Shuangjia Zheng

Background: Mr. Zheng received his bachelor degree from Southern Medical University in 2017. He entered the PhD program in Sun Yat-sen University in the same year, where he studies under Dr.Yang Yuedong. In the past five years, he focused on the development and application of machine learning methods for understanding molecules, their interactions with other biological entities, and the changes they caused at the phenotypic level. He has also developed various inverse design models to generate molecules with novel scaffolds guided by these understandings.

Citation: Mr. Zheng made very strong impression on the interviewers. He pointed to the key questions of drugable targets in drug discovery, and explained how his research methods could address these questions adequately. Combining both quantitative and functional analyeses, his method could solve the problems in identification of protein-ligand interactions. Moreover, their industry collaborations and real-world impact in drug discovery and design further indicate their ability to translate research into practical applications. His answers are super-logical, and his work represents a bright future in AI guided drug design. He is very knowledgeable in both the research area he is working on, or the broad area of bioinformatics. Have a deeper understanding of new technology developments such as ChatGPT, etc. Clear thoughts on career path and future research directions to pursue. Independence is demonstrated well. Exceptional verbal skills, whatever we asked, he can seamlessly circle back to the topics he wants to talk about and still keep the interests. Given his track record, it is likely that he will continue to produce groundbreaking research and contribute to the development of new technologies and methods in the field of pharmaceutical research. He is self-motivated, ambitious.

This prize is sponsored by The Yu and Wei Foundation.

Hanxiao Sun

Background: Ms. Sun received her BS degree from Huazhong Agricultural University in 2018, and entered the Ph.D. program in the laboratory of Dr. Chengqi Yi at Peking University. During her PhD, she worked on RNA epistatic modifications and RNA base editors. She has identified novel mRNA-modified methyltransferases, which opened a new direction in epistasis transcriptomics research; developed multiple RNA modification detection techniques, which provide new tools for functional studies of RNA modifications.

Citation: Ms. Sun made major contrinutions to optimize protocols for detecting RNA modifications in single cells. Armed with these new tools, she was able to discover new patterns of RNA modifications, and their roles in gene expresion/translation. She showed independence in project selection and experimental design. She has good understanding the enzyme mechanisms. She showed broad knowlwedge in nucleotide modifications. Understands the state-of-the-art in this emerging research area, as well as the status in the biotech industry. She is a team player, and in the future, the experience she gained can guide her towards exploring academic basic research or applied research in medicine, developing new concepts for diagnosis and treatment. Leadership quality is also demonstrated from specific examples in the lab. She answered questions promptly. Her hard work paid off in producing good results from multiple projects.

This prize is sponsored by The Yu and Wei Foundation.

Dianyu Chen

Background: Mr. Chen obtained both bachelor’s and master’s degrees in genetics and bioinformatics from Zhejiang University, and is conducting his Ph.D. research in the laboratory of Dr. Xu Heping in Westlake University. In the past few years, Dianyu’s leading project was to systematically dissect the molecular mechanisms underlying affinity maturation of germinal center (GC) B cells. (1) By harnessing the feature that 5′-end Single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq) can simultaneously capture transcriptome states and mutation profiles of IGH variable genes in individual cells, he developed a pipeline to perform coupled analysis of transcriptome and BCR mutations for two individual cells. By introducing topic modeling into the analysis of scRNA-seq data, Dianyu found that elevated oxidative phosphorylation activity promotes B cell clonal expansion and positive selection by tuning cell division times. (2) Dianyu also leads the computational work for the identification of meningeal developing B cells. Though analyzing scRNA-seq data, he revealed a consecutive trajectory of B cell development in the meninges of mice and non-human primates.

Citation: Dianyu Chen explained how he overcame some of the challenges in the project by developing computational pipeline and introducing new modeling methods. He highlighted the significance of the study and provided rationale. His answers to critical questions are precise, eloquent and has good knowledge about B cell localization and their nitch. Importantly, specific examples were provided to show that he can creatively find solutions when challenges occur. Not only understands his research area, but also has great vision for the broad research field. The study may help in deisgn of more effective vaccines. He wants to develop automated methods to collect data and likes to discover new pathways by combination of multiple approaches. He has insigths on immunotherapy of cancer. He showed the potential to establish a leading lab in the future. Being able to respond politely to sharp questions reflects a mature mind. He has a calm yet assertive style.

This prize is sponsored by The Yu and Wei Foundation.

