It was a landmark day for the Zhejiang-Edinburgh Institute (ZJE) as we celebrated the remarkable achievements of our graduates at the prestigious McEwan Hall, which included our first UoE-only PhD student to graduate! Dr. Yashi Gu was honored as the Institute's first UoE-only PhD graduate to complete her program. This milestone underscores the continued success of the partnership between the universities and testament to the academic excellence fostered by the ZJE. Dr Gu's work, using multi-omics in human germline development, is a prime example of how computational methods are changing the way that we can explore biomedicine today. Dr Gu’s career path, demonstrates the clear value of UK China/TNE, with undergraduate degrees from two of the worlds most successful universities and now a PhD from UoE in a rising field in biomedicine. Prof Sue Welburn Executive Dean, Zhejiang University-University of Edinburgh (ZJE) Institute In addition, two of our master's graduates, Gege Wang and Haolie Fang not only received their degrees but had also celebrated their marriage shortly before the ceremony.Congratulations to Dr Gu, Ms Wang and Mr Fang and we wish them every continued success as they embark on the next chapter of their lives. Carving her own path - Dr Yashi Gu We caught up with Yashi after the ceremony to ask her a couple of questions.Why did you choose this programme?In 2019, I attended the winter school here in Edinburgh and studied for one month. I also did my degree at the Institute so I was familiar with both Universities. I was confident with the quality at Edinburgh so I chose this programme. I worked in many labs before and watched how they work, how they work together which made me realise that Computational Biology is the research that I want to do.What did you like best about the programme?Having the freedom to investigate different scientific questions and try things I’m truly interested in was very important for me. When I was studying for my undergraduate degree I focussed on Biomedical Science, then for my PhD I became interested in Computational Biology —so I kept challenging myself to self-learn bioinformatics and deep learning, gradually advancing my skills until I could dive into large model algorithms in my current work. Any advice for prospective students starting the programme next year?Be brave enough to carve your own path! Fundamentally, we’re all capable of great things—what sets us apart is the courage to pursue what truly fits us, even if it’s an unconventional route. Taking a path few have tried may bring more challenges, but remember: paths are made by those who walk them. Embrace the difficulty, don’t settle for the easy way out—this is how you’ll develop the ability to solve problems others can’t.I’m proud to be the first computational biology PhD graduate from our lab. This meant I often had to tackle scientific challenges independently. But that process helped me build solid problem-solving skills, and gave me the confidence to tackle any problem. Always try to work through problems on your own first—those moments of independent exploration are where true growth happens.Congratulations Dr Gu, not only for your graduation day but also as the Institute’s first UoE only PhD graduate! Further information You can find out more about postgraduate study at the Institute here. Publication date 25 Nov, 2025
