Dr. Lingfeng Luo’s story started with a love for prehistoric animals like the Brachiosaurus and Quetzalcoatlus and plants like scale trees.

Growing up in a town near Shanghai, China, Luo’s interest in the life sciences began in high school after self-studying from a college textbook for a national biology competition.

Luo decided to pursue a Bachelor of Science in biotechnology from Zhejiang University. Because of his interest in animals and plants, Luo dabbled in two labs during his undergraduate studies: one studying the development of marine animals and another tracing the evolution of  Chinese herbs. 

During a gap year to pursue more research, he investigated human hearing loss and sperm cell development under the mentorship of Dr. Wan-Xi Yang, also at Zhejiang University. These and other projects gradually “shifted my interest to be more human-related,” Luo said.

In 2013, Luo started pursuing his PhD at the University of Rochester and began working in a lab studying cardiovascular biology.

Luo’s main work investigated how cell signaling affected vessel dilation and contraction in the heart. Luo found a specific protein that controlled vessel blockage, by either turning off a gene or enzyme. This finding later evolved into Luo’s thesis with his adviser Dr. Chen Yan, presented in 2021.

After finishing his PhD, Luo joined Dr. Nicholas Leeper’s lab in the Stanford Department of Surgery. The focus of the Leeper lab, according to Luo, “focuses on the earlier stage of the disease” that Luo’s previous lab studied, namely atherosclerosis, the buildup of fats, cholesterol and other substances contributing to plaque in arteries.

Luo’s current project explores how cancer influences atherosclerosis. “There are not many people studying this topic,” Luo said, and he hopes to investigate the association between cancer and cardiovascular disease because the two are the leading cause of death both in the United States and worldwide, whether it be attributed to comorbidities or overlapping risk factors like age or smoking. Using knockout mice and antibody drugs, Luo wants to see if he can “suppress the accelerated atherosclerosis induced by cancer.”

Throughout his research endeavors, Luo noted the support he has received from the American Heart Association. From both a PhD and postdoctoral fellowship from the organization, “That kind of recognition and stipend can really push the growth and career advancement,” Luo said.

Moving forward, Luo sees himself continuing to focus on human diseases.

“I do still love plants and animals. Even now, when I’m hiking or visiting other cities, I like taking photos of animals and plants,” Luo said. Despite this, “Everyone’s energy and time is so limited, so I have to focus on one direction,” Luo said.