CVMM Rising Stars: Meet Dr Zien Zhou

Tell us a bit about yourself...

I am currently a research fellow in the Brain Health Program at The George Institute for Global Health. Before relocating to Australia with my family after PhD graduation in 2022, I worked as a radiologist in Shanghai, China, where I was born and grew up.

What’s your research all about, and what’s the most exciting part for you?  

My research interests include stroke imaging analysis, cerebral small vessel disease (CSVD), and antithrombotic treatment for cardioembolic stroke prevention. Among them, the most exciting part for me is my work on CSVD (a group of brain small vessel injuries detected on brain images). Although often being 'hidden' with no apparent symptoms, it is a warning sign of stroke and dementia. Funded by NSW Health and UNSW's CVMM Theme, I am exploring its value in guiding better anticoagulation therapy for stroke prevention in people with atrial fibrillation. I am also planning to raise awareness of CSVD among stroke survivors and the public.

What's a recent achievement you're proud of?

I achieved a formal multidisciplinary collaboration on the IMAGE-AF survey and focus group study among 6 researchers from three UNSW affiliations (The George Institute, Prince Wales Hospital, Liverpool Hospital) and 1 from The University of Notre Dame under the 2025 UNSW CVMM collaborative seed grant.

As an ECR, what’s been one of your biggest challenges, and how did you tackle it? 

Adapting myself to a new health system and research impact evaluation system after relocating to Australia is one of my biggest challenges at the ECR stage. I tried a couple of methods to overcome it, including self-learning of relevant policy and standard operating procedures, consulting with seniors at my institute, and connecting with external researchers. All these methods worked well.

What activities keep you inspired and energised? 

I have a good sleep every day and participate in outdoor activities on sunny weekends!