In a recent announcement by the China Association for Science and Technology (CAST), Zhang Yuan from Xiangya Hospital and Zhu Xiaoyun from Xiangya School of Pharmacy have been selected for the ninth edition of the “Young Elite Scientist Sponsorship Program”. This initiative, launched by CAST in 2015, aims to pioneer the selection process, training methods, and evaluation standards for young scientific talents. The project strives to nurture a substantial number of outstanding young talents in science and technology, forming a high-level reserve of innovative minds crucial for achieving the Chinese Dream. Each year, the talent support program identifies a group of young science and technology professionals under the age of 32 through their respective academic societies, providing stable funding and training for three consecutive years.

Dr. Zhang Yuan, an associate researcher at Xiangya Hospital and a master’s supervisor with a Ph.D., is also a recipient of the Excellent Young Fund of Hunan Province. She currently holds committee positions in the Sleep Breathing Disorders Committee of the Chinese Sleep Research Association and the Youth Committee of the Sleep Medicine Committee of the Hunan Medical Association. Dr. Zhang Yuan has led seven national and provincial projects, contributing over 30 papers as the first/corresponding author to journals such as “eBioMedicine”. Her research findings have been presented at major domestic and international conferences, including APSS and the World Sleep Congress.

Dr. Zhu Xiaoyun, a Ph.D. holder and special associate professor, serves as a master’s supervisor. She is a member of various professional committees, including the Teaching and Popular Science Committee of the Chinese Pharmacological Society and the Youth Committee of the Pharmacology Committee of Traditional Chinese Medicine and Natural Medicines. Dr. Zhu Xiaoyun has received accolades such as the Outstanding Ph.D. Dissertation in Jiangsu Province and the Outstanding Youth Fund of Hunan Province. Her research focuses on validating new targets for liver diseases and studying natural active substances. Leading national natural science youth projects and outstanding youth projects from the Hunan Provincial Department of Education, Dr. Zhu Xiaoyun has published multiple papers as the first (including joint) author in journals like “Signal Transduction and Targeted Therapy”, “Journal of Hepatology”, and “Acta Pharmaceutica Sinica B”, including two high-impact factor papers.

(First Review: Liu Juan | Second Review: Li Ruijun | Third Review: Huang Zhijun)