Dr Ying Zhou is passionate about understanding disease pathology and ultimate therapeutic development. With a special interest in the cardiovascular system, Ying completed her PhD at the University of Queensland studying the molecular pathways that endogenous and exogenous stimuli utilise to initiate atherosclerosis. In July 2021, Ying joined Associate professor Sara Baratchi’s lab where she is endeavoured to generate an in vitro model to study foam cell formation using state-of-the-art microfluidic technology.

Ying’s current research interest expands to develop a wide range of models recapitulating in vivo events in the cardiovascular system. Using these models, Ying is interested in deciphering the cellular machinery of the blood cells and blood vessel resident cells in response to different mechanic forces, including shear stresses, cyclic stretches and substrate stiffness. Eventually, Ying is aiming to identify the mechanosensory pathways that control cellular responses  and hopefully a potential therapeutic target that can be manipulated to tackle cardiovascular disease.