) in April 2019. As CTO, Dr. Kang has been instrumental in the discovery stage through pre-clinical studies, contributing to pre-clinical candidate (PCC) nominations. He also leads various innovation and delivery studies and is the primary inventor of the SCAD delivery system. His work continues to push the boundaries of saRNA drug development.

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Dr. Xie brings over a decade of experience as a Senior Patent Attorney and China IP Head in Fortune 500 MNCs, where he was immersed in innovation, partnership initiatives, and core business strategy. Possessing a global perspective on IP strategy, he orchestrated various patent enforcement activities across the Greater China region, representing renowned companies such as Novartis Pharma, BASF, and Dow Chemical. Notable cases in his portfolio include the well-known Novartis vs Hahsoh Glivec GIST patent dispute in China and the landmark “retroactivity” examination guideline case against SIPO.

Holding the title of China Patent Agent since 2003, Dr. Xie transitioned into a decade-long practice in a patent firm, engaging directly with clients in the pharmaceutical and chemical industries. Prior to his roles in intellectual property, he led the R&D department for eight years at Fosun Pharm, where he focused on developing nucleic acid diagnosis products. Dr. Xie’s contributions were recognized with the Enlightenment Star of Science and Technology award by the city of Shanghai.

He graduated from Fudan University with a B.S. in Biology in 1991 and earned a Ph.D. in Microbiology from the Chinese Academy of Sciences in 1998. Dr. Xie’s expertise encompasses IP strategy, lifecycle management, patent litigation, and IP transactions.

Dr. Zhao brings nearly 20 years of industrial experience in chemical manufacture and control (CMC) with a focus in process development and commercial manufacturing and a track record of successful drug development toward IND filing and regulatory approval. Before joining Ractigen Therapeutics, Dr. Zhao held senior positions as R&D director and Head in well-known domestic pharmaceutical companies such as Kelun Pharmaceuticals, Yangtze River Pharmaceutical Group and Zhejiang Hisoar Pharmaceiticals. Dr. Zhao obtained his Ph.D. in Organic Chemistry from Shanghai Institute of Organic Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences. He has 15 granted patents and is an invited speaker at many industrial conferences.

Shawn Zhang brings a rich background with over 15 years of clinical development experience, focusing on medical science and clinical operations. Before joining Ractigen, she served as the head of the Oncology CenterⅡ at CSPC and has held key positions at MNCs and domestic biotechnology company such as GSK, AstraZeneca, Novartis, and Genfleet. Shawn has extensive hands-on clinical and team management experience in the field of clinical development especially early phase of innovative drugs, successfully leading or being responsible for the clinical development of different types of drugs including large molecules, small molecules, antibody-drug conjugates (ADCs), vaccines, etc., in various countries and regions from Pre-IND/IND to BLA stages. Prior to her career in the pharmaceutical industry, Shawn earned a master’s degree in surgery from Xi’an Jiaotong University Medical School and practiced medicine at Shanghai First People’s Hospital.  

Dr. Lin brings over 15 years dedicated experience in preclinical development, 9 years in the pharmaceutical sector, and over 20 years spent specializing in disease animal model construction and translational medicine. He brings to Ractigen a wealth of expertise spans small molecules, antibodies, vaccines, and oncolytic viruses. Prior to joining our team, he led the Translational Sciences department at a prominent biotech firm in China, steering preclinical studies to IND submissions with a strong proficiency in pharmacology, efficacy, and safety assessments. His journey in drug development began in Taiwan, where he made significant strides in advancing new drug development. Dr. Lin’s graduated from the College of Medicine, National Taiwan University, where he earned his Ph.D. and his post–doctoral work, where he advanced hepatitis B and liver cancer drug translation. 

Dr. Gan joined Ractigen Therapeutics in 2021 brining in extensive experience in nucleic acid chemical modification, RNA delivery system, organic synthesis, medicinal chemistry, oligo manufacturing and DNA barcode technology. At the forefront of groundbreaking research, he has been instrumental in steering initiatives to advance novel nucleic acid chemistry and oligonucleotide delivery technology within the organization. Dr. Gan received his Ph.D. degree in Medicinal Chemistry from Sichuan University and postdoc training in James Dahlman’s lab at Georgia Institute of Technology focusing on development of nucleic acid delivery system-DNA barcode lipid nanoparticle library, and in between, he worked in HITGEN responsible for DNA barcode small molecule library (DEL) technology. Dr. Gan has published 16 scientific papers and is the inventor of 7 patents. His contributions underscore his dedication to pushing the boundaries of scientific discovery in nucleic acid research and delivery systems.

Dr. Corey received his B.A. in Chemistry from Harvard University in 1985 and his Ph.D. in Chemistry in 1990 from UC Berkeley under the guidance of Dr. Peter Schultz. After postdoctoral work in the laboratory of Dr. Charles Craik at UC San Francisco, Dr. Corey started his independent career at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center where he is now the Rusty Kelley Professor of Biomedical Sciences. Dr. Corey’s research focuses on the discovery of nucleic acids as leads for therapeutic development and on novel pathways for RNA-mediated control of gene expression.

Dr. Shuman is currently an Emeritus Professor of Medicine and Emeritus Chief of Hematology and Oncology in the University of California San Francisco (UCSF). His career encompasses laboratory and clinical research, patient care, and teaching at UCSF Medical School and Medical Center, one of the top 5 Hospitals and one of the top 10 Graduate Schools in several scientific disciplines in the U.S.  He uses his considerable scientific and clinical experience to stimulate and accelerate interdisciplinary research between scientists and clinical investigators. Most recently, he has devoted considerable effort to the commercial sector of Health Care including drug discovery, Medical A.I. Dr. Shuman was funded for 30+ years continuously by the NIH and the NCI as a Research Principal Investigator. He is author or co-author of more than 100 research papers in peer-review journals including Science, Cell, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, etc. He has led several NIH funded interdisciplinary cancer research grants examples of which include Proteases in Cancer and a Prostate Cancer Specialized Program of Research Excellence (SPORE), and others from the NIH and the NCI. Currently he serves as a Research Advisor for the UCSF Comprehensive Cancer Center Multiple Myeloma and Prostate Cancer Programs.