Xiangyu Pan

Background: Mr. Pan receivedhis bachelor degree from Sichuan University in 2019, and is conducting his Ph.D. research in the laboratory of Dr. Chen Chong in Sichuan University. Xiangyu’s research focuses on integrating multi-omics analysis to understand epigenetic reprogramming during tumorigenesis and progression. (1) He identified a confused cell identity (CCI) for esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC). Xiangyu found ESCC cells have unique molecular characteristics, termed CCI, expressing basal stem cells, basal keratinocyte and differentiated keratinocyte signatures simultaneously. (2) Another project of Xiangyu is identifying that KMT2C deficiency promotes small cell lung cancer (SCLC) metastasis through DNMT3A-mediated epigenetic reprogramming. Another interesting project of Xiangyu is identifying that KMT2C deficiency promotes small cell lung cancer (SCLC) metastasis through DNMT3A-mediated epigenetic reprogramming.

Citation: Pan Xiangyu’s research is impressive and demonstrates a deep understanding of the importance of epigenetics in cancer development and progression. He fully recognized the complexicity in the correlation of epinetics to tumor metastasis. His development of an epigenetic entropy score is an innovative approach to quantifying the diversity of epigenetic gene expression in single cells, overcoming the challenges of lacking a complete reference genome for epigenetic analysis and the limitations of current mutation-based approaches. His methods, which integrate biological experimentation with sophisticated analytical techniques, show great promise in revealing the underlying drivers of cancer cell plasticity and represent an exciting avenue for further investigation. He was able to use unique data sets to map the mechanisms of tumor drug resistance. He pointed out potential driver epigenetic modications related to metastasis. His knowledge and literature awareness are impressive. Appears to be a person who always would like to learn new things. He is very confident in answering questions. Understand and respond to questions very well. Talking very fast and appears to have a lot to say, suggesting a deep understanding of the research field. Can clearly tell his passion in science duriing the interview. Overall, Pan Xiangyu is a talented and ambitious young scientist with a strong grasp of the complex interplay between epigenetics and cancer biology. His research has significant potential to deepen our understanding of the molecular mechanisms that drive tumorigenesis and could pave the way for the development of novel therapeutic strategies for cancer treatment.

This prize is sponsored by The Yu and Wei Foundation.

Liang Chen

Background: Mr. Chen earned his bachelor degree from Huaiyin Normal University in 2018, and is conducting his PhD research in the laboratory of Dr. Li Dali in East China Normal University. During last four years , he worked mainly on the development of upstream gene editing technologies. (1) He proposed a new strategy to improve the efficiency of base editors by fusing protein-specific functional structural domains, and developed a series of tools for ultra-high activity cytosine base editors hyCBEs. (2) He developed the two-base editor A&C-BEmax to realize complex multi-base editing simultaneously. (3) Development of a new generation of “precise and safe” adenine base editor ABE9 through structure-oriented modification, which narrowed the editing window to 1-2nt and reduced DNA/RNA off-target events to background level. (4) Successfully transformed adenine deaminase TadA-8e into cytosine deaminase using molecular evolution, and developed Td-CGBE and Td-CBEs series of tools.

Citation: Strong background in genome editing. Appears to be very hands-on and has new ideas to drive the project forward. He wants to try alternative enzymes, such as those involved in DNA repair, to improve gene editing, but the discussions are technical and generic. He does not have much exposure to synthetic biology. Has a plan to stand out in this competitive field. He has some general ideas on applications of gene editing in clinical settings. Understand and respond to questions very well. Explaination is concise and to the point. Appears to be very confident and relaxed during the interview. Honest about what he knows and what he doesn’t. Clearly passionate about the research. Overall, Chen is an active and highly motivated researcher with a proven track record of innovative research in gene editing technology.

This prize is sponsored by The Yu and Wei Foundation.

Rui Zhou

Background: Ms. Zhou received her bachelor degree from China Agricultural University University in 2016, and then she join the laboratory of Dr.Liu Qinghua in NIBS in 2017. She found that functionally acquired mutants of the long and short isoforms of SIK3 (SIK3S551A/SLP) both increase sleep duration. In addition, she identified the first molecular pathway for mammalian sleep regulation, LKB1-SIK3-HDAC4/5-CREB, through a series of RNA-seq and ChIP-seq analyses.

Citation: She clearly described the relationship between gene expression and neuron functions in her work. She noticed the contradictary roles of different elements in neuron functions. The new discovery from her research indicates that there are different roles of the same pathway when it is coactivated with other pathways. She has very good understanding of the interactions of neural network with gene regulation. She has unique interests in neuron firing patterns that have alternative functions. She understands the limits of current theory on neural mechanisms, and stands strong to answer questions with reasoning when challenged. She has a strong understanding of the current research landscape in the field, including the three main areas of study: sleep-regulating substances, brain regions involved in sleep regulation, and genetic mechanisms of sleep regulation. Ms. Zhou demonstrates a high level of passion, dedication, and intellectual curiosity in her research pursuits. Logical thinking, well-organized answers to questions.

