Biography

I am a dedicated and self-motivated researcher who harnesses a multidisciplinary approach, combining genomics, chemical biology, and natural product chemistry to explore the realm of biologically active molecules produced by microorganisms. The primary goal of my research is to explore chemical diversity of microbial small molecules, unravel biological functions and pharmacological application of these molecules, and leverage this knowledge to advance human health. I am especially interested in discovering novel antibiotics for the treatment of chronic human pathogen infections (e.g., H. pylori, M. tuberculosis), as well as the small molecule virulence factors produced by these pathogens.

Since the establishment of my independent research at Shandong University in 2022, I have successfully secured grants totaling 3.9 million Chinese yuan. My research team has been dedicated to the pursuit of innovative antibiotics to combat multidrug-resistant human pathogens, sourced from diverse microbial reservoirs. Concurrently, our efforts are also aimed at unraveling the mechanisms governing their antimicrobial modes of action and biosynthesis. Up to now, I have discovered more than 160 novel and biologically active natural product molecules, while also elucidating the mechanisms of action for four of them. These research findings have resulted in the publication of 38 articles in prestigious, peer-reviewed journals, including J. Am. Chem. Soc., Angew. Chem. Int. Ed., Nat. Comm., Org. Lett., ACS Chem. Biol., and ACS Infect. Dis., with an h-index of 20 and a total citation of 1158. As a result of my contribution on natural products-inspired drug discovery, I have had the privilege of presenting my work at 16 international and national conferences. My expertise extends to serving as a reviewer for 15 renowned international journals, including Nat. Prod. Rep., ACS Infect. Dis., Org. Biomol. Chem., and Mar. Drugs. I am proud to have received the 'Dean’s Award for Outstanding Research Higher Degree Theses' from The University of Queensland in 2017, recognizing my exceptional contributions in discovering marine natural products for the treatment of infections and cancers. At present, I supervise one PhD student, five Master’s students and one undergraduate student, while fostering collaborative relationships with research groups in China, Australia, and the United States.