Resume:

Yaoyu Feng, Female, was born in Apr. 1969 in Shanxi province, China. She obtained her Ph. D. degree in Biochemical Engineering and is currently a professor in Parasitology. She was the recipient of special government allowances, received the support from the National Science Foundation for Distinguished Young Scholars of China, and was awarded the National Talent Project and National Outstanding Expert.

She was the executive council member of Chinese Society of Parasitology, China Zoological Society, and Chinese Society of Veterinary Parasitology, China Veterinary Medical Association. She was also the council member of Chinese Protozoological Society, China Zoological Society and Environmental Microbiology Professional Committee, the Chinese Society of Microbiology.

She received her PhD Degree in 1999 at Tianjin University. Followed by 5.5 years of postdoctoral fellow at National University of Singapore, Singapore and Centers for Diseases Control and Prevention, USA. She worked at Tianjin University, Tongji University, East China University of Science and Technology, before she joined South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, China as a professor in 2016. She was the Dean of the College of Veterinary Medicine, SCAU from 2016 to 2025. Currently, she serves as the Head of the Veterinary Discipline, Director of the College's Academic and Degree Committee, and Member of the University's Academic and Degree Committee at South China Agricultural University.

She has been doing her research on molecular epidemiology of zoonotic parasites for 16 years. Her research is currently focusing on pathogenesis, molecular biology, epidemiology, comparative genomics, diagnosis, and drug screening of zoonotic protozoan parasites, such as Cryptosporidium, microsporidia, Giardia, and other protozoan parasites of humans and animals.

She has published 265 SCI papers including Cell Host Microbe, Nat Commun and Clin Microbiol Rev, total cited 11963 times. She was the coeditor for the book named “Biology of Foodborne Parasites” and was the authors for five book chapters. She has presented her study to other scientists in international conferences more than 30 times.

Awards and honors:

2019: National High-level Personnel of Special Support Program

2016: Enjoy special government allowances

2016: “Excellent Pacesetter for the model couple” by the Shanghai Education System

2015: National Talent Project and National Outstanding Expert

2014: National Science Foundation for Distinguished Young Scholars of China

Education and Training Program:

　　Sep. 2005 - Sep. 2006: CDC/Eli Lilly International Emerging Infectious Disease Fellow, Division of Parasitic Diseases, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, USA

Jan. 2000 - Jun. 2004: Postdoc Research Fellow, Center for Water Research, Dept. of Civil Engineering, National University of Singapore, Singapore

Mar. 1996 - Jun. 1999: Ph. D., Biochemical Engineering, Tianjin University, Tianjin, China

Sep. 1990 - Jun. 1993: M. Sc, Microbiology, Nankai University, Tianjin, China

Sep. 1986 - Jul. 1990: B. S., Microbiology, Nankai University, Tianjin, China

Working Experience:

　　Sep. 2016 - present: Professor, College of Veterinary Medicine, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, China

Jul. 2019 - Jun. 2025: Dean, College of Veterinary Medicine, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, China

Dec. 2007 - Jun. 2019: Professor, School of Resources and Environmental Engineering, East China University of Science and Technology, China

Jan. 2007 - Nov, 2007: Professor, National Institute for Parasitic Diseases, Chinese Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, China

Jun. 2004 - Dec. 2006: Professor, School of Life Science and Technology, Tongji University, China

Jun. 1993 - Dec. 1999: Assistant Professor (Lecturer), Chemical Engineering Research Center, Tianjin University, China

Research Interests:

Pathogenesis of zoonotic protozoan parasites

Molecular epidemiology of zoonotic protozoan parasites

Diagnosis and drug screening of zoonotic protozoan parasites

Comparative genomics of zoonotic protozoan parasites

Grants:

1.Major project supported by National Natural Science Foundation of China, 2026-2030, 2,210,000 RMB

2.National Key Research and Development Program of China, 2023-2027, 20,000,000 RMB

3.Joint Funds supported by National Natural Science Foundation of China, 2022-2025, 2,630,000 RMB

4.Joint Funds supported by National Natural Science Foundation of China, 2020-2023, 2,560,000 RMB

5.Major project supported by National Science Foundation of China, 2017-2021, 2,920,000 RMB

6.National Science Foundation for Distinguished Young Scholars of China, 2015-2019, 4,000,000 RMB

Representative Publications:

1.He, W., Sun, L. B., Hou. T. Y., Yang, Z. W., Yang, F. X., Zhang, S. C., Wang, T. P., Li, N., Guo, Y. Q., Sibley, D.*, Feng, Y. Y.*, Xiao, L.* (2025) SKSR1 identified as key virulence factor in Cryptosporidium by genetic crossing. Nature Communications. 16, 4694.

2.Huang, W. Y., He, W., Huang, Y., Tang, Y. P., Chen, M., Sun, L. B., Yang, Z. W., Hou, T. Y., Liu, H. M., Chen, H. Y., Wang, T. P., Li, N., Guo, Y. Q.*, Xiao, L.*, Feng, Y. Y.* (2024) Multicopy subtelomeric genes underlie animal infectivity of divergent Cryptosporidium hominis subtypes. Nature Communications. 15, 10774.

3.Guo, X. F., Ji, N., Guo, G. H., Wang, M. T., Du, H. Y., Pan, J. J., Xiao, L., Gupta, N.*, Feng, Y. Y.*, Xia, N. B.* (2024) Metabolic plasticity, essentiality and therapeutic potential of ribose 5-phosphate synthesis in Toxoplasma gondii. Nature Communications. 15, 2999.

4.Huang, W. Y., Guo, Y. Q., Lysen, C., Wang, Y. F., Tang, K., Seabolt, M. H., Yang, F. K., Cebelinski, E., Gonzalez Moreno, O., Hou, T. Y., Chen, C. Y., Chen, M., Wan, M. C., Li, N., Hlavsa, M. C., Roellig, D. M.*, Feng, Y. Y.*, Xiao, L.* (2023) Multiple introductions and recombination events led to emergence of a hyper-transmissible Cryptosporidium hominis subtype in the United States. Cell Host & Microbe. 31,112-123.

5.Yang, X., Guo, Y. Q., Xiao, L.*, Feng, Y. Y.* (2021) Molecular epidemiology of human cryptosporidiosis in low- and middle-income countries. Clinical Microbiology Reviews. 34, e00087-19.

To Students (In English):

Diligence, independence and team spirit are the most important things of being great.