Dr. Zhihua Ou gained her PhD in virology from the University of Hong Kong. She joined BGI Research in 2018 and worked on the genomics of HPV and later SARS-CoV-2. Currently, she serves as group leader for the Spatiotemporal Omics Study of Infectious Diseases. Her team focuses on elucidating 

pathogen-host interactions using genomic and transcriptomic sequencing technologies. Her research includes viruses 

(SARS-CoV-2, JEV, HBV), fungi, and parasites (Echinococcus multilocularis). She also coordinates the STOC Infection Working Group to unite multinational expertise and promote collaborative spatiotemporal omics research.