This prize is sponsored by The Yu and Wei Foundation.

Yucen Huang

Background: Ms. Huang received her BS from Tsinghua University in 2018, and entered the Ph.D. program in Tsinghua University in the same year. During her doctoral study, Yucen mainly studied the mechanism of coronavirus transcription, especially for the polymerase nsp12. She and her colleagues have discovered a novel mechanism of neo-coronavirus capping through a series of high-resolution structures of the intermediate state complexes involved in the capping process, which was supported by biochemical experiments. They also identified two novel drug targets.

Citation: Her long-term contemplation and exploration of the SARS virus before the pandemic helped her to quickly study the transcription complex of coronaviruses and complete important foundational work. The structural studies are impressive. She commented that they were able to monitor the dynamic changes of the enzyme reactions by determining the structure of different intermediate complexes. She understands the significance of the project and desmontrated independence. Presentation and verbal skills are good overall. In the future, she plans to continue her work on virus structure and biochemistry through experiments with viruses.

This prize is sponsored by the Ray Wu Memorial Fund.

Zhuoning Zou

Background: Ms. Zou received her BS from University of Chinese Academy of Sciences in 2018, and entered the PhD program in PKU the same year, where she studies under the direction of Dr. Xie Wei. During Zhuoning’ Ph.D. research, she mainly worked on two projects. (1) The first project is about translational regulation during the oocyte-to-embryo transition (OET) in human. In this project, she and colleagues revealed the conservation and divergence of translational regulation of human and mouse during OET, and identified critical highly translated transcription factors (TFs) for human zygotic genome activation (ZGA). (2) The second project is about the dynamics and mechanism of X chromosome architecture establishment in mouse early embryos.

Citation: Her work aims at discovery of new transcription factors by improving efficiency and coverage, especially for homeobox binding proteins. Demonstrated independent contributions to the project. One notable achievement of Zhuoning Zou’s is being part of the team that produced the first set of human oocyte and early embryo translatome data. Unique contributions include design of reporters and data analysis and related discoveries, e.g. noncoding –> coding genes. She is aware of other types of transcription factors. Communication is on the “green” side.

This prize is sponsored by the Ray Wu Memorial Fund.

Bingqing Yao

Background: Ms. Yao received her BS from Harbin Medical University in 2018, and entered the PhD program in Westlake University, where she studies under the guidance of Dr. Cai Shang in 2018. Bingqing’s research mainly focuses on dissecting the physiological role of intratumor microbiota in cancer progression. She and her collegues found that in the murine breast tumor tissues and human breast cancer tissues, there was low abundance of intratumor microbiota that predominantly reside within the cytosol of cancer cells. Most importantly they demonstrated that these intratumor microbiota were functionally important for cancer metastasis at their physiological condition through promoting cancer cell’s survival against mechanical stress.

Citation: Her work confirmed that intracellular bacteria could facilitate metastasis of breast cance in animal models. She does not think that bacteria cause cancer, but allow tumor cells to survive under mechanical stress. She responded calmly under pressure. She approaches questions with curiosity.

This prize is sponsored by the Ray Wu Memorial Fund.

Jiawei Shen

Background: Mr. Shen received his bachelor degree from Northeast Agriculture University in 2017, and entered the Ph.D program in the laboratory of Dr. Xue Tian in University of Science and Technology of China in 2017. Jiawei has two main research interests: biological clocks (circadian rhythms) and the photosynthetic metabolism. His work demontrated the occurrence of light perception during light-regulated glucose metabolism, the information integration of light perception signals within the brain, and the peripheral effector organs of light-regulated metabolism. In additon, he independently led a study of the neural mechanisms of ambient light and exercise on biological clock timing. He found that GABA, an inhibitory neurotransmitter, exhibits a unique nighttime excitatory neuronal effect.

Citation: His work is related to important biological questions of timing in activity patterns, focusing on sleep. He stated that they identified genes that are related to the regulation. His research field is at the intersection of multiple fields in physiology, with great potential. The studies he finished are innovative and has the potential to advance our understanding of the underlying mechanisms of how light exposure can lead to metabolic disorders. He commented that calcium influx is involved in gene expression regulation. He has broad knowledge about the relationship between metabiolism and neural signaling. He also has his own ideas on the future directions in his research area. He is clearly passionate about his research topic. One interviewer thinks that overall, Jiawei is a creative and driven scientist with a strong background in neuroscience. His proposed research projects are both innovative and well thought out, and his previous research experience demonstrates his ability to carry out complex experiments and analyze data.

This prize is sponsored by the Ray Wu Memorial Fund.

RWMF members at the 2023 Ray Wu Prize award ceremony