Yajun Xu

Professor
xuyajun@bjmu.edu.cn
Xueyuan Road 38, Haidian District, Beijing, China
Peking University

Personal profile

She received bachelor degree in preventive medicine from Peking University in 2000, and doctor degree in nutrition and food Hygiene from Peking University in 2005. She is now the deputy dean of the School of Public Health, Peking University, and secretary of the Party Branch of Nutrition and Food Hygiene. She is also Deputy Director of Preventive Medicine Experimental Teaching Center, and Deputy Director of Beijing Key Laboratory of Food Safety Toxicology research and Evaluation of Peking University..

Serving concurrently as expert committee member of the Nutrition Improvement Plan for Rural Compulsory Education Students of the Ministry of Education; Member of National Technical Committee on Special Diet of Standardization Administration of China (SAC/TC466); Executive Director of Maternal and child Nutrition Branch of Chinese Nutrition Society; Standing Director of China Society of Environmental Mutagens, Chairman of Science Popularization Committee, Chairman of Diet Nutrition and Health Branch, deputy chairman of Exposure Science Branch; Executive Director of Nutritional Medicine Committee, Chinese Research Hospital Association; Vice President of Beijing Nutrition Society; Director of Beijing Preventive Medical Association; Standing Director of Chronic Disease Management Committee of Beijing Health Education Association; Editorial board of many periodicals at home and abroad, etc.

She has presided over more than 50 scientific research projects at all levels, published more than 150 academic papers, won 9 scientific and technological achievement awards, and published more than 20 textbooks and works.

Main research directions

Maternal and child nutrition;

Early life nutrition and healthy development;

Food active substances and health;

Food toxicology and food safety evaluation.

Representative scientific research projects

1. Effect and mechanism of oligosaccharide composition of maternal amniotic fluid and breast milk on offspring development and long-term health of gestational diabetes mellitus. National Natural Science Foundation of China, 2022-2025.

2. Exploring the antidiabetic agents in camel milk. UAEU-AUA Research Grant，2022-2024.

3. Study on efficacy evaluation and application technology of Xinjiang characteristic plant peptides. Key Research and Development Program of Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, 2017-2021.

4. Anemia status and influencing factors of Pregnant Women in China. UNICEF, 2019-2021.

5. Safety evaluation of rare earth elements and food additives based on toxicity mechanism and health effect endpoint. National key technology research and development project for food safety, 2018-2021.

6. Comprehensive nutrition intervention for rural children aged 0-6 years. UNICEF, 2019-2021.

7. Effect of calcium and vitamin D intake on bone mineral density during pregnancy: a cohort study. Chinese Society of Nutrition. 2021-2022.

8. The role of inflammatory mechanism in birth defects and glycolipid metabolism disorder in offspring of obese rats. National Natural Science Foundation of China, 2010-2012.

9. Study on the antagonistic effect of exogenous nucleotide combined with folic acid on alcohol teratogenesis and its mechanism. Beijing Natural Science Foundation, 2009-2011.

10. Antagonistic effect of quercetin on birth defects in offspring of obese rats and its mechanism. Foundation of the Ministry of Education, 2009-2011.

10 representative papers

1. Zhou Y, Zhao R, Lyu Y, Shi H, Ye W, Tan Y, Li R, Xu Y *.Serum and amniotic fluid metabolic profiles changes in response to gestational diabetes mellitus and the association with maternal-fetal outcomes. Nutrients 2021, 13(10), 3644.

2. Zhou Y, Sun H, Li K, Zheng C, Ju M, Wang W, Lyu Y, Zhao R, Zhang W, Xu Y*, Jiang S. Dynamic Changes in Human Milk Oligosaccharides in Chinese Population: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. Nutrients, 2021, 13(9), 2912.

3. Liu W, Sun H, Zhou Y, Li Y, Yong Qin, Li R, Chen Y, Yu L, Zhao M, Zhang W and Xu Y*. Goat Milk Improves Glucose Homeostasis via Enhancement of Hepatic and Skeletal Muscle AMP-activated Protein Kinase Activation and Modulation of Gut Microbiota in Streptozocin-induced Diabetic Rats. Molecular Nutrition & Food Research. 2021,65(6):e2000888.

4. Li R, Zhou Y, Liu W, Li Y, Qin Y, Yu L, Chen Y and Xu Y*.Rare earth element lanthanum protects against atherosclerosis induced by high-fat diet via down- regulating MAPK and NF-κB pathways. Ecotoxicology and Environmental Safety. 2021,207:111195.

5. Li R, Yu L, Qin Y, Zhou Y, Liu W, Li Y, Chen Y and Xu Y*. Protective effects of rare earth lanthanum on acute ethanol-induced oxidative stress in mice via Keap 1/Nrf2/p62 activation. Science of the Total Environment. 2021,758: 143626.

6. Liu W, Zhou Y, Li Y, Qin Y, Yu L, Li R, Chen Y and Xu Y*. Effects of PM2.5 exposure during gestation on maternal gut microbiota and pregnancy outcomes. Chemosphere. 2020, 247:125879.

7. Liu W, Zhang M, Zhou Y, Li Y, Qin Y and Xu Y*. Sex-dependent effects of PM2.5 maternal exposure on offspring’s serum lipoproteins and gut microbiota. Science of the Total Environment. 2020,739: 139982.

8. Liu W, Zhou Y, Qin Y, Yu L, Li R, Chen Y, and Xu Y*. Quercetin Intervention Alleviates Offspring’s Oxidative stress, Inflammation, and Tight Junctions Damage in the Colon that were Induced by Maternal PM2.5 Exposure through the Reduction of Bacteroides. Nutrients. 2020, 12, 3095.

9. Yu L, Li R, Liu W, Zhou Y, li Y, Qin Y, Chen Y and Xu Y*. Protective Effects of Wheat Peptides against Ethanol-Induced Gastric Mucosal Lesions in Rats: Vasodilation and Anti-Inflammation. Nutrients. 2020,12(8):2355.

10. Liu W, Sun H, Zhou Y, Li Y, Yong Qin, Li R, Chen Y, Yu L, Zhao M, Zhang W and Xu Y*. Goat Milk Consumption Ameliorated Abnormalities in Glucose Metabolism and Enhanced Hepatic and Skeletal Muscle AMPK Activation in Rats Fed with High-fat Diets. Molecular Nutrition and Food Research. 2019, 63(24):e1900703.