Intro

I am a life science professional, a PhD-trained physician, and a climber. Through hands-on clinical practice, disease modelling using stem cell– and organoid-based systems, and genomics-driven projects, I have developed a multidisciplinary perspective on how complex diseases arise, progress, and diversify across individuals.

These experiences have shaped my interest in biomedical research that integrates experimental platforms, molecular genetics, and quantitative thinking, while also requiring careful project coordination and cross-disciplinary collaboration. I am particularly motivated by work that translates complex biological and clinical data into structured, interpretable insights that can inform downstream research and decision-making.

In particular, my interests center on:

1. Translational research and Project Coordination
2. Disease Modelling and Stem Cell Biology
3. Molecular Genetics and Genomics
4. Phylogenetics and Evolutionary Biology

I completed my PhD at ULB Center for Diabetes Research under the supervision of Prof Miriam Cnop, where my work focused on disease mechanism discovery using stem cell-derived organoid disease models in a translational research setting. By leveraging clinical and omics resources, my doctoral research used iPSC-derived islets to study variant-specific mechanisms underlying rare SNP-associated and monogenic forms of diabetes and neurological disorders, modelling patient-specific phenotypes.

I received my medical degree from from The Second Xiangya Hospital,Central South University, under the supervison of Prof Zhiguang Zhou (周智广). While trained as a physician, my medical education consistently reinforced my interest in the biological mechanisms of disease and the value of integrating clinical observation with experimental and analytical approaches.

In parallel with wet-lab and clinical research, I have gained substantial exposure to bioinformatics and phylogenetic analyses over the past several years, contributing to work on tumour evolution and on the quantitative timing of angiosperm origins.

I am based in London, GB, where I work in the life science industry at the interface of preclinical science and partnerships, helping biotech and pharmaceutical R&D teams turn their scientific goals into well-scoped collaborations. This builds directly on my translational research background and my interest in turning complex biology into structured, decision-ready insight.

Alongside this, I continue part-time research with Dr Bingxin Lu (卢冰心) and Dr Ruolin Wu (吴若琳) on "Reconstructing Evolutionary dynamics of Copy number Alterations from Multiple samples across cancer types".

Outside of research, climbing has become an important long-term practice for me. Beyond the physical aspect, climbing has shaped how I think about preparation, risk management, and incremental progress under uncertainty. I am now a qualified Climbing Wall Instructor (CWI) and am working toward Rock Climbing Instructor, with a strong emphasis on safety, responsibility, and contributing to the climbing community.

I Like

• Climbing and/or Bouldering (constant problem-solving, constant rethinking, see my climbing page for more fun!)
• Hiking (Lite version.)
• Fossil hunting (Usually find Belemnoidea instead of Ammonoidea.)
• Star gazing (I've seen the most beautiful Venus.)
• Procreate (I know how to draw an Ichthyosauria.)
• Podcasts: 凡事不烦, 天才捕手FM, 博物志, and a series of crime storytelling among others.
• Series: Person of Interest beyonds everything. Though, I also enjoy The Adventures of Tintin quite a lot.
• Things that I am ignorant about.

Extras

• My stage/cafeteria name is "Bagel", but that hardly work in Brussels, so I adopted "Iris" but now officially Uriel (Uri).
• I have a Podcast 七小时后 for bedtime stories.
• This website is an extended, more personal view to my CV — feel free to explore beyond the highlights.