Briefly, tell us about your background and career up to this point?
If I had to sum up my career in one word, it would be "integration"! My academic journey started in China, where I pursued a Bachelor’s in Bioengineering and a PhD in Engineering at East China University of Science and Technology. My PhD period included valuable research experience at Chalmers University of Technology in Sweden, sparking my passion for systems biology. I then joined the Science for Life Laboratory (SciLifeLab) at KTH Royal Institute of Technology in Sweden, progressing from a postdoc to Senior Researcher, eventually leading my own research group. In May 2024, I joined King’s College London as a Senior Lecturer, where I founded the Digital Liver Group at King's College Hospital, focusing on translational systems medicine to advance the understanding and treatment of liver diseases using computational models.
What is a typical day like for you?
One of the best aspects of academia is that there’s rarely a "typical" day! My activities range from analyzing complex multi-omics data and mentoring my research group, to writing grants, teaching students, and collaborating with clinicians and researchers across disciplines. Each day offers new challenges and opportunities.
Do you have any current projects that you’d like to tell us about?
Certainly! At King's, my Digital Liver Group is pioneering the use of advanced computational techniques, such as genome-scale metabolic modeling and deep learning, to create detailed "digital liver" models. These models help us simulate intricate liver functions, predict disease progression, and identify novel therapeutic strategies for liver diseases such as non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), liver fibrosis, and hepatocellular carcinoma. We are particularly excited about using these models to personalise treatments, bridging computational discoveries with clinical practice to significantly improve patient outcomes.
What is something positive that happened to you over the last year?
Joining King’s College London and establishing the Digital Liver Group is undoubtedly the highlight of my past year. This position offers immense potential for innovation and collaboration, providing an excellent platform to translate computational research directly into clinical advances.
What is your proudest accomplishment?
Establishing and leading my research group at SciLifeLab, and now founding the Digital Liver Group at King's, stand out as my proudest accomplishments. It’s deeply rewarding to mentor talented researchers and contribute meaningful discoveries that have direct implications for improving patient care.
What is your favourite part of your role?
I genuinely enjoy the collaborative and interdisciplinary nature of my role. Working with clinicians, biologists, computational experts, and students to integrate data into actionable clinical insights makes every day inspiring and fulfilling.
What are you most looking forward to this year?
I'm particularly excited about advancing our "digital regulatory T cell" models which is the early stage of the "digital liver" to a stage where they can robustly predict their behaviours in vitro. Additionally, I look forward to exploring more of London's vibrant culture and culinary scene with my family!
Quick-fire round:
- Favorite season: Summer
- One thing you could not go a day without: Checking my emails!
- Favourite cuisine: Fried eggs
- The quality you value most in others: Integrity.