Prof. Zhu Yuyan, Associate Professor of the Department of Food Science and Nutrition of The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, studies obesity as a complex metabolic condition shaped by genetics, lifestyle and stress. She emphasises that adipose tissue is a vital endocrine organ for energy regulation and that excessive fat loss can harm metabolic and immune health, underscoring the need to maintain healthy fat tissue.
Her research targets both prevention and treatment of metabolic disorders, aiming to uncover mechanisms that guide strategies to improve metabolic health and extend healthy lifespan. Prof. Zhu’s team focuses on adipose tissue regulation, lipid and cholesterol metabolism, and adipocytes’ role in systemic energy balance, exploring how functional dietary components and nutrients mitigate obesity and related syndromes while enhancing adipose tissue function through adiponectin signalling.
Central to this work is the study of white adipose tissue (WAT), a key regulator of systemic metabolism and a major cholesterol reservoir containing up to half of the body’s cholesterol in obesity. By examining how cholesterol homeostasis in WAT influences endocrine and energy-storage functions, the team seeks to establish mechanistic foundations for safer, personalised anti-obesity strategies that integrate dietary interventions with other therapeutic approaches.
To accelerate discovery, Prof. Zhu’s team integrates AI-driven molecular screening with in vitro and in vivo studies to identify natural and synthetic compounds that activate adiponectin receptors or enhance adiponectin expression. Promising candidates are validated experimentally, with several already shown to boost adiponectin signalling and improve energy metabolism.
Her lab also examines how environmental pollutants affect metabolic health. Under energy-dense dietary conditions, they found that oral exposure to 6-PPD at current environmental levels has only a minor metabolic impact in mice. In contrast, rising concerns over microplastics (MPs) and nanoplastics (NPs) led the team to identify their potential obesogenic effects: nanoplastics reduce lipid mobilisation in white adipose tissue of obese mice, positioning lipolysis-related parameters as potential clinical indicators for MP and NP impact.
Prof. Zhu is launching a clinical study on obesity-related fatty liver disease, testing a repurposed dietary supplement that boosts energy metabolism through adiponectin signalling. Her goal is to create safe, effective, food-based strategies that turn metabolic research into health solutions.
Source: Faculty of Science Newsletter (December 2025)
