Fang Wei, Ph.D.

Dr. Fang Wei is an adjunct professor at the UCLA School of Dentistry. Her research focuses on the development and clinical translation of EFIRM (Electric Field-Induced Release and Measurement) for non-invasive liquid biopsy using saliva, plasma, urine, and dried blood spots. She integrates electrochemistry, nanoscience, molecular diagnostics, and point-of-care engineering to detect ultrashort circulating tumor DNA, Sjögren’s disease-associated autoantibodies, urinary biomarkers of placental health, and human growth hormone isoforms. Her work aims to move highly sensitive body-fluid assays from laboratory discovery toward rapid, clinically practical testing.

She joined the School of Dentistry as an adjunct assistant professor in 2011 before being promoted to adjunct associate professor from 2018 to 2025.

Research and Academic Interests:

• Non-invasive liquid biopsy for cancer: ultrasensitive detection and characterization of ultrashort circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) in saliva and plasma for early detection and treatment monitoring.
• Non-invasive liquid biopsy for Sjögren’s disease: saliva- and plasma-based EFIRM measurement of Ro60, Ro52, and La autoantibodies, including IgG and IgA responses, for earlier and seronegative disease detection.
• Non-invasive prenatal liquid biopsy: urinary transcriptomic and protein biomarkers for longitudinal assessment of placental health and high-risk pregnancy.
• Human growth hormone testing: electrochemical detection of 22-kDa and 20-kDa hGH isoforms in dried blood spots for anti-doping applications.