- Y865
- +852 3400 8083
- xin.zhao@polyu.edu.hk
- Personal Website
ORCID ID
SCOPUS IDBiography
Dr. Xin Zhao is a Professor at the Department of Applied Biology and Chemical Technology, the Hong Kong Polytechnic University (PolyU). Her research interest is on Translational Regenerative Medicine, where she integrates multi-disciplinary approaches including material science, cell biology, engineering and medicine to modulate cell microenvironments, control cell behaviours and generate tissue-engineered organs, for addressing clinical issues.
So far, she has published >100 articles (with h-index of 56 in Google Scholar, 7 of which are ESI highly cited paper) in prestigious journals including Nat. Mater., Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA, Chem. Rev., Mater. Today, Adv. Funct. Mater., Biomaterials, Small. She is recognised in the list of “Highly Cited Researchers 2022” by Clarivate Analytics and “The World’s Top 2% Scientists 2023” by Stanford University, for her significant research impact. She is a recipient of the National Science Fund for Excellent Young Scholars 2021, President’s Award-Outstanding Young Researcher 2022, the Mid-Career Award of Chinese Association for Biomaterials 2022, and the Biomaterials Award for Young Investigator 2024 by Elsevier Ltd. Her research product “Biomimicking Photocrosslinkable Nanocomposite Bone Grafts” has won the Silver Medal at the International Exhibition of Inventions Geneva 2021, 2023 TechConnect Global Innovation Award and the Gold Medal at the 6th China (Shanghai) International Exhibition of Inventions 2023. This research product has also secured financial support from the Incu-Bio Programme (HK$ 4 million) from The Hong Kong Science and Technology Parks Corporation and TSSSU-O from Innovation and Technology Comission (HK$ 500 k) for clinical translation of the revolutionary materials. Additionally, she has successfully attracted over 20 grants (⁓23 million) as principal investigator from the Hong Kong RGC (including the highly competitive CRF, NSFC-RGC), HMRF, ITF, NSFC, etc. She is also a founding editor of Engineered Regeneration, associate editor of Mater. Today Bio and Bio-Des. Manuf., and guest editor for 11 other journals.
Research Overview
Dr Zhao’s research interest is on Translational Regenerative Medicine, where she integrates multi-disciplinary approaches including material science, cell biology, engineering and medicine to modulate cell microenvironments, control cell behaviors and generate tissue-engineered organs, for addressing clinical issues.
Education and Academic Qualifications
- Bachelor of Engineering, South China Normal University
- Master of Science, University of London
- Doctor of Philosophy, University of London
Research Interests
Achievements
- Mid-Career Award of Chinese Association for Biomaterials, 2022
- Clarivate Analytics Highly Cited Researchers, 2022
- Limin Endowed Young Scholar, 2022
- PolyU President’s Award, Individual Award – Research and Scholarly Activities: Outstanding Young Researcher, 2022
- Project “Biomimicking Photocrosslinkable Nanocomposite Bone Grafts” won the TechConnect Global Innovation Award 2023, silver medal at the International Exhibition of Inventions of Geneva 2021, and gold medal at the 6th China International Exhibition of Inventions.
10 Representative publications - Yang YH, Xu TP, Bei HP, Zhang L, Tang CK, Zhang M, Xu C, Bian L, Yeung KWK, Fuh YH, Zhao X*, Gaussian curvature-driven direction of cell fate towards osteogenesis with triply periodic minimal surface scaffolds, P. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA, 2022, 119(41): e2206684119.
- He WB, Bai JX, Chen X, Suo D, Wang SH, Guo QP, Yin WL, Geng DC, Wang M, Pan GQ, Zhao X*, Li B. Reversible dougong structured receptor-ligand recognition for building dynamic extracellular matrix mimics. P. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA, 2022, 119(8): e2117221119.
- Yang ZL#, Zhao X#, Hao R, Tu Q, Tian X, Xiao Y, Xiong K, Wang M, Feng Y, Huang N, Pan G. Bio-clickable and mussel adhesive peptide mimics for engineering vascular stent surfaces. P. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA, 2020, 117, 28, 16127-16137.
- Yang YH, Xu TP, Bei HP, Zhao YJ, Zhao X*. Sculpting bio-inspired surface textures: an adhesive Janus periosteum. Adv. Funct. Mater., 2021, 31(37): 2104636.
- Xu T, Yang Y, Yeung HL, Chen Q, Bei HP, Yang Q, Yang M, Hao Y, Li B, Zhao X*, Injectable, self-contained, subaqueously crosslinking laminous adhesives for biophysical-chemical modulation of osteochondral microenvironment, Adv. Funct. Mater., 2023, 31(37): 2104636.
- Zhao X, Liu S, Yildirimer L, Zhao H, Ding RH, Wang HN, Cui WG, Weitz D. Injectable stem cell laden photo-crosslinkable microspheres fabricated using microfluidics for rapid generation of osteogenic tissue constructs. Adv. Funct. Mater., 2016, 26, 2809-2819. (ESI highly cited paper)
- Zhang Q, Yang YH, Suo D, Zhao S, Cheung CW, Leung HM, Zhao X*, Biomimetic adhesive and robust janus patch with antioxidative anti-inflammatory, and antibacterial activities for tendon repair. ACS Nano, 2023, DOI: 10.1021/acsnano.3c03556.
- Chen ZY, Zhang Q, Li HM, Wei Q, Zhao X*, Chen FL, Elastin-like polypeptide modified silk fibroin porous scaffold promotes osteochondral repair. Bioact. Mater., 2021, 6, 589-601 (Bioact. Mater. best paper award 2021).
- Gan Q, Chen L, Bei HP, Ng SW, Guo H, Liu G, Pan H, Liu C, Zhao X*, Zheng Z. Artificial cilia for soft and stable surface covalent immobilization of bone morphogenetic protein-2. Bioact. Mater., 2023, 24, 551-562.
- Yang YH, Zhang Q, Xu TP, Zhang HY, Zhang M, Lu L, Hao YF, Fuh JYH, Zhao X* Photocrosslinkable nanocomposite ink for printing strong, biodegradable and bioactive bone graft. Biomaterials, 2020, 8:120378.
