An Exclusive Interview with Prof. Jingyuan Fu - Fellow of the Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences (KNAW) and the Royal Holland Society of Sciences and Humanities (KHMW)
Microbiome Research Reports (MRR) recently had the privilege of interviewing Prof. Jingyuan Fu, a globally renowned microbiologist from the University Medical Center Groningen (UMCG) in the Netherlands. In this interview, Professor Fu reflected on how her cross-cultural background and systems genomics approach shaped her groundbreaking research linking the gut microbiome to metabolism, cardiovascular risk, and drug response, and offered insights into the future integration of microbiome profiling and genetic testing in personalized medicine.
Prof. Fu is currently a Full Professor of Systems Medicine at UMCG. In recognition of her pioneering contributions to the field of microbiome and systems medicine research, she has been elected as a fellow of the Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences (KNAW) and the Royal Holland Society of Sciences and Humanities (KHMW). At UMCG, Prof. Fu leads the Microbiome Research Program and has authored numerous high-impact publications in journals such as Nature, Cell, Science, Nature Medicine, Cell Host & Microbe, and Gut Microbes. Her research focuses on the dynamic interactions between the gut microbiome, host genetics, and chronic diseases, including diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and obesity. Prof. Fu has been listed as a “Highly Cited Researcher” by Clarivate for many consecutive years. Her innovative research methods and insights into translational applications are widely recognized in the field of microbiome science.
Interview Questions:
1. How has your cross-cultural research experience in China and the Netherlands shaped your scientific perspective?
2. What would you consider the most transformative breakthrough in microbiome and genomics research over the past decade?
3. Your work in “systems genomics” bridges genes, the gut microbiome, and metabolism. Could you elaborate on the innovative methodologies your team uses to analyze these complex interactions?
4. Your research links microbiome composition to lipid metabolism and cardiovascular disease. Do you think a person’s gut microbiome could one day predict their risk of heart disease as reliably as genetic testing?
5. Your studies suggest the microbiome influences drug efficacy, such as with statins. Do you foresee modulating gut bacteria as a complementary therapy in the future?
6. Looking ahead, what bold hypothesis about the microbiome are you most eager to explore in the next five years?
Watch the following video for expert insights from Prof. Jingyuan Fu:
Editor: Judy Zhang
Language Editor: Catherine Yang
Production Editor: Ting Xu
Respectfully Submitted by the Editorial Office of Microbiome Research Reports
