Prof. Jane Zhou

Dr. Jane Zhou is an Assistant Professor at the School of Public Health, The University of Hong Kong. With formal training in medical science, nutrition, and epidemiology, she maintains a broad interest in the etiology of chronic diseases, focusing particularly on ischemic heart disease, diabetes, cancer, and chronic kidney disease. Her research investigates potential causes and modifiable drivers of these diseases, including the roles of sex hormones, dietary factors, and medications such as branch-chain amino acids, L-carnitine, and the traditional Chinese medicine berberine.

Dr. Zhou has published extensively, with 78 research articles in leading journals—including BMJ, European Heart Journal, Journal of the American College of Cardiology, Diabetologia, International Journal of Epidemiology, American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, eLife, Drugs, and BMC Medicine—serving as first author and/or corresponding author on 53 of these publications.

In terms of methodology, Dr. Zhou applies a range of study designs, notably Mendelian randomization, which leverages genetic variants as instruments in observational studies for robust causal inference. She has completed a randomized controlled trial as an independent principal investigator, assessing the role of Chinese medicine in the primary prevention of cardiovascular disease in Hong Kong, and is currently coordinating another trial as PI while establishing the Elderly Biobank—a large, district-wide elderly cohort aimed at identifying modifiable targets for aging among East Asians. Additionally, her work includes developing prediction models to identify vulnerable populations for targeted intervention.

As PI, Dr. Zhou leads the Healthy Aging Collaboration Hub at the School of Public Health and actively seeks collaborative opportunities to advance scientific knowledge. She serves on the editorial boards of BMC Medicine and NPJ Cardiovascular Health, and has reviewed manuscripts for top journals such as Nature Aging, Nature Communications, BMJ, The Lancet (and its regional editions), Diabetes Care, Lancet Oncology, Kidney International, International Journal of Epidemiology, and the British Journal of Cancer. She also reviews for international funding bodies including Diabetes UK, UKRI MRC, and the Swiss National Science Foundation.