Professor Jie Zhao joined the School of Public Health at HKU in 2015. She obtained Bachelor of Medicine at Capital Medical University with Distinction in 2009, Master of Medicine at Department of Nutrition and Food Hygiene, School of Public Health, Peking University in 2012, and PhD at School of Public Health, HKU in 2015.

Her broad research interest is in aetiology of non-communicable chronic diseases, especially cardiovascular disease and type 2 diabetes, as well as identifying modifiable targets for prevention and treatment of chronic diseases. Her current research focuses on the effect of sex hormones, as well as dietary factors and medications which may affect sex hormones, on chronic diseases. She applied several study designs, including cohort studies, randomized controlled trial, as well as a novel study design, Mendelian randomization, based on genome-wide association studies, large case-control and cohort studies, to examine the causal effects in an observational setting.

1. Zhao JV, Schooling CM. Sex-specific associations of insulin resistance with chronic kidney disease and kidney function: a bi-directional Mendelian randomisation study. Diabetologia. 2020.(“Up-Front” article of the issue)
2. Zhao JV, Luo S, Schooling CM. Sex-specific Mendelian randomization study of genetically predicted insulin and cardiovascular events in the UK Biobank. Communications Biology. 2019;2:332.
3. Zhao JV, Schooling CM. The role of linoleic acid in asthma and inflammatory markers: a Mendelian randomization study.American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. 2019;110:685-690.
4. Zhao JV, Schooling CM. Effect of linoleic acid on ischemic heart disease and its risk factors: a Mendelian randomization study. BMC Medicine. 2019;17:61.
5. Luo S, Au Yeung SL, Zhao JV, Burgess S, Schooling CM. The association of genetically predicted testosterone with thromboembolism, heart failure and myocardial infarction: a Mendelian randomization study using UK Biobank. British Medical Journal. 2019;364:l476.
6. Zhao JV, Kwok MK, Schooling CM. Effect of glutamate and aspartate on ischaemic heart disease, blood pressure, and diabetes: a Mendelian randomisation study. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. 2019;109:1197-1206.
7. Zhao JV, Schooling CM. Coagulation factors and the risk of ischemic heart disease: a Mendelian randomization study. Circulation: Genomics and Precision Medicine. 2018;11:e001956.
8. Zhao J, Jiang CQ, Lam TH, Liu B, Cheng KK, Xu L, Long MJ, Zhang W, Leung GM, Schooling CM. Genetically predicted testosterone and electrocardiographic QT interval duration in Chinese: a Mendelian randomization analysis in the Guangzhou Biobank Cohort Study. International Journal of Epidemiology. 2015;44:613-20.
9. Zhao J, Jiang CQ, Lam TH, Liu B, Cheng KK, Xu L, Au Yeung SL, Zhang W, Leung GM, Schooling CM. Genetically predicted testosterone and cardiovascular risk factors in men: a Mendelian randomization analysis in the Guangzhou Biobank Cohort Study. International Journal of Epidemiology. 2014;43:140-8.