Long is a professor at Chern Institute of Mathematics, Nankai University, China, where he was previously assistant lecturer, lecturer, and associate professor (1981-83, 1988-90). He has made fundamental contributions to Hamiltonian dynamics. In particular, he is acknowledged for his index iteration theory for symplectic paths and for his deep studies on periodic solution orbits of Hamiltonian systems including closed characteristics and geodesics. His awards include: Prize in Math., TWAS (2004); National Natural Scientific Awards (second class), State Council of China (2004); Yangzi River Prof., Education Ministry of China (2003); S. S. Chern Prize and L. G. Hua Prize, Chinese Math. Soc. (1998, 2017), Excellent Young Researcher Awards, Hong Kong Qiushi Foundation (1997), Prize for Scientific and Technological Progress, Ho Leung Ho Lee foundation (2012). He was an invited speaker of Inter. Congress of Math.-2002. He is a member of Chinese Academy of Sciences and Chinese Math. Society, and a fellow of American Math. Society.

Ya-ping was educated at Fudan University and Kunming Institute of Zoology (KIZ), Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS). He is a professor of KIZ, CAS; vice president, CAS; honorary president, Yunnan University; president, Chinese Society of Genetics. His awards include Prizes for Young Scientists of China; Science and Technology Prizes for Youth in China; Qiu Shi Science and Technologies Prizes for Outstanding Young Scientists, Hong Kong; Natural Science Prizes of China, Second Grade; Biodiversity Leadership Awards, Bay and Paul Foundations, USA; May 4th Youth Medal of China; Ho Leung Ho Lee Prize for Science and Technology, Ho Leung Ho Lee Foundation; Natural Science Prizes of China, Second Grade; and Cheung Kong Scholars Achievement Award, Ministry of Education of China, and Li Ka Shing Foundation. He is a member of CAS.