Jiashuo (Aaron) Zhang

Clarendon Scholarship; Oxford-St Cross E.P. Abraham Scholarship; Department of Physiology, Anatomy and Genetics Studentship 

Joining us from: China/Canada 

DPhil in Physiology, Anatomy and Genetics (2023) 

I was born in Tsingtao, China, and moved to Canada for high school and university. I obtained my Honours Bachelor of Science from the University of British Columbia in Vancouver, Canada, majoring in cellular, anatomical, and physiological sciences. My undergraduate research focused on diabetes mellitus, especially in pancreatic beta cell stress, insulin signalling, and hyperinsulinemia prediction models. My DPhil project focuses on diabetic cardiomyopathy in the context of HIF-mediated hypoxia response. The collective finding around HIF metabolism was awarded the 2019 Nobel Prize in Medicine to three scientists, including Professor Sir Peter Radcliffe from our University of Oxford. 

Being raised in Tsingtao, I have picked up the well-established tradition of the Tsingtao Brewery. During my time at UBC, I took an elective on enology and fermented beverage biotechnology, in which I learned the essential techniques of homebrew. I am amazed by the British drinking culture, and I am looking forward to making some homebrew with my friends during my DPhil. 

Outside of laboratories, I am a huge fan of racquet sports. I used to be a semi-professional tennis player for many years and volunteered to coach tennis during high school and university. I also love to play badminton and table tennis. 

I am very honoured and grateful to receive the Clarendon Scholarship, the Oxford-St Cross E.P. Abraham Scholarship, and the Department of Physiology, Anatomy and Genetics Studentship. To teach science and to develop effective and affordable medications for the public are my ultimate goals. Being named as one of the scholars means my undergraduate research is recognized and accepted by not only researchers in my field. After completing my DPhil, I plan to pursue a career in scientific research to study important biological questions of high translational significance.