• Host-microbe interactions
• Early life microbiome
• Infection biology

Lin Zhang is redefining how we understand the origins of human health. Her research focuses on a critical, often-overlooked moment: the establishment of the gut microbiome from birth. Through the landmark MOMMY cohort study, she and her team track how parents transfer microbes to their infants, how these “pioneer” microbes program the developing immune and nervous systems, and why microbial trajectories diverge between boys and girls. Her work reveals that these early microbial blueprints can either protect against or predispose individuals to developmental and chronic diseases.

Building on her early career discoveries in intracellular pathogen immune evasion, Lin now translates mechanistic host–microbe insights into action. Her laboratory aims to design novel, early-life preventive strategies that optimise microbial succession from day one –  fundamentally reshaping how we prevent intergenerational chronic illness and improve lifelong well-being starting at birth.

Dr. Lin Zhang is an Associate Professor in the Department of Anaesthesia and Intensive Care, Lead Scientist of Microbiota I-Center (MagIC) and a Principal Investigator of Li Ka Shing Institute of Health Sciences at the Chinese University of Hong Kong. Her research bridges basic biology and translational medicine, with a keen focus on host–microbe crosstalk and the establishment of the microbiome in early life. She has authored over 150 publications, including nearly 100 original research articles in leading journals such as Nature Medicine, Cell Host & Microbe, Nature Microbiology, and Gut. She is an Editorial Board Members of iMeta and served as a reviewer for grant agencies (e.g. NSFC, Australian and New Zealand College of Anaesthetists, and American Gastroenterological Association Abstract Review Committee (Pre-clinical Treatment of Intestinal Inflammation, etc), as well as for over 20 international journals (e.g., Nature Genetics, Annals of Internal Medicine, Gut, Gastroenterology). She has been conferred Top 2% Scientist in Clinical Medicine (2023- 2025), awardee of NSFC-RGC Joint Research Scheme 2025/26, Young Researcher Award in CUHK (2024), Global Grants for Gut Health Abstract Award (IHMC 2026), a Silver Medal at the International Exhibition of Inventions, Geneva (2025).

1. Young Research Award 2024, The Chinese University of Hong Kong (2025)
2. World’s Top 2% Scientists (Clinical Medicine), Stanford University/Elsevier (2023, 2024, 2025)
3. Silver Medal in the 50th International Exhibition of Inventions Geneva, The 50th International Exhibition of Inventions Geneva (2025)
4. KASID Best Oral Presentation Award, The 5th International Meeting on Intestinal Diseases in Conjunction with the Annual Congress of the Korean Association for the Study of Intestinal Diseases, IMKASID (2022)
5. Young Investigator Award, The 15th International Gastrointestinal Consensus Symposium, IGICS (2022)
6. Fellowship of Hong Kong – Scotland Partners in Post-Doctoral Research for 2015/2016, Scotland Partners in Post-Doctoral Research (2016)
7. Excellent Oral Presentation Award, 3rd Joint Meeting between the State Key Laboratories of Molecular Oncology Cancer Institute and the School of Biomedical Science of CUHK, Beijing (2013)
8. Outstanding Oral Presentation Award, 14th Annual Scientific Meeting, Hong Kong Pharmacology Society (2012)
9. Best Oral Presentation Award, School of Biomedical Sciences Postgraduate Research Day, The Chinese University of Hong Kong (2012)
10. Global Grants for Gut Health Abstract Award: The Outstanding Presentation Entitles at the 11^th International Human Microbiome Consortium Congress (IHMC 2026 SEOUL)

