Weiwen earned a PhD in environmental science from the South China Sea Institute of Oceanography, Chinese Academy of Sciences, in 2020, specialising in marine biogeochemistry and environmental science. His research focuses on the ecological effects of atmospheric deposition, riverine inputs, and coastal upwelling on estuarine and offshore phytoplankton communities, including their structure and primary production. With five publications in journals such as Limnology and Oceanography, Weiwen is also the project leader for grants from the National Natural Science Foundation of China and the Guangzhou Basic and Applied Basic Research Program.