PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE AND EDUCATION
Current Administrative Roles at UNC:
Associate Director, McAllister Heart Institute;
CFAC Chair of Animal Cores;
Faculty Director, UNC Human Pluripotent Stem Cell Core;
DPLM Department RAC Member
Academic experience and training:
2023-present Professor with tenure
2018-2023 Associate Professor with tenure
2012-2018 Assistant Professor
Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine McAllister Heart Institute Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill2007-2012 Postdoctoral Fellow
Gladstone Institute for Cardiovascular Disease University of California, San Francisco –Roddenberry Fellow –California Institute for Regenerative Medicine (CIRM) Scholar2001-2006 Graduate/Ph.D. Student
Department of Molecular, Cellular and Developmental Biology University of Michigan, Ann Arbor 2003-2006 Visiting Graduate Student Development and Aging Program Sanford-Burnham Institute, La Jolla University of California, San Diego1997-2001 Undergraduate Student
Life Science School Fudan University, Shanghai, China –Chun-Tsung Scholar1994-1997 High School Student
High School Affiliated to Nanjing Normal University – Provincial-Level Honor StudentHONORS AND AWARDS
2022 Faculty Award for Excellence in Doctoral Mentoring, UNC-Chapel Hill 2022 Mentorship Appreciation, for commitment to HBCU (Historically Black Colleges and Universities) Scholar Program, AHA 2021 Emerging Investigator Award R35, NIH/NHLBI 2021 Established Investigator Award, AHA 2020 EII Innovative Award, Eshelman Institute for Innovation, UNC 2020 Yang Family Biomedical Scholar, Yang Family Society of Biomedical Scholar 2019 Named by Cell Press to be one of their best reviewers, invited to share philosophy on peer review in the special Leading Edge “Voices” article published in Cell 2019 Phillip and Ruth Hettleman Prizes for Artistic and Scholarly Achievement, UNC 2019 Rising Star Award, 2019 Triangle Business Journal Health Care Heroes 2018 Transformational Project Award, American Heart Association 2017 Outstanding Mentor Award, UNC-Chapel Hill 2017 Finalist for NYSCF-Robertson Stem Cell Investigator Awards, NYSCF 2017 Featured at Research Features Magazine (UK) 2016 Jefferson Pilot Award in Academic Medicine, UNC-Chapel Hill 2016 McAllister Young Investigator Award, UNC-Chapel Hill 2016 Boyalife Award in Stem Cells and Regenerative Medicine, Science/AAAS 2016 URC Publication Award, UNC-Chapel Hill 2016 Keynote speaker, 7th Annual Translational Medicine Symposium, UNC-Chapel Hill
2016 Early Career Scientist Travel Award, The Company of Biologists
2014 5th Annual NPAW, Featured Postdoc Alumna, Gladstone Institute, UCSF
2014 MHI/Cardiology 20K Award for Cardiovascular Research, UNC-Chapel Hill
2014 Junior Faculty Development Award, UNC-Chapel Hill
2013-2017 Ellison New Scholar in Aging, The Ellison Medical Foundation
2013-2017 Scientist Development Grant (National), American Heart Association (AHA)
2013 Featured “Woman in Cardiovascular Health Care”, UNC Social Media
2012 Top 10 Advances in Heart Disease and Stroke Research (ranked #2), AHA 2012 Award for Excellence in Science, Gladstone Institute, UCSF
2011 Katz Basic Science Research Prize for Young Investigators, AHA
2011-2012 Roddenberry Fellowship, Roddenberry Foundation
2011 Above and Beyond Award, Gladstone Institute, UCSF
2011 Travel Award for 2011 International Society for Stem Cell Research Annual Meeting
2011 Travel Award for 2011 Weinstein Cardiovascular Conference, Weinstein Committee
2011 Award for Exemplary Leadership, Gladstone Institute, UCSF
2010-2011 Lynda and Stewart Resnick Fellowship, Lynda and Stewart Resnick Foundation
2010 Above and Beyond Award, Gladstone Institute, UCSF
2009-2012 California Institute for Regenerative Medicine Scholarship, CIRM, California 2003-2006 American Heart Association Midwest Affiliate Pre-doctor Fellowship 2005 Graduate Student in Science Focus, The Buzz Newsletter, Burnham Institute 2005 Top 10 research articles in Current Biology, CellPress
2003 Rackham School Pre-candidate Fellowship, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor
2002 Horace H. Rackham School Travel Grant, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor 1999-2001 Chun-Tsung Scholarship (National), Chu Tsung Endowment
1999 Inchcape HKU China Scholarship, Hong Kong University-Fudan University
1999 SUMI TOMO Corporation Scholarship (National), SUMI TOMO Corporation
1998 BaoSteel Corporation Educational Scholarship (National), BaoSteel Corporation
1997-2001 People Scholarship, Fudan University
Prior to colleague (major academic awards):
1997 Provincial Honor Student at High School Graduation 1993 China National Chemistry Olympiad Competition, First Place
HOBBIES
The biggest fun is to play with her lovely daughters Smin & Jasmin, dog Biscuit and cat Fiona.
Music: playing “GuZheng”, piano; karaoke; pop and classic music Art: sketch drawing, Chinese painting, acrylics, watercolor and oil painting Outdoor: skating, skiing, hiking, rock climbing and swimming