Weihong Song

Dr. Weihong Song is recognized internationally as one of the world's leading researchers on Alzheimer's Disease. He is the Tier 1 Canada Research Chair in Alzheimer’s disease and a Full Professor with tenure at the UBC Department of Psychiatry. He holds the Directorship of Townsend Family Laboratories and serves as the Special Advisor to UBC President on China. His lab has made major contribution to the understanding on how BACE1 and -secretase regulate APP processing and their role in Alzheimer pathogenesis and drug development. His recent work also defined the molecular pathways contributing to AD pathogenesis in Down Syndrome. He is a member of the editorial board of a prestigious medical journal "Journal of Clinical Investigation" and a Handling Editor of "Journal of Neurochemistry". For his contribution in forging crucial Canada-China collaborations on research and education, he received the 2011 "Friendship Award", China’s highest honor for foreign experts. Dr. Song is a Fellow of the Canadian Academy of Science. Dr. Song was trained as a clinical psychiatrist and molecular neuroscientist. He was admitted to medical school at age of 14 in 1978 and received his medical degree from Chongqing Medical University in 1983. He completed his psychiatry residency and research program with a Master of Medicine degree at West China University of Medical Sciences in 1986. He worked as a chief resident and then as Chief Psychiatrist and a Lecturer of Psychiatry at West China University of Medical Sciences. Dr. Song received a MSc in psychobiology and behavioral genetics from Purdue University in 1993 and a PhD in medical neurobiology and molecular genetics from the Department of Psychiatry at Indiana University School of Medicine. He received postdoctoral training in the Department of Neurology at Harvard Medical School and the Children's Hospital (1996-99), and worked as an Instructor at Harvard Medical School (1999-2001).