Dr. Yuxiang Sun | Liver Inflammation and Fibrosis | Best Researcher Award 

Professor | Institute of Virology | Texas A&M University | United States

Dr. Yuxiang Sun is a tenured Professor at Texas A\&M University and a leading expert in nutritional immunology and metabolic diseases. With an M.D. from Beijing Medical University and a Ph.D. in Molecular Endocrinology from the University of Manitoba, Dr. Sun’s work bridges endocrinology, immunology, and metabolism. She is internationally recognized for pioneering studies on ghrelin and its receptor (GHS-R), particularly their roles in obesity, diabetes, aging, thermogenesis, and neuroinflammation. Her lab was the first to generate and characterize ghrelin and GHS-R knockout mice, revealing their influence on insulin sensitivity and adipose tissue inflammation. Dr. Sun has published nearly 150 peer-reviewed papers, garnered over citations, and secured in research funding. Her research uncovers key molecular mechanisms in aging-related diseases, offering therapeutic insights. She also actively mentors junior scientists and collaborates extensively across disciplines to advance understanding of chronic disease pathogenesis.

Professional Profile

Scholar

Education 

Dr. Yuxiang Sun began her academic journey in China, earning her from Beijing Medical University, where she gained a foundational understanding of clinical medicine. Driven by a passion for biomedical research, she pursued graduate studies in Canada, obtaining her University of Manitoba followed by a Ph.D. in Molecular Endocrinology in  from the same institution. Her doctoral work, which earned the university’s most prestigious graduate student research award, focused on hormonal signaling mechanisms. She then undertook postdoctoral training at Baylor College of Medicine in the laboratory of Dr. Roy Smith, where she extensively studied the ghrelin hormone and its receptor, including generating knockout mouse models. Her education laid the groundwork for a research career that integrates molecular biology, metabolism, immunology, and neurobiology, allowing her to explore the role of gut-brain and immune-metabolic axes in aging and chronic diseases.

Experience

Dr. Sun began her postdoctoral career at, where she studied growth hormone signaling and ghrelin receptor biology, generating foundational knockout mouse models. She advanced to become a funded investigator by NIH, USDA, ADA, AHA, and AFAR, contributing to key discoveries in metabolism and endocrinology. In , she joined as a tenured Professor, where she has continued her impactful research in immunometabolism, aging, and neuroinflammation. She has served as  on multiple NIH R01s, R56, and R21 grants and co-investigator on numerous additional projects. Dr. Sun has published extensively in high-impact journals, trained graduate students and postdocs, and collaborated with experts in metabolomics, microbiomics, and neurobiology. Her multidisciplinary experience has established her as a research leader in obesity, diabetes, liver disease, and Alzheimer’s, bridging basic science with translational applications in chronic disease therapy and prevention.

Awards and Honors

Osborne and Mendel Award: American Society for Nutrition  Dean’s Outstanding Achievement Award for Research: College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, Texas A&M University AgriLife Research Faculty Fellow: Texas A&M University Young Investigator Award: Fat Disorders Research Society  Dr. Sun’s academic excellence has been recognized with multiple prestigious awards and honors. Her Ph.D. thesis was awarded the University of Manitoba’s highest graduate research honor, a distinction granted to only one student per academic year. She later received a three-year Canadian postdoctoral fellowship, which enabled her transition to Baylor College of Medicin

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