Yiwei Chen (Echo) is the founder of Wonder Sir, a nonprofit platform designed to improve understanding of rare diseases among the public and medical professionals in China.

Echo trained as a biologist, earning her PhD from the University of Heidelberg in 2013, and she worked as an R&D scientist to develop innovative gene therapies for rare diseases.

Due to the rarity of each individual disease and scattered populations, patients face numerous difficulties in accessing diagnosis and treatment, and they often are affected by discrimination and social marginalization.

Given these barriers, Echo decided to use her deepened understanding of rare diseases to raise public awareness and medical knowledge of rare diseases.

In 2016, she founded Wonder Sir to empower rare disease communities through scientific communication, skills training, public advocacy, and connecting patient communities with various stakeholders. Under her leadership, Wonder Sir has served approximately 100 patient communities with rare diseases across China.

In 2021 Echo organized a pro bono course in popular science and genetic counseling, called “Wonder under the Rainbow,” to eliminate barriers between patient communities and future medical professionals. She also serves as a member of several professional associations and academic communities related to rare diseases.