Han Jiao

I obtained my Bachelor’s degree in Pharmacy from Nanjing Medical University in 2018, where I developed an early interest in neurobiology and metabolism. I continued my studies with a Master’s degree at Nanjing Medical University, focusing on orexin signalling in the heart–brain axis and brown adipose tissue regulation, which shaped my interest in how the nervous system communicates with peripheral organs to regulate metabolism. In 2021, I started my PhD training at the Amsterdam UMC and the Netherlands Institute for Neuroscience under the supervision of Dr Chun-Xia Yi and Prof Andries Kalsbeek. My doctoral research focused on microglial immunometabolism, circadian rhythms and neuron–glia interactions in obesity and metabolic disorders. I investigated how time-restricted feeding affects microglial circadian rhythms and metabolic inflammation, and explored microglia-targeted strategies including nanoparticle-based approaches and PPARδ activation. In 2026, I joined Prof Ana Domingos’ group at the University of Oxford as a postdoctoral researcher. My current work focuses on the role of the autonomic nervous system in metabolic regulation. I am interested in how sympathetic neurons interact with peripheral organs and how these neuro-metabolic circuits maintain energy homeostasis in health and disease.