Hometown: Beijing, China
Zodiac Sign: Aquarius
Research Overview:
The overarching interest of Fan’s research is to investigate how mammalian cellular metabolism is dynamically reprogrammed during physiological transitions and in pathological conditions, and how such reprogramming of metabolism in turn affects cell function and fate. To pursue this, they combine systematic approaches, especially metabolomics, lipidomics and fluxomics, with targeted biochemical and genetic techniques. Currently, Fan’s lab focuses on two main areas: (1) understanding the dynamic metabolic reprogramming in immune cells, especially macrophages and neutrophils, during immune response; and (2) understanding how specific conditions in the tumor microenvironment impact the metabolism and behavior of immune cells and cancer cells.
What inspired you to select your field of study?
I got into metabolism in grad school, had a great time, and enjoyed staying in the field ever since. Metabolism is so dynamic, complex, and fundamental, lots of opportunities to make discoveries in different contexts.
What is one piece of advice you would give to students?
Be kind to yourself, be kind to others. Enjoy the experience of being a scientist and a student, the experience full of excitement, curiosity, stress, challenges, and fulfillment.
When you’re not in the lab, how do you spend your time?
Gardening, cooking, spending time with the kids, and playing Civilization
If you didn’t become a scientist, what career would you have pursued?
Perhaps historian
If you could have any superpower, what would it be?
Healing power.
If you had a time machine, would go back in time or into the future?
Go back!