Dr. Ying Fang, a professor of virology in the Department of Pathobiology, was recently named to the National Academy of Inventors’ 2024 Class of Fellows, the highest professional distinction awarded solely to inventors.
A pioneer and global leader in studying swine virus replication and pathogenesis, she was elected to the academy for her innovations in developing vaccines and diagnostic test kits that have been used worldwide to protect the swine industry and public health.
Novel Discoveries, Real-World Applications
Much of her work has focused on porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus (PRRSV), one of the most economically important viruses affecting swine. She constructed the first reverse genetic system of North American PRRSV-1 and developed an effective commercial PRRS vaccine. She also developed and commercialized diagnostic test kits for PRRSV, swine influenza virus, and porcine circovirus that help prevent and control these viral diseases of swine.
The Fang lab also led to the paradigm-shifting discoveries of novel PRRSV proteins and unprecedented protein expression mechanisms in eukaryotic system. Dr. Fang’s research and its real-world applications not only protect pigs but also prevent zoonotic transmission of swine viruses to humans.
About Ying Fang and the National Academy of Inventors
Dr. Fang earned a PhD degree in microbiology from South Dakota State University, Brookings, South Dakota. Before joining the University of Illinois College of Veterinary Medicine in 2019, she held faculty appointments at South Dakota State University and at Kansas State University. She has published widely in prestigious journals such as PNAS and Journal of Virology, presented invited talks around the world, and held leadership roles in governmental and international organizations devoted to PRRS and other diseases of agricultural animals.
According to the National Academy of Inventors (NAI), the 2,068 researchers and innovators named to the Fellows program over its 12-year history hold more than 68,000 U.S. patents and 20,000 licensed technologies that have advanced science and consumer technologies. The 2024 Class of Fellows will be honored and presented with medals by a senior official of the United States Patent and Trademark Office at the NAI annual meeting in June 2025.
