School of Science – 30 Star Students Recognized for Their Research Excellence at the Inaugural XJTLU-UoL-XJTU Postgraduate Research Joint Conference

From March 19 to 21, 2025, the inaugural  XJTLU-UoL-XJTU Postgraduate Research Joint Conference and the 2025 XJTLU Postgraduate Research Symposium were successfully held in Suzhou, China.

The conference was jointly hosted by Xi’an Jiaotong-Liverpool University (XJTLU), Xi’an Jiaotong University (XJTU), and the University of Liverpool (UoL), with the UK-Jiangsu World Class University Consortium as a co-organizer. The event focused on the theme “The Journey from Research to Impact – Translation and Application of Academic Findings into Practical Solutions,” and gathered nearly 560 postgraduate students from around 20 prestigious universities worldwide, with research topics in 16 key areas, including Electrical and Electronic Engineering, Computer Science and Software Engineering, Environmental Science, Chemistry, Biological Sciences, and Education.

There were 73 students from the School of Science at XJTLU, who participated in the poster presentations and 24 in the oral presentations. An unprecedented total of 31 students from the School of Science were recognised for their research excellence, including 7 Best Poster Awards, 16 Excellent Poster Awards, 4 Best Poster Awards, and 4 Excellent Poster Awards.

Professor John Moraros, Dean of the School of Science at XJTLU, said, “This conference showcased the outstanding quality of the research achievements of our postgraduate students under the expert mentorship of our world renowned faculty. It reinforced our strong and long standing commitment to research excellence,  further strengthened  academic exchange and cooperation with helped build mutually beneficial partnerships with internationally top tier  institutions. We are proud of these award-winning students. They have brought honor and recognition to our School and in many instances, their research work helped contribute to deepening our collaborative ties  between academia and industry.”

Awards list：

Best oral award

Ying Lei   Biological Sciences PhD

Minyi Kau   MRes Environmental Sciences

Lin Su   Biological Sciences PhD

Ziyang Gong   Biological Sciences PhD

Excellent oral award

Xiaotian Zhao   Biological Sciences PhD

Ziyan Liu Environmental Science PhD

Siqi Liu  Environmental Science PhD

Haokai Ye  Biological Sciences PhD

Best poster award

Minyi Kau MRes Environmental Sciences

Yuxin Liang Biological Sciences PhD

Junyue Zhou Environmental Science PhD

Jiahao Wu   Environmental Science PhD

Shuhe Liu   Biological Sciences PhD

Yewei Liu   Biological Sciences PhD

Tian Gao  Chemistry PhD

Excellent poster award

Xuefei Zhao Biological Sciences PhD

Xinghan Zhang   Biological Sciences PhD

Agnishikhe Munipapa Reddy Ashok Kumar   Environmental Science PhD

Linghao Jin   MRes Advanced Chemical Sciences

Weihao Da   Chemistry PhD

Weiding Wang   Chemistry PhD

Xiao Shu   Chemistry PhD

Yidan Wang  Environmental Science PhD

Wen Ye   Chemistry PhD

Lin Liu Chemistry PhD

Siqi Liu Environmental Science PhD

Hanyue Zheng   Environmental Science PhD

Hailian Huang   Chemistry PhD

Yuqi Ma Chemistry PhD

Mingrui Zuo  Chemistry PhD

Chunhan Huang   Chemistry PhD

Students' sharing

Ziyan Liu：

"I am truly honored to be part of such a vibrant academic community and receive this award. My research explores the abiotic methane emission mechanism in wetlands, challenging conventional microbial-centered models. This conference provided a valuable platform for exchanging ideas, and I sincerely appreciate the university’s support in fostering such an inspiring academic environment."

Shuhe Liu：

"My research project uses a bioinformatics approach to explore the causes of mental disorders and their association with various diseases, carried out as a team under the guidance of Prof. John Moraros and Dr. Zhen Wei. Participating in the Postgraduate Research Forum was a profoundly meaningful and resonant experience. The professors raised thought-provoking and insightful questions, which broadened my perspective and sparked many new ideas. Through these exchanges, we discovered shared understandings and a genuine sense of connection in our thinking. "

Ying Lei:

"My PhD research project is to investigate one of the transmembrane proteins in fruit flies. Participating in the University Postgraduate Research Joint Conference has provided a great opportunity to meet other research students who are from other universities and expand my research network. "

Minyi Kau：

"My project develops a systematic and quantitative approach to identify surrogate species, aiming to provide a more strategic solution to global challenges of biodiversity conservation. I’m truly grateful for this exciting opportunity to share my research, connect with inspiring peers, and gain valuable perspectives from the exchange of ideas at the conference."

Ziyang Gong:

“I am deeply honored to receive the Best Oral Award at this year’s University Postgraduate Research Joint Conference. Presenting my work on [Src Family Kinases in Transcriptional Regulation of Neuroinflammation in Migraine Models] was a rewarding experience, and I’m grateful for the vibrant discussions it sparked. This achievement reflects the tireless support of my supervisor, Prof. Minyan Wang, and our incredible team—thank you all for turning challenges into milestones.”