Tao Huan
Profile
Research and Teaching Interests
Metabolomics is an omics biotechnology. It profiles the complete set of small molecules in biological and environmental systems. These molecules provide a direct readout of metabolism, exposure, physiology, and disease state, making metabolomics one of the most powerful omics approaches in the post-genome era. Mass spectrometry (MS) is an excellent analytical platform for metabolomics, as it is highly sensitive, reproducible, and versatile. It measures the masses of metabolites and their fragments to assist in elucidating their structures. The Huan Lab integrates chemistry, biology, computer science, and environmental science to advance mass spectrometry-based metabolomics for the comprehensive, sensitive, and high-throughput detection, quantification, and characterization of small-molecule chemicals in complex biological and environmental systems.
Ongoing research projects include:
- Analytical method development: Improve metabolite stability, sample preparation, and mass spectrometry methods for sensitive and reliable metabolomic measurements.
- Computational metabolomics: Develop algorithms and cloud-based tools for chromatographic peak processing, correction of quantitative biases, and metabolomics data analysis.
- AI-driven chemical discovery: Apply machine learning to predict molecular fragmentation, annotate compounds, and discover unknown metabolites and environmental chemicals.
- Environmental metabolomics and exposomics
- Water quality: Develop exposomics methods to discover and characterize disinfection byproducts and other overlooked chemicals in water.
- Environmental exposures: Use hair and urine analysis to investigate occupational exposures, environmental pollution, and PFAS.
- Chemical transformations: Investigate how chemicals degrade, react, and form new products during sample preparation and environmental treatment.
- Biological metabolomics
- Lipid metabolism: Develop metabolic flux analysis to investigate how lipids are synthesized, transformed, and utilized.
- Maternal nutrition and development: Examine how maternal sugar overconsumption affects metabolism in pregnant animals and their offspring.
- Systems biology: Connect metabolomic measurements with other molecular data to investigate relationships between metabolic changes and biological function.
- Clinical metabolomics and toxicology
- Organ transplantation: Discover metabolic and multi-omic biomarkers for early detection of acute cellular rejection and cardiac allograft vasculopathy.
- Cancer detection: Identify and validate urinary metabolic biomarkers for early-stage bladder cancer diagnosis.
- Drug poisoning: Investigate the chemical composition of the unregulated opioid supply and its relationship to clinical and toxicological outcomes.
Highly motivated students interested in pursuing graduate studies in our research areas are encouraged to contact Dr. Huan (thuan@chem.ubc.ca) during the application process.
To apply online:
https://www.grad.ubc.ca/prospective-students/application-admission/apply-online
Contact
Curriculum Vitae
Postdoctoral Research Associate, The Scripps Research Institute (La Jolla), USA (2015 - 2018)
Ph.D., Analytical Chemistry, University of Alberta, Canada (2010 - 2015)
B.Sc., Chemistry, Zhejiang University, China (2006 - 2010)