Wei-Hong Lin | Environmental Science | Excellence in Research Award

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Dr. Wei-Hong Lin | Environmental Science | Excellence in Research Award 

National Health Research Institutes| Taiwan

Dr. Wei-Hong Lin is an accomplished environmental engineering researcher specializing in the fate, behavior, and ecological risks of microplastics and emerging contaminants. With a strong interdisciplinary foundation bridging environmental science, physical chemistry, and bioenvironmental engineering, Dr. Lin completed his Ph.D. at the National Taiwan University (2025), following an M.S. from National Sun Yat-sen University (2017) and a B.S. from National Pingtung University of Science and Technology (2015). His research trajectory spans microplastic weathering, heavy metal adsorption, environmental toxicology, groundwater remediation, and wetland ecosystem management. Dr. Lin’s academic and professional journey includes roles as a Postdoctoral Researcher at the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, a Visiting Scholar at the University of California, Merced, and a Research Assistant at Academia Sinica. His work has resulted in multiple high-impact publications in journals including Environmental Pollution, Chemosphere, and Physical Chemistry Chemical Physics. During his doctoral training under the mentorship of Prof. Shang-Lien Lo, Dr. Lin pioneered an economical solar simulation system to study the environmental aging of microplastics, proposing one of the early mechanistic pathways explaining polymer degradation under environmental stressors. He further investigated heavy-metal interactions with both conventional and biodegradable plastics in marine and freshwater systems, while mentoring graduate students and contributing to national policy development through Taiwan’s Chemical Substance Management Capacity Enhancement Project. At UC Merced, he secured competitive funding from Taiwan’s National Science and Technology Council (NSTC) to study synergistic interactions between dissolved organic matter, weathered microplastics, and calcium ions, producing new insights now drafted for journal submission. Earlier work at Academia Sinica contributed to advancing mechanistic understanding of Criegee intermediates using laser-based spectroscopic techniques. Dr. Lin’s technical expertise spans analytical platforms including SEM, FTIR, ICP-OES, dynamic light scattering, flow cytometry, and advanced chromatography techniques for PFAS detection. He also possesses extensive experience in laboratory and project management and has contributed to environmental fieldwork, remediation system design, and teaching environmental experimentation. His research advances global understanding of plastic pollution pathways and informs science-based environmental governance, making him a rising contributor to environmental engineering, pollutant behavior research, and sustainability science.

Profile: Scopus

Featured Publications

Cheng, P. K., Ponnusamy, V. K., Lin, W.-H., Chinnadurai, J., Tsai, P. C., Chen, C. Y., Chang, W. T., & Huang, P. C. (2025). Association between urinary metabolites of 1,3‐butadiene and toluene exposure with kidney function indices in Taiwanese school‐aged children living near a petrochemical complex. Environmental Pollution, 127400.

Lin, W.-H., Wang, H.-Y., Kuo, J., & Lo, S.-L. (2023). Adsorption and desorption characteristics of heavy metals onto conventional and biodegradable plastics. Chemosphere, 333, 138920.

Lin, W.-H., Kuo, J., & Lo, S.-L. (2021). Effect of light irradiation on metal adsorption onto microplastics. Chemosphere, 285, 131457.

Chao, W., Lin, Y. H., Yin, C., Lin, W.-H., Takahashi, K., & Lin, J. J. M. (2019). Temperature and isotope effects in the reaction of CH₃CHOO with methanol. Physical Chemistry Chemical Physics, 21(25), 13633–13640.

Lin, Y. H., Yin, C., Lin, W.-H., Li, Y. L., Takahashi, K., & Lin, J. J. M. (2018). Criegee intermediate reaction with alcohol is enhanced by a single water molecule. The Journal of Physical Chemistry Letters, 9(24), 7040–7044.

Kao, C. M., Lin, W.-H., Lien, P. J., Sheu, Y. T., & Tu, Y. T. (2018). Application of a multi‐function constructed wetland for stream water quality improvement and ecosystem protection: A case study in Kaohsiung City Taiwan. In Artificial or Constructed Wetlands (1st ed., pp. 126–141). CRC Press.

Guoying Yu | Environmental Health | Best Researcher Award | 13389

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Prof. Guoying Yu | Environmental Health | Best Researcher Award 

Prof. Guoying Yu, Henan Normal University, China

Professor Guoying Yu is a distinguished biomedical scientist and professor at the College of Life Sciences, Henan Normal University, China. With a Ph.D. in Ecology from the Chinese Academy of Sciences and postdoctoral experience at Yale and the University of Pittsburgh, Dr. Yu has made significant contributions to lung biology, focusing on acute lung injury, pulmonary fibrosis, and thyroid hormone-based therapies. His innovative research has been published in top-tier journals like Nature Communications and Advanced Science, and he has secured major national and provincial research grants. A leader in translational medicine, Dr. Yu is widely respected for his impactful work, international collaborations, and dedication to advancing global health through scientific innovation.

