Getting ready for work …
I am a hydraulic engineer and a plant scientist. This combination may sound a little “unusual”, but it is one of the most interesting parts of my academic journey.
My undergraduate training was in hydraulic engineering. During the first half of my PhD, I continued working at Tsinghua University on hydraulic engineering, specifically ecohydrology. Later, in 2022, I came to the Farquhar Lab, and things became much more “plant-focused”. Inspired by Graham, I developed a strong curiosity about photosynthesis, which led me to shift my research interests towards plant physiology.
At Tsinghua, I mainly used eddy covariance techniques, meteorological and soil observations, and remote sensing data to study water use efficiency in a winter wheat–summer maize rotation system. I was interested in how ecosystem-scale evapotranspiration can be partitioned into soil evaporation and plant transpiration, and how crop photosynthesis and water use vary with seasonal and interannual changes in major environmental drivers.
After joining the Farquhar Lab, I began building my knowledge of plant physiology under the guidance of Graham and Chin, and developed expertise in gas exchange and chlorophyll fluorescence measurements. From December 2022 to January 2025, my research focused mainly on three C3 crops: cotton, sunflower, and dwarf bean. A key question I explored was how stomatal, mesophyll, and biochemical components contribute to photosynthetic responses to temperature and leaf-to-air vapour pressure difference (Δe) across different CO2 levels.
Now, as a postdoctoral researcher, I continue to explore how plant photosynthesis and water use respond to environmental change, with the aim of better understanding the physiological mechanisms underlying these responses. I also seek to integrate these insights into models to improve our ability to simulate and predict plant performance in future environments.
Outside work, I enjoy cycling, hiking, and discovering good food. I am easily tempted by beautiful scenery, a good walking trail, or a great meal. If you have any favourite places to visit or eat, I would be very happy to hear your recommendations.
Maintaining the eddy covariance system in a maize field in 2019.
In my natural environment