Keywords
Fields of Research (FoR)
Epidemiology, BiostatisticsBiography
I am a Conjoint Associate Professor at UNSW Sydney and Program Lead for Blood Pressure and Haemorrhagic Stroke Research at The George Institute for Global Health. My research focuses on improving outcomes for people with acute stroke, particularly intracerebral haemorrhage, through better blood pressure management and evidence-based treatment strategies.
I apply epidemiology and biostatistics to clinically important questions, working with...view more
I am a Conjoint Associate Professor at UNSW Sydney and Program Lead for Blood Pressure and Haemorrhagic Stroke Research at The George Institute for Global Health. My research focuses on improving outcomes for people with acute stroke, particularly intracerebral haemorrhage, through better blood pressure management and evidence-based treatment strategies.
I apply epidemiology and biostatistics to clinically important questions, working with clinicians and multidisciplinary teams. My work spans large-scale randomised controlled trials, population-based epidemiological studies, individual participant data analyses, linked health data and artificial intelligence for clinical decision support. I have served as lead statistician for major international stroke trials, including INTERACT2, ENCHANTED and HeadPoST.
I completed my PhD in Medicine at the University of Sydney in 2016 and a Master of Medicine in Epidemiology and Biostatistics at Peking Union Medical College in 2010. Before joining The George Institute in 2013, I worked at the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention on HIV drug resistance surveillance and epidemiological research.
My research has received competitive support from the National Health and Medical Research Council, NSW Health and the National Heart Foundation of Australia. My interests also include sex differences and socioeconomic inequalities in stroke care and outcomes. Alongside my research, I supervise doctoral students and visiting researchers and contribute to training clinicians in research design, clinical trial methods and statistical analysis.
My Grants
Awarded 2026; funding commencing 2027: NHMRC Investigator Grant, Emerging Leadership Level 2 — Transforming Stroke Outcomes Through Blood Pressure Optimisation and Surgical Innovation. A$1,636,800.
2024–2027: NSW Health Cardiovascular Research Capacity Grant — Artificial Intelligence for decision support in acute stroke. A$450,000.
2022–2023: NSW Health Investigator Grant Development Funding — Generating new evidence to better guide stroke management. A$100,000.
2021–2026: NHMRC Investigator Grant, Emerging Leadership Level 1 — Generating new evidence to better guide stroke management. A$568,292.
2019–2020: National Heart Foundation of Australia Postdoctoral Fellowship — Generating new evidence to better guide stroke management. A$150,000.
My Qualifications
2016 — Doctor of Philosophy (Medicine), University of Sydney
2010 — Master of Medicine (Epidemiology and Biostatistics), Peking Union Medical College
2007 — Public Affairs Management, Weifang Medical College
My Awards
2020 — Selected participant, WSO Future Stroke Leaders Programme (first cohort), World Stroke Organization.
2016 — Chinese Government Award for Outstanding Self-Financed Students Abroad (2015 award), China Scholarship Council.
My Research Activities
My research examines how acute stroke management can be improved by combining clinical questions with rigorous epidemiological and statistical methods. A central focus is blood pressure control after intracerebral haemorrhage, including the timing of treatment, patterns of blood pressure change and their relationships with functional outcomes.
I analyse data from large international clinical trials and population-based studies, including individual participant data analyses across studies. I also investigate sex differences and socioeconomic inequalities in stroke care and recovery.
My NSW Health-supported research explores artificial intelligence for decision support in acute stroke, including treatment recommendations, outcome prediction and external validation using real-world data in New South Wales. Across these activities, I work with clinicians and other researchers to develop evidence that can inform practical decisions in stroke care.
My Research Supervision
Areas of supervision
I supervise research in acute stroke, intracerebral haemorrhage and blood pressure management, with a methodological focus on epidemiology, biostatistics and clinical trials. Areas include clinical trial design and analysis, individual participant data analyses, linked health data, artificial intelligence for clinical decision support, sex differences and socioeconomic inequalities in stroke care and outcomes.
I also mentor visiting researchers and support training in statistical analysis, meta-analysis and the preparation of statistical analysis plans.
Currently supervising
I co-supervise PhD research at UNSW on blood pressure management after intracerebral haemorrhage and socioeconomic differences in stroke outcomes.
My Engagement
My academic service has included editorial, peer-review and research capacity-building roles. I have served as an Associate Editor of Stroke and Vascular Neurology, an Editorial Board Member of Neuroprotection, and a member of the National Hypertension Taskforce working group. I served on the NSW Cardiovascular Research Network Rising Stars Sub-Committee from 2021 to 2023.
I have contributed to NHMRC grant peer review, conference abstract review and examination of UNSW master's-level research. I have also supported visiting researchers and clinical research training across Australia and China.
My Teaching
I teach clinical research methods, epidemiology and biostatistics, with a focus on helping clinicians design and analyse rigorous studies. My teaching has included guest lectures on data management for randomised controlled trials in UNSW's HDAT9400 course, and clinical research training programmes at The George Institute and partner institutions in China.
In 2024, I taught observational study design and analysis in four cohorts of the SAHZU training programme at The George Institute, involving approximately 120 participants. I also taught clinical trial design and analysis in two Capital Medical University training cohorts involving approximately 300 participants.
Location
Level 8, Health Translation Hub
55 Botany Street, Randwick NSW 2031, Australia
Contact
Publications
ORCID as entered in ROS
https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1684-7076