Mystery surrounds the prominent genetic psychologist’s death after official explanation cites ‘non-specific respiratory failure’
2-MIN READ2-MIN ListenDannie Pengin BeijingPublished: 6:00pm, 13 Mar 2026The sudden death of prominent Chinese genetic psychologist Li Xinying while travelling in Egypt has sparked growing concern and speculation in China, as official explanations about the cause remain vague and medically inconclusive.Li, 48, a researcher and doctoral supervisor at the Chinese Academy of Sciences’ (CAS) Institute of Psychology, died on February 23 at 10pm Beijing time, according to an online obituary.
The stated cause of death was “non-specific respiratory failure”, an obituary shared on social media by the Guangdong Cognitive Science Society last Saturday said.
This was not a formal medical diagnostic term and provided no useful information regarding the cause of her death, a doctor in the respiratory department at a prestigious public Beijing hospital, who declined to be named due to company policy, told the South China Morning Post.
Other medical experts criticised Egyptian medical personnel for issuing overly perfunctory conclusions. On social media, one doctor noted that “respiratory failure” was merely a manifestation or outcome of death, not its root cause.
It also remains unclear whether the psychologist was in Egypt for work or on holiday. The SCMP requested comment from her research institute but has not yet received a response.