1. Zhang L, Liu Y, Wang S, Ching JYL, Tam WH, Leung TF, Leung TY, Chan PKS, Mak JWY, Cheung CP, Tun HM, Chang EB, DeLeon O, Huang Q, Chen X, Huo H, Miao Y, Cheong PK, Ip KL, Yeung YL, Chang MK, Lyu C, Yang H, Li B, Fan Y, Sun Y, Jiang S, Ng SC, Chan FKL.  MOMMY study profile:An integrative early-life multi-omics cohort in China. iMetaOmics. 2025;2(4):e70068. doi:1002/imo2.70068.
2. Zhang L, Wang S, Wong MCS, Mok CKP, Ching JYL, Mak JWY, Chen C, Huo B, Yan S, Cheung CP, Chiu EOL, Fung EYT, Cheong PK., Chan FK.L, Ng SC. The resident gut microbiome modulates the effect of synbiotics on the immunogenicity after SARS-COV-2 vaccination in elderly and diabetes patients. npj Biofilms Microbiomes. 2025;11(1):171. doi:1038/s41522-025-00804-9.
3. Zhang L, Xu W, Meng HYH, Ching JYL, Liu Y, Wang S, Yan S, Lin L, Cheong PK, Ip KL, Peng Y, Zhu J, Cheung CP, Leung TF, Leung ASY, Tam WH, Leung TY, Chan PKS, Chang EB, Rubin DT, Claud EC, Wu WKK, Tun HM, Chan FKL, Ng SC. Impacts of COVID-19 pandemic on early life gut microbiome. Gut Microbes. 2025;17(1):2443117. doi:1080/19490976.2024.2443117.
4. Wang S, Liu Y, Tam WH, Ching JYL, Xu W, Yan S, Qin B, Lin L, Peng Y, Zhu J, Cheung CP, Ip KL, Wong YM, Cheong PK, Yeung YL, Kan WHB, Leung TF, Leung TY, Chang EB, Rubin DT, Claud EC, Wu WKK, Tun HM, Chan FKL, Ng SC, Zhang L. Maternal gestational diabetes mellitus associates with altered gut microbiome composition and head circumference abnormalities in male offspring. Cell Host & Microbe. 2024;32(7):1192-1206.e5. doi:1016/j.chom.2024.06.005.
5. Liu Y, Ling L, Wong SH, Wang MH, Fitzgerald JR, Zou X, Fang S, Liu X, Wang X, Hu W, Chan H, Wang Y, Huang D, Li Q, Wong WT, Choi G, Zou H, Hui DS, Yu J, Tse G, Gin T, Wu WKK, Chan MTV, Zhang L. Outcomes of respiratory viral-bacterial co-infection in adult hospitalized patients. eClinicalMedicine. 2021;37:100955. doi:1016/j.eclinm.2021.100955.
6. Xu W, Liu Y, Zou X, Luo H, Wu W, Xia J, Chan MTV, Fang S, Shu Y, Wu WKK, Zhang L. Hypozincemia in COVID-19 Patients Correlates With Stronger Antibody Response. Frontiers in Immunology. 2022;12:785599. doi:3389/fimmu.2021.785599.
7. Zhang L, Hu W, Cho CH, Chan FK, Yu J, Ross Fitzgerald J, Cheung CK, Xiao ZG, Shen J, Li LF, Li MX, Wu JC, Ling TK, Chan JY, Ko H, Tse G, Ng SC, Yu S, Wang MH, Gin T, Ashktorab H, Smoot DT, Wong SH, Chan MTV, Wu WKK. Reduced lysosomal clearance of autophagosomes promotes survival and colonization of Helicobacter pylori. The Journal of Pathology. 2018;244(4):432-444. doi:1002/path.5033.
8. Zhang L, Wu WKK, Gallo RL, Fang EF, Hu W, Ling TKW, Shen J, Chan RLY, Lu L, Luo XM, Li MX, Chan KM, Yu J, Wong VWS, Ng SC, Wong SH, Chan FKL, Sung JJY, Chan MTV, Cho CH. Critical Role of Antimicrobial Peptide Cathelicidin for Controlling Helicobacter pylori Survival and Infection. Journal of Immunology. 2016;196(4):1799-1809. doi:4049/jimmunol.1500021.
9. Huang Z, Zhang L, Chen H, Liu X, Tan L, Huang D, Liu Y, Wang Y, Zhang X, Cheng ASL, Wang WH, Kang W, To KF, Yu J, Ko H, Yu L, Wong SH, Gin T, Chan MTV, Wang X, Wu WKK. Tumor Suppressor Genes with Segmental Duplications Are Prone to Somatic Deletions and Structural Variations. Cancer Research. 2025;85(15):2939-2952. doi:1158/0008-5472.can-24-2225.
