12 Mar 2025
We are thrilled to announce that two exceptional Year 4 students from our BSc Bioinformatics program, School of Science at XJTLU, Jiaming Huang and Qiayi Zha, have both received offers from Harvard University. With a cohort of 58 students, this is a major accomplishment for Jiaming and Qiayi and sets a high standard for the entire BSc Bioinformatics program and the School of Science. Their journeys are inspiring tales of dedication, intellectual curiosity, perseverance and remarkable achievements. Let’s dive into their stories!
Jiaming Huang
BSc Bioinformatics
Computational Biology and Quantitative Genetics Harvard University(Full scholarship)
Biomedical Informatics
Harvard University
A Journey of Determination and Excellence
Jiaming Huang embodies academic excellence and relentless drive. Back in Year 2, he set an ambitious goal: admission to Harvard Medical School, fueled by his dream to serve as a scientist at the world-renowned Dana-Farber Cancer Institute. With strong self-discipline, Jiaming worked tirelessly every day at the School of Science, XJTLU to turn his vision into reality.
His academic excellence shines through in both coursework and research. Jiaming consistently ranked number 1 in most modules of the BSc Bioinformatics programme, showcasing his academic strength. Beyond the classroom, he dedicated countless hours to scientific research under the guidance of Prof. Jia Meng, Head of the Department of Bioscience and Bioinformatics. He is consistently driven to learn the most cutting-edge AI methods and apply them to address significant questions in biomedical science. In his third year, he achieved a remarkable milestone: a first-author publication in a Computational Structural and Biotechnology Journal. His work, which used AI methods to predict a type of RNA modification, highlighted his exceptional research capabilities and significant potential.
Professor Jia Meng praises him highly:" Jiaming is the best student in the cohort. His capabilities in research are comparable to many PhD students."
After receiving his full-time offer from Harvard Medical School, Jiaming reflected with a quote from Robert Frost:“ I choose the road that is less travelled by, and that has made all the difference.”
Qiayi Zha
BSc Bioinformatics
Computational Biology and Quantitative Genetics
Harvard University
Fueled by Intellectual Curiosity
Qiayi Zha’s journey is defined by her passion for mathematics and probabilistic modeling. In Year 3, she made a bold choice: taking a gap year to focus on research projects, including a project with Dr. Zhen Wei, Program Director of BSc Bioinformatics. She led a genomic data science research project involving deep learning modeling to improve the detection of NGS assays, revealed her computationally oriented mindset and highlighted her expertise in technical language.
While her grades were well above average—though not always topping the cohort—Qiayi’s intrinsic motivation set her apart. Qiayi Zha served as the HP group leader in the XJTLU iGEM Software Team in 2024. She also independently completed all courses in the MITx MicroMasters Program in Statistics and Data Science, earning equivalent to 25 credits of MIT master’s-level courses in mathematics and machine learning. This extraordinary effort demonstrates her dedication to computational modeling. She also submitted a first author research paper to BMC Bioinformatics, currently under major revision, further proving her research prowess.
Dr. Zhen Wei commends her unique drive:"Qiayi is the kind of student who is strongly driven by intellectual curiosity and thirst for knowledge in computational modeling, the type of student which most bioinformatics supervisors would like to seek."
Upon receiving her offer from Harvard School of Public Health for a full-time Master of Science in Computational Biology and Quantitative Genetics, Qiayi shared a refreshingly candid perspective:"The application season has not been too stressful. After submitting the materials, I stopped worrying about it and started exploring some fun things I like to do. Maybe I will not be happy in the future, but for now, I just want to stay cheerful and enjoy myself. I can go learn more of the math I love and try out some interesting sports. A nice life. Cool flat. Fun job. Someone to watch movies with and enjoy life."
A Proud Moment for BSc Bioinformatics
Professor John Moraros, Dean, School of Science stated:"The achievements of Mr Jiaming Huang and Ms Qiayi Zha are a testament to the talent and hard work fostered within our BSc Bioinformatics programme. Their unique and distinct paths—Jiaming’s pursuit of academic and research excellence and Qiayi’s curiosity-driven exploration of computational modeling—highlight the diverse paths and strengths our students bring to the table. Receiving offers from Harvard University is a well-deserved recognition of their significant efforts and a proud milestone for our School of Science.”
We congratulate Jiaming and Qiayi on their incredible success and look forward to seeing the meaningful impact they will undoubtedly make in their future academic endeavors at Harvard University and beyond!"
Content: Dr Zhen Wei
Review：ProfessorJohn Moraros
Translation、New media：Luyao
12 Mar 2025