2009年入选中科院“技术百人”，目前在中科院大气物理研究所中层大气和全球环境探测实验室(LAGEO)从事中高层大气主、被动光学遥感探测系统的研发工作。
曾参与组建世界首台铁玻尔兹曼激光雷达；参与机载激光雷达实验观测狮子座流星雨和北极中高层大气温度；参与地基激光雷达实验观测南极中高层大气温度；承担格陵兰中高层大气温度、金属钠层和夜光云的研究工作。
2003年获美国光学学会Allen Prize奖。2005-2007年主持美国国家科学基金项目。目前主持中科院“技术百人”和院知识创新工程重要方向“新方法、新技术类”项目。
主要代表文章：
Hayman M., J. P. Thayer, W. Pan, N. Bradley, and S. Mitchell, Greenland lidar depolarization measurement technique for polar mesospheric cloud detection, Proceedings of the 24th International Laser Radar Conference (ILRC), 2008.
Thayer J. P. and W. Pan, Lidar observations of sodium density depletions in the presence of polar mesospheric clouds, Journal of Atmospheric and Solar-Terrestrial Physics, 2006.
Pan W. and C. S. Gardner, Seasonal variations of the atmospheric temperature structure at South Pole, Journal of Geophysical Research, 2003.
Pan W., C. S. Gardner, and R. G. Roble, The temperature structure of the winter atmosphere at South Pole, Geophysical Research Letters, 2002.
Chu X., W. Pan, G. C. Papen, and C. S. Gardner, Fe Boltzmann temperature lidar: Design, error analysis, and initial results at the North and South Poles, Applied Optics, 2002.
Gardner C. S., G. C. Papen, X. Chu, and W. Pan, First lidar observations of middle atmosphere temperatures, Fe densities, and polar mesospheric clouds over the North and South Poles, Geophysical Research Letters, 2001.
Chu X., W. Pan, G. C. Papen, G. Swenson, C. S. Gardner, and P. Jenniskens, "Characteristics of Fe ablation trails observed during the 1998 Leonid meteor shower", Geophysical Research Letters, 2000.