Profile

Scopus

🏫 Early Academic Pursuits

Professor Guoying Yu’s journey into science began with a deep-rooted passion for biology and ecology. Born in China, he pursued his undergraduate studies at Henan Normal University, graduating in 1985 with a strong academic foundation in life sciences. Determined to explore ecological systems at a deeper level, he obtained his Master’s degree from Yunnan University in 1989. His unwavering commitment to academic excellence propelled him toward doctoral studies, and he earned his Ph.D. in Ecology in 1995 from the Chinese Academy of Sciences, China’s leading research institution.

Dr. Yu’s Ph.D. work laid a critical foundation in interdisciplinary environmental biology, a focus that later expanded into biomedical research. His academic brilliance and research discipline were evident from these formative years, building a strong base for his future endeavors.

👨‍🔬 Professional Endeavors

After receiving his Ph.D., Dr. Yu broadened his horizons through prestigious postdoctoral fellowships at the University of Pittsburgh (USA) and the Chinese Academy of Sciences. His research during this period focused on biomedical applications of molecular ecology, marking his transition into translational and clinical research.

Over the years, he has held esteemed research and academic positions at globally recognized institutions including Yale University, University of Pittsburgh, and Chinese academic universities. Currently, Dr. Yu is a Professor at the College of Life Sciences at Henan Normal University, where he leads critical research in lung injury, pulmonary fibrosis, and drug development.

His career is characterized by a fusion of academic rigor and innovation, with a particular focus on diseases that have significant public health impacts.

🔬 Contributions and Research Focus

Professor Yu’s research spans molecular biology, immunology, pulmonary disease, and translational medicine. A notable area of focus has been his exploration of thyroid hormone analogs, especially GC-1, for the treatment of acute lung injury and pulmonary fibrosis. His findings have significantly contributed to the non-steroidal therapeutic approach to lung repair.

Some of his groundbreaking work includes:

  • The TRβ/KLF2/CEBPA axis, which enhances alveolar repair by guiding alveolar type 2 to type 1 cell differentiation.

  • The inhibition of macrophage inflammasomes to control cytokine storms and lung injury.

  • The identification of MMP19 from endothelial cells as a critical contributor to pulmonary fibrosis.

His work integrates molecular mechanisms with clinical application and has been published in top-tier journals such as Nature Communications, Advanced Science, Theranostics, and Cell Communication and Signaling.

🏅 Accolades and Recognition

Dr. Yu’s research excellence has earned him national and provincial funding awards from:

  • National Key Research and Development Program (2020–2023) – ¥2.85 million

  • Zhongyuan Foreign Expert Program (2020–2021) – ¥220,000

  • Henan Major Scientific and Technological Projects (2024–2026) – ¥2 million

He is recognized as a leading talent in Henan Province, and has been entrusted with managing high-impact biomedical research projects. His leadership roles in academic and governmental collaborations underscore his credibility as a national research leader.

🌍 Impact and Influence

Dr. Yu’s influence transcends borders. His international collaborations, particularly with institutions in the United States such as Yale and Pittsburgh, have facilitated the global exchange of knowledge. His work on post-COVID-19 lung pathology, innovative drug discovery, and inflammation control strategies have directly impacted public health strategies and pharmaceutical development in China.

With over 1,300 citations and increasing global interest in his work, Dr. Yu is regarded as an authority in pulmonary disease mechanisms, especially within the translational research community.

🌱 Legacy and Future Contributions

Professor Guoying Yu’s legacy lies in his ability to bridge scientific innovation with practical application. As a mentor, he continues to shape the next generation of scientists at Henan Normal University. As a scientific leader, his vision for the future includes:

  • Developing affordable therapies for lung diseases in low- and middle-income countries.

  • Enhancing China’s biomedical innovation pipeline through international cooperation.

  • Advancing precision medicine approaches tailored to complex respiratory conditions.

His ongoing work positions him not only as a trailblazer in translational lung biology but also as a guiding force for future biomedical innovation in Asia and beyond.

Publication Top Notes

Integrative analysis of gene expression and chromatin dynamics multi-omics data in mouse models of bleomycin-induced lung fibrosis

Author: Z., Li, Zhongzheng, M., Zhang, Mengke, Y., Zhang, Yujie, … G., Yu, Guoying, L., Wang, Lan

Journal: Epigenetics and Chromatin

Year: 2025

Fatty acid synthase inhibition alleviates lung fibrosis via β-catenin signal in fibroblasts

Author: H., Lian, Hui, Y., Zhang, Yujie, Z., Zhu, Zhao, … L., Wang, Lan, G., Yu, Guoying

Journal: Life Science Alliance

Year: 2025

TRβ activation confers AT2-to-AT1 cell differentiation and anti-fibrosis during lung repair via KLF2 and CEBPA

Author: X., Pan, Xin, L., Wang, Lan, J., Yang, Juntang, … I.O., Rosas, Ivan O., G., Yu, Guoying

Journal: Nature Communications

Year: 2024