An Exclusive Interview with Prof. Ju-Sheng Zheng –Editorial Board Member, School of Medicine and School of Life Sciences, Westlake University

Microbiome Research Reports (MRR) recently had the privilege of interviewing Prof. Ju-Sheng Zheng, our Editorial Board member from the School of Medicine and School of Life Sciences at Westlake University, Hangzhou, China. During the interview, Prof. Zheng discussed his research on individual variability in responses to diet and environmental factors, and explained how integrating gut microbiome and genetic data can inform innovative strategies for disease prevention. He also reflected on his international research experiences and highlighted the value of interdisciplinary approaches in tackling complex biological questions.

Watch the video for expert insights from Prof. Ju-Sheng Zheng:

Interview Questions:

1. Your work combines precision nutrition, the gut microbiome, and computational medicine. What first drew you to this interdisciplinary path, and what continues to inspire you to explore it?
2. You've accomplished a lot in your field. Looking back, which project did you find the most challenging, and what made it so?
3. You've done research at Tufts in the U.S. and Cambridge in the U.K. before returning to China. How would you describe the differences and similarities in research culture, methodology, and collaboration between East and West? How has this international experience shaped the way you approach your research and manage your team?
4. As a member of a journal's editorial board, what aspects do you think an academic journal should focus on for its long-term development, and what suggestions do you have for enhancing its impact?
5. Research can be very demanding. Outside the lab, what hobbies or interests do you enjoy, and how do you manage to balance work and personal life?

About the Interviewee:

Prof. Ju-Sheng Zheng focuses on precision nutrition, the gut microbiome, and computational medicine, exploring how diet, genetics, and microbiota interact to influence chronic disease development and prevention. He leads a team conducting systematic studies on personalized nutritional interventions and disease risk prediction, developing multi-omics integration and artificial intelligence--based analytical strategies. Prof. Zheng has proposed a novel research paradigm centered on the "nutrition--gene--microbiome" interplay, providing critical support for mechanistic exploration and translational applications in precision medicine and public health. His innovative studies include the use of n-of-1 trials and continuous glucose monitoring to reveal individual dietary response patterns, as well as the establishment of a mother-child precision cohort to investigate metabolic abnormalities during pregnancy and their impact on pregnancy outcomes. Large-scale population studies from his group further highlight the role of gut microbiome--host gene interactions in disease prevention. His research has been published in high-impact journals including Nature Metabolism, Cell Host & Microbe, and Gut. Prof. Zheng actively promotes interdisciplinary collaboration and international research integration.

Editor: Judy Zhang
Language Editor: Catherine Yang
Production Editor: Ting Xu
Respectfully Submitted by the Editorial Office of Microbiome Research Reports