Chujun Zhang

PhD Student

My project focuses on integrative multi-omics analyses of early life gut microbiome–host interactions, aiming to understand how microbial composition and function influence host development and disease risk in infants.

I graduated with a BSc in Biotechnology from Northwest A&F University, China, where I built a strong foundation in botany, genetics, and molecular biology. For my undergraduate thesis, I focused on enhancing the annotation of the wheat genome (cv. Chinese Spring) by integrating PacBio and RNA-Seq sequencing data, which deepened my understanding of complex genome regulation and equipped me with strong bioinformatics and programming skills.

I then obtained an MSc in Bioinformatics from Northwest A&F University, where my research concentrated on the role of RNA modifications, particularly N6- methyladenosine (m6A), in regulating wheat responses to stripe rust infection. My project integrated multi-omics data to uncover dynamic epitranscriptomic regulation during plant–pathogen interactions. Alongside my MSc research, I contributed to several collaborative projects, including developing predictive tools for RNA modifications in plants and functional genomics analyses of transcription factors in wheat immunity.

In September 2025, I joined the Hall Lab at the University of Birmingham as a PhD student. My project focuses on integrative multi-omics analyses of early life gut microbiome–host interactions, aiming to understand how microbial composition and function influence host development and disease risk in infants. I am especially interested in combining computational bioinformatics with experimental datasets to unravel the mechanistic links between microbiota, gene regulation, and host adaptation.

Chujun Zhang

Research Areas

  • Diet and Microbial Impact
  • Beneficial Host Responses