10. Peng Y, Zhu J, Wang S, Liu Y, Liu X, DeLeon O, Zhu W, Xu Z, Zhang X, Zhao S, Liang S, Li H, Ho B, Ching JYL, Cheung CP, Leung TF, Tam WH, Leung TY, Chang EB, Chan FKL, Zhang L, Ng SC, Tun HM. A metagenome-assembled genome inventory for children reveals early-life gut bacteriome and virome dynamics. Cell Host & Microbe. 2024;32(12):2212-2230.e8. doi:1016/j.chom.2024.10.017.
11. Zeng J, Xie C, Huang Z, Cho CH, Chan H, Li Q, Ashktorab H, Smoot DT, Wong SH, Yu J, Gong W, Liang C, Xu H, Chen H, Liu X, Wu JCY, Ip M, Gin T, Zhang L, Chan MTV, Hu W, Wu WKK. LOX-1 acts as an N6-methyladenosine-regulated receptor for Helicobacter pylori by binding to the bacterial catalase. Nature Communications. 2024;15(1):669. doi:1038/s41467-024-44860-9.
12. Peng Y, Zhang L, Mok CKP, Ching JYL, Zhao S, Wong MKL, Zhu J, Chen C, Wang S, Yan S, Qin B, Liu Y, Zhang X, Cheung CP, Cheong PK, Ip KL, Fung ACH, Wong KKY, Hui DSC, Chan FKL, Ng SC, Tun HM. Baseline gut microbiota and metabolome predict durable immunogenicity to SARS-CoV-2 vaccines. Signal Transduction and Targeted Therapy. 2023;8(1):373. doi:1038/s41392-023-01629-8.
13. Ng SC, Peng Y, Zhang L, Mok CKP, Zhao S, Li A, Ching JYL, Liu Y, Yan S, Chan DLS, Zhu J, Chen C, Fung ACH, Wong KKY, Hui DSC, Chan FKL, Tun HM. Gut microbiota composition is associated with SARS-CoV-2 vaccine immunogenicity and adverse events. Gut. 2022;71(6):1106-1116. doi:1136/gutjnl-2021-326563.
14. Wang X, Hu W, Li X, Huang D, Li Q, Chan H, Zeng J, Xie C, Chen H, Liu X, Gin T, Wang MH, Cheng ASL, Kang W, To KF, Plewczynski D, Zhang Q, Chen X, Chan DCW, Ko H, Wong SH, Yu J, Chan MTV, Zhang L, Wu WKK. Single-Hit Inactivation Drove Tumor Suppressor Genes Out of the X Chromosome during Evolution. Cancer Research. 2022;82(8):1482-1491. doi:1158/0008-5472.can-21-3458.
15. Fang S, Zhang L, Liu Y, Xu W, Wu W, Huang Z, Wang X, Liu H, Sun Y, Zhang R, Peng B, Liu X, Sun X, Yu J, Chan FKL, Ng SC, Wong SH, Wang MHT, Gin T, Joynt GM, Hui DSC, Feng T, Wu WKK, Chan MTV, Zou X, Xia J. Lysosome activation in peripheral blood mononuclear cells and prognostic significance of circulating LC3B in COVID-19. Briefing in Bioinformatics. 2021;22(2):1466-1475. doi:1093/bib/bbab043.
16. Wang X, Li X, Zhang L, Wong SH, Wang MHT, Tse G, Dai RZW, Nakatsu G, Coker OO, Chen Z, Ko H, Chan JYK, Liu T, Cheng CHK, Cheng ASL, To KF, Plewczynski D, Sung JJY, Yu J, Gin T, Chan MTV, Wu WKK. Oncogenes expand during evolution to withstand somatic amplification. Annals of Oncology. 2018;29(11):2254-2260. doi:1093/annonc/mdy397.
17. Hu W, Zhang L, Li MX, Shen J, Liu XD, Xiao ZG, Wu DL, Ho IHT, Wu JCY, Cheung CKY, Zhang YC, Lau AHY, Ashktorab H, Smoot DT, Fang EF, Chan MTV, Gin T, Gong W, Wu WKK, Cho CH. Vitamin D3 activates the autolysosomal degradation function against Helicobacter pylori through the PDIA3 receptor in gastric epithelial cells. Autophagy. 2019;15(4):707-725. doi:1080/15548627.2018.1557835.
18. Zhang L, Agrawal M, Ng SC, Jess T. Early-life exposures and the microbiome:implications for IBD prevention. Gut. 2023;0:1-9. doi:1136/gutjnl-2023-330002. (Review)
19. Zhang L, Sung JJY, Yu J, Ng SC, Wong SH, Cho CH, Ng SSM, Chan FKL, Wu WKK. Xenophagy in Helicobacter pylori- and Epstein-Barr virus-induced gastric cancer. Journal of Pathology. 2014;233(2):103-112. doi:1002/path.4351. (Review)
20. Hu W, Chan H, Lu L, Wong KT, Wong SH, Li MX, Xiao ZG, Cho CH, Gin T, Chan MTV, Wu WKK, Zhang L. Autophagy in intracellular bacterial infection. Seminars in Cell and Developmental Biology. 2020;101:41-50. doi:1016/j.semcdb.2019.07.014. (Review)