My disciplinary research focuses on the development and application of novel immunoregulators to the farmed fish and shellfish in preventing disease outbreaks. Since my academic journey, I have recognized the significance of aquaculture in global food sources and gained a profound understanding of the detrimental impact of infectious diseases on the industry. Therefore, I have dedicated myself to research in disease prevention. During my master's studies, I initiated the development of vaccines against aquatic Vibrio pathogens and I have published a relevant journal article recently. After graduation, I was awarded the Government Scholarship to Study Abroad (Ministry of Education, Taiwan), enabling me to pursue my doctoral degree. Additionally, I secured research funding from Zoetis International Service (formerly Pfizer, France). Within a span of 3.5 years, I successfully obtained my doctoral degree and published four first-author articles and two co-authored articles. Following my doctoral studies, I was fortunate to join the research team of Prof. Alain Vanderplasschen, with the support of “The Interuniversity Attraction Poles (Belgium)”, for my postdoctoral research. In this role, I investigated the functional aspects of the Zα domain of Cyprinid Herpesvirus 3 (CyHV-3), commonly known as koi herpesvirus. The outcomes of this research were published in Nucleic Acids Research, marking a significant achievement in my academic career.

Previously, my research focused primarily on commercially important fish species, limiting the availability of experimental tools and techniques. In order to broaden my research scope and enhance my skills in experimental techniques, critical thinking, and logical reasoning, I decided to return to Taiwan and engage in research involving model organisms such as mice and zebrafish. I joined the Institute of Cellular and Organismic Biology at Academia Sinica (Taiwan) and National Taiwan University Hospital to delve into various research aspects and acquire a broader range of research skills and abilities. This opportunity allowed me to deepen my understanding and expand my expertise in different research areas.

In 2018, I joined the Department of Aquaculture at National Taiwan Ocean University as an Assistant Professor, where I have been dedicated to advancing research on the prevention of aquatic animal diseases and the exploration of immune mechanisms in farmed aquatic animals. Since then, I have published several international journal articles as the first author and the corresponding author. Through my research in these areas, I aim to advance our understanding of TLRs in aquatic organisms, contribute to the fields of immunology and aquaculture, and potentially facilitate the development of innovative approaches for disease prevention and management in the aquaculture industry.

In the past few years, I have led a team in conducting systematic studies in Nile tilapia, which have resulted in the discovery of previously unidentified fish-specific TLRs toll-like receptors (TLRs), along with their downstream adaptor proteins as well as accessory protein in this species. We have investigated and discovered for the first time the significant roles of these molecules in the immune response of fish, particularly in resistance against microbial (bacterial) pathogens. Notably, we were the first to report the negative regulatory role of SARM1 in the immune response against bacterial pathogens in vertebrate. More importantly, recently we have successfully identified a group of specific agonists for one of the TLRs that have not been reported before. Our findings provide valuable insights into the molecular identity and functional importance of these molecules in the defense mechanisms of teleost fish against microbial infections. We are currently accumulating research results and data on the efficacy and safety of newly identified TLR-based ligands. We plan to apply for patents and publish our findings in the near future. 

My laboratory is dedicated to the development of novel immunomodulatory agents aimed at protecting aquatic animals from infectious diseases. I seek to understand the effects of various medicinal plant extracts , algal extracts , agricultural spent substrate , and synbiotics on the immune responses, growth, and disease resistance of different aquatic species. Therefore, my research focuses on evaluating the efficacy of these extracts in promoting immune responses, improving growth performance, and enhancing resistance against bacterial pathogens in both freshwater and seawater environments. Additionally, we have scientifically demonstrated the impact of antibiotic usage and the presence of heavy metal on the immune capabilities of both vertebrate and invertebrate aquatic organisms. These findings enable farmers to understand the significance of drug usage and environmental water quality factors. Furthermore, in specific circumstances where it becomes necessary, we have explored the use of immunomodulatory agents to assist aquatic organisms in recovering their immune abilities.