Ph.D. in Food Science,        University of Massachusetts Amherst, USA M.S. in Food Science,  University of Georgia, USA B.S. in Biotechnology, Northwest A & F University, China

Courses in Food Science, biochemistry, and scientific research and writing

Mainly including two aspects: (i) The preventive mechanisms of bioactive dietary food/components on chronic diseases, including obesity, T2D, and enteritis (ii) The role of environmental contaminants in the development of chronic disorders, specifically environmental causes of obesity and developing effective dietary based strategies to prevent the progression of obesity and T2D

Assistant Professor, Faculty of Medicine, Food and Nutrition Science, Macau, China (Sep 2022-) Associate Professor, Food and Biological Engineering, Jiangsu University, China (Jun 2020-Jun 2022) Research Assistant, Food Science, University of Massachusetts, Amherst (Sep 2015-May 2019) Research Assistant, University of Georgia, Center for Food Safety (Aug 2013-Jul 2015)

1. Chang H., Tong X., Yang H., Peng Y*., Sun Q*. (2024) Chinese yam (Dioscorea opposita) and its bioactive compounds: the beneficial effects on gut microbiota and gut health. Current Opinion in Food Science, 55, 101121. 2. Yang J., Lin J., Gu T., Sun Q., Xu W*., Peng Y*. (2024) Chicoric Acid Effectively Mitigated Dextran Sulfate Sodium (DSS)-Induced Colitis in BALB/c Mice by Modulating the Gut Microbiota and Fecal Metabolites. Int J Mol Sci. 10;25(2):841. 3. Gao J, Xu Y., Zhong T., Yu X., Wang L., Xiao Y., Peng Y*, Sun Q*. (2023) A review of food contaminant 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin and its toxicity associated with metabolic disorders. Current Research in Food Science, 7, 100617. 4. Peng Y., Qi Z., Xu Y., Yang X., Cui Y., Sun Q*. (2023) AMPK and metabolic disorders: The opposite roles of dietary bioactive components and food contaminants. Food Chemistry, 437, 137784. 5. Lin X., Wang F., Lu Y., Wang J., Chen J., Yu Y., Tao X., Xiao Y*., Peng Y*. A review on edible insects in China: Nutritional supply, environmental benefits, and potential applications. Current Research in Food Science, 7, 100596. 6. Yang J., Gu T., Lu Y., Xu Y., Gan R.Y., Ng S.B., Sun Q., Peng Y*. (2023) Edible Osmanthus fragrans flowers: aroma and functional components, beneficial functions, and applications. Crit Rev Food Sci Nutr, 7:1-14. doi: 10.1080/10408398.2023.2220130. 7. Peng Y., Gu T., Zhong T., Xiao Y., Sun Q*. (2022) Endoplasmic reticulum stress in metabolic disorders: opposite roles of phytochemicals and food contaminants. Current Opinion in Food Science, 48, 100913. 8. Chen G., Wang G., Xu W., Xiao Y., Peng Y*. (2022) Transcriptome analysis of fat accumulation in 3T3-L1 adipocytes induced by chlorantraniliprole. Front Nutr, 15;9:1091477. doi: 10.3389/fnut.2022.1091477. 9. Wang G., Huang Y., Gao Y., Chen G., Cui L., Peng Y., Sun Q.* (2023) The fat accumulation promotion effects of dihydrxytetraphenylmethane and its underlying mechanisms via transcriptome analysis, Current Research in Food Science, Volume 7, 100534. 10. Cao Q, Wang G, and Peng Y*. (2021) A critical review on phytochemical profile and biological effects of turnip (Brassica rapa L.). Frontiers in Nutrition, 8(459), 1-6. 11. Xu, W., Li, J., Qi, W., and Peng, Y*. (2021). Hypoglycemic effect of vitexin in C57BL/6J mice and HepG2 models. Journal of Food Quality, 1-7. 12. Peng, Y., Gan, R., Li, H., Yang, M., McClements, D. J., Gao, R., and Sun, Q. (2020) Absorption, metabolism, and bioactivity of vitexin: recent advances in understanding the efficacy of an important nutraceutical. Critical Reviews in Food Science and Nutrition, 27, 1-16. 13. Peng, Y., Sun, Q., Gao, R., & Park, Y. (2019). AAK-2 and SKN-1 are involved in chicoric-acid-induced lifespan extension in Caenorhabditis elegans. Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry, 67(33), 9178-9186. 14. Peng, Y., Sun, Q., & Park, Y. (2019). Chicoric acid promotes glucose uptake and Akt phosphorylation via AMP-activated protein kinase α-dependent pathway. Journal of Functional Foods, 59, 8-15. 15. Peng, Y., Sun, Q., Xu, W., He, Y., Jin, W., Yuan, L., & Gao, R. (2019). Vitexin ameliorates high fat diet-induced obesity in male C57BL/6J mice via the AMPKalpha-mediated pathway. Food & Function, 10(4), 1940-1947. 16. Yuan, L, Lin, J., Peng, Y*, Gao, R., and Sun, Q.* (2019). Chlorantraniliprole induces adipogenesis in 3T3-L1 adipocytes via the AMPKα pathway but not the ER stress pathway. Food Chemistry, 311, 125953. 17. Sun, Q.#, Peng, Y.#, Park, Y. (2018). Permethrin decreased insulin-stimulated AKT phosphorylation dependent on extracellular signal-regulated kinase-1 (ERK), but not AMP-activated protein kinase α (AMPKα), in C2C12 myotubes. Food and Chemical Toxicology, 109(1), 95-105. 18. Sun, Q., Lin, J., Peng, Y., Peng, Y*. (2018). Flubendiamide enhances adipogenesis and inhibits AMPKα in 3T3-L1 adipocytes. Molecules, 23(11), 2950. 19. Liu, J., Peng, Y., Yue, Y., Shen, P., Park, Y. (2018). Epigallocatechin-3-Gallate reduces fat accumulation in Caenorhabditis elegans. Preventive Nutrition and Food Science, 23(3), 214–219. 20. Peng, Y., Deng, X., Harrison, M. A., Alali, W. Q. (2016). Salmonella levels associated with skin of turkey parts. Journal of Food Protection, 79(5), 801-805. * – Corresponding author

One paper was classified as the highly cited papers in Essential Science Indicators (2021) Winners of Jiangsu province entrepreneurship and innovation program (2021) Francis Oral Competition Scholarship (First place), UMass Amherst (2019) The Second Award of Citri-Fiber Product Development Competition  (2018) Peter M Salmon fellowship, UMass Amherst (2015-2018)

Expert for the development of the WHO guidelines on tropical oils (2024). Guest editor for a special issue of Journal of Food Quality and a reviewer for several journals, including Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry, Journal of Functional Foods, and Current research in Food Science.