聚焦特殊生境脊椎动物的极端适应性演化，以金线鲃、弹涂鱼、翼甲鲶及高原物种等为模型，整合多组学技术与进化发育生物学手段，解析生物在黑暗、脱水、极寒、缺氧及水陆交替环境下的生存策略。通过斑马鱼模型深入探究其分子遗传基础，旨在从基因组与表型维度揭示脊椎动物在复杂压力下实现表型创新与适应性进化的机制，为物种多样性保护提供理论支撑。

国际(地区)合作与交流项目（主持）2025-2027

第三次新疆综合科学考察（子课题，主持） 2023-2025

国家自然科学面上项目 （主持）2019-2022

国家自然科学面上项目 （主持）2014-2017

国家重点基础研究发展规划（科研骨干），2011-2015

国家自然科学青年基金项目（主持） 2006,01-12

1. Montero-Mendieta, Santiago; Wang, Yuwei; Wang, Chongnv; Meng, Fanwei; Zhao, Yahui; Li, Xinxin; Guo, Baocheng; Doubled Genomes, Divergent Fates: Genomic Insights Into Diversification in an Allotetraploid Cavefish, Molecular Ecology, 2025, 34(22)
2. Zhang, Mingming; Zhao, Qingshuo; Huang, Jinqing; Zou, Ming; Guo, Baocheng*; Zhao, Yahui*; Meng, Fanwei*; A Splicing Mutation in mitfa is Involved in the Depigmentation of Cavefish Triplophysa rosa, Molecular Biology and Evolution, 2025, 42(8)
3. Huishang She; Graham R Scott; Yun Fang; Qingshuo Zhao; Fanwei Meng*; Yanhua Qu*; Divergent cardiovascular adaptations and gene regulation in high-elevation natives and recent colonizers of the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau, Molecular Biology and Evolution, 2025, 42
4. Lam SM, Li J, Sun H, Mao W, Lu Z, Zhao Q, Han C, Gong C, Jiang B, Chua GH, Zhao Z, Meng F*#, and Shui G*#. Quantitative Lipidomics and Spatial MS-Imaging Uncovered Neurological and Systemic Lipid Metabolic Pathways Underlying Troglomorphic Adaptations in Cave-Dwelling Fish. Mol Biol Evol 2022, 39(4): msac050.
5. Zhao Y, Huang Z, Huang J, Zhang C, Meng F*. 2020. Phylogenetic analysis and expression differences of eye-related genes in cavefish genus Sinocyclocheilus. Integr Zool 2021 May;16(3):354-367
6. Huang Z, Titus T, Postlethwait JH*, Meng F*. 2019. Eye Degeneration and Loss of otx5b Expression in the Cavefish Sinocyclocheilus tileihornes. J Mol Evol 87:199-208.
7. Meng F*, Zhao Y, Titus T, Zhang C, Postlethwait JH*. 2018. Brain of the blind: transcriptomics of the golden-line cavefish brain. Curr Zool 64:765-773.
8. Meng F, Braasch I, Phillips JB, Lin X, Titus T, Zhang C, Postlethwait JH. 2013. Evolution of the eye transcriptome under constant darkness in Sinocyclocheilus cavefish. Mol Biol Evol 30:1527-1543.
9. Meng F, Zhao Y, Postlethwait JH, Zhang C. 2013. Differentially-expressed opsin genes identified in Sinocyclocheilus cavefish endemic to China. Curr Zool 59:170-174.
10. Li F, Lan Y, Wang Y, Wang J, Yang G, Meng F, Han H, Meng A, Wang Y, Yang X. 2011. Endothelial Smad4 maintains cerebrovascular integrity by activating N-cadherin through cooperation with Notch. Dev Cell 20:291-302.
11. Meng F, Cheng X, Yang L, Hou N, Yang X, Meng A. 2008. Accelerated re-epithelialization in Dpr2-deficient mice is associated with enhanced response to TGFbeta signaling. J Cell Sci 121:2904-2912.
12. Meng F, Meng A. 2008. Dapper family members modulate distinct signaling pathways in vertebrate development. Trends in Developmental Biology 1(3):61-69
13. Meng F^#, Shi L^#, Cheng X, Hou N, Wang Y, Teng Y, Meng A, Yang X. 2007. Surfactant protein A promoter directs the expression of Cre recombinase in brain microvascular endothelial cells of transgenic mice. Matrix Biol 26:54-57.
14. Zhang C, Meng F, Wang C, Guo H, Fan M, Liu S, Zhou R, He F. 2004. Identification of a novel alternative splicing form of human netrin-4 and analyzing the expression patterns in adult rat brain. Brain Res Mol Brain Res 130:68-80.
15. Meng F, Guo H, Zhou R, Zhang C. 2004. Expression and distribution of β-Netrin mRNA in the brain of adult rat. Chinese Journal of Neuroscience, Vol.20 No.4, P286-289.

*通讯作者；#同等贡献