CUI Rongfeng

Profile

Rongfeng Cui, Ph.D.

Associate Professor

Ph.D. advisor

Emali: cuirf@mail.sysu.edu.cn

Website: http://raycui.com

Research interests

I study basic questions in evolutionary biology using fish as model systems, combining animal behavior, molecular ecology, genomics and population genetics. Topics in our lab encompass the mechanism of speciation and maintenance of polymorphism, behavioral mechanisms of reproductive isolation, interspecific hybridization, the effects of natural and sexual selection on genome evolution, nearly neutral mutations and aging genomics.

Education

Texas A&M University, Ph.D. in Biology (2014.05)

Sun Yat-sen University, B.Sc. in Biological Sciences (2008.06)

Working experience

2020-Present, Associate Professor, School of Ecology, Sun Yat-sen University, China

2014-2020, Postdoc, Max Planck Institute for Biology of Aging, Germany

Awards

1、Young Investigator Award. Society for Molecular Biology and Evolution, 2019.

2、Student Award. 1 st Asian Evolutionary Research Conference，2018

3、Best Poster Award. The 2nd Cologne Ageing Conference，2016

4、Best Student Oral Paper (Division of phylogenetics & Comparative Biology). Society for integrative and comparative biology, 2013.

5、Doctoral dissertation improvement grant. National Science Foundation, 2012.

6、Rosemary Grant Award for Graduate Student Research. Society for the Study of Evolution, 2011

Group members

Photo	name	type	year	email	advisor	research topics
	WANG, Zhongxing	Ph.D.	2021	wangzhx36@mail2.sysu.edu.cn	Cui	Population genomics of Macropodus.
	SHAO, Yi	Ph.D.	2022	shaoy23@mail2.sysu.edu.cn	Cui	Evolutionary genomics of gobioids.
	ZHAO, Benchi	Ph.D.	2023	zhaobch7@mail.sysu.edu.cn	Cui	Functional evolution of fish olfactory systems.
	XU, Wanying	Ph.D.	2024	xuwy57@mail2.sysu.edu.cn	Cui	Fish evolutionary genomics.
	GENG, Jialin	Ph.D.	2024	gengjlin3@mail2.sysu.edu.cn	Cui	Fish evolutionary genomics.
	YAO, Dongji	Master	2022	yaodj3@mail2.sysu.edu.cn	Cui	Deepsea fish evolutionary genomics.
	ZHANG, Jianyu	Master	2023	zhangjy663@mail2.sysu.edu.cn	Cui	Population genetics of invasive fishes.
	YANG, Wenyuan	Master	2024	yangwy67@mail2.sysu.edu.cn	Cui	Fish evolutionary genomics.

Publications

(† Corresponding；*Co-first)

• Z. Wang, D. Yao, B. Zhao, Y. Shao, F. Li, K-Y Ma, R. Cui*. Effective purging and conservation of heterozygous regions during independent evolution to high-level inbreeding in wild Paradise Fishes. 2025. Molecular Ecology.
• R. Cui, J. Wu, K. Yan, S. Luo, Y. Hu, W. Feng, B. Lu, J. Wang. Phased genome assemblies reveal haplotype-specific genetic load in the critically endangered Chinese Bahaba (Teleostei, Sciaenidae). 2024. Molecular Ecology.
• R. Cui, A. M. Tyers, Z. J. Malubhoy, S. Wisotsky, S. Valdesalici, E. Henriette, S. L. Kosakovsky Pond, D. R. Valenzano. Ancestral transoceanic colonization and recent population reduction in a nonannual killifish from the Seychelles archipelago. 2021. Molecular Ecology.
• R. Cui, D. Willemsen, D.R. Valenzano. Nothobranchius furzeri (African Turquoise Killifish). 2020. Trends in Genetics. DOI:10.1016/j.tig.2020.01.012.
• R. Cui†, T. Medeiros, D. Willemsen, L. N. M. Iasi, G. E. Collier, M. Graef, M. Reichard, D.R. Valenzano†. 2019. Relaxed selection limits lifespan by increasing mutation load. Cell 178(2):385-99.
• R. Cui* †, P. Delclos*, M. Schumer, G.G. Rosenthal. 2017. Early social learning triggers neurogenomic expression changes in a swordtail fish. Proc. R. Soc. B. 284(1854):20170701.
• M. Schumer, D.L. Powell, P. Delclos, M. Squire, R. Cui, P. Andolfatto, G.G. Rosenthal. 2017. Assortative mating and persistent reproductive isolation in hybrids. PNAS 114(41):10936-41.
• R. Cui†, M. Schumer, G.G. Rosenthal. 2015. Admix'em: A flexible framework for forward-time simulations of hybrid populations with selection and mate choice. Bioinformatics 32(7):1103-5.
• S. J. Ingley, M. R. Asl, C. Wu, R. Cui, M. Gadelhak, W. Li, J. Zhang, J. Simpson, C. Hash, T. Butkowski, T. Veen, J. B. Johnson, W. Yan, G. G. Rosenthal. 2015. anyFish 2.0: An open-source software platform to generate and share animated fish models to study behavior. SoftwareX 3(4):13-21.
• M. Schumer, R. Cui, D Powell, G. Rosenthal, P. Andolfatto. 2015. Ancient hybridization and genomic stabilization in a swordtail fish. Molecular Ecology 25(11):2661-79.
• D.R. Valenzano, B. Benayoun, P.P. Singh, E. Zhang, P.D. Etter, C.K. Hu, M. Clement-Ziza, D. Willemsen, R. Cui, I. Harel, B. Machado, M.C. Yee, S.C. Sharp, C.D. Bustamante, A. Beyer, E.A. Johnson, A. Brunet. 2015. The African turquoise killifish genome provides insights into
• evolution and genetic architecture of lifespan. Cell 163(6):1539-54.
• M. Schumer*†, R. Cui*†, G.G. Rosenthal and P. Andolfatto. simMSG: an experimental design tool for high-throughput genotyping of hybrids. 2015. Mol. Ecol. Res 16(1):183-92.
• M. Schumer, R. Cui, G.G. Rosenthal and P. Andolfatto. 2015. Reproductive isolation of hybrid populations driven by genetic incompatibilities. PLoS Genet 11(3): e1005041.
• M. Schumer, R. Cui, D. Powell, R. Dresner, G.G. Rosenthal, P. Andolfatto. 2014. High-resolution mapping reveals hundreds of genetic incompatibilities in hybridizing fish species. eLife 3:e02535.
• R. Cui†, X. Yang, Y. Pan and Y. Wang, 2013. A new barbeled goby from south China. Zootaxa 3670(2):177-192.
• T. Veen, S. Ingley, R. Cui, et al. 2013. anyFish: open-source software to generate animated fish models for behavioral studies. Evolutionary Ecology Research 15:361-375.
• R. Cui†, M. Schumer, K. Kruesi, R. Walter, P. Andolfatto and G.G. Rosenthal, 2013. Phylogenomics reveals extensive reticulate evolution in Xiphophorus fishes. Evolution 67(8):2166-79. Web of Science Highly Cited Paper (top 1% in Plant & Animal Sciences).
• M. Schumer, R. Cui, B. Boussau, R. Walter, G.G. Rosenthal and P. Andolfatto, 2012. An evaluation of the hybrid speciation hypothesis for Xiphophorus clemenciae based on whole genome sequences. Evolution 67(4): 1155–1168. 
• T. Butkowski, W. Yan, A.M. Gray, R. Cui, M.N. Verzijden and G.G. Rosenthal, 2011. Automated interactive video playback for studies of animal communication. J. Vis. Exp. e2374
• Y. Wang, J. Yang and R. Cui. 2010. A New Species of Goniurosaurus (Squamata: Eublepharidae) from Yingde, Guangdong Province, China. Herpetologica 66:229-240.
• Y. Wang and R. Cui. 2007. The new distribution record of Ficedula narcissina owstoni in mainland China. Acta Zootaxonomica Sinica. 32(2):492-494.