depths where Prof. He researches, there is no sunlight, which means no photosynthesis. It is the definition of an extreme environment for life, and yet there is life. Prof. He is fascinated by how organisms survive here and, alongside her research team, she has devoted her life to trying to find answers. Prof. He is excited to witness life in the deepest ocean first-hand. Many of today’s landers and unmanned submersibles can journey to the bottom of the sea and return with images and footage, but Prof. He prefers to dive in person. The primary data collected would be central to scientists’ research. As a researcher of deep-sea life systems and a seasoned deep-sea adventurer, she has boarded every manned deep-sea submersible in China and joined five ocean-going voyages. Her PhD studies at HKUST fueled her passions and gave her invaluable experience. After she completed her PhD, she became part of a team led by Prof. QIAN Peiyuan of Department of Ocean Science which received a second-class State Natural Science Award for its research. Now, her laboratory focuses on deep-sea organisms: How do they adapt to their environment? And what role do genetics and symbiotic relationships between hosts and microorganisms play in these adaptations? At the No matter how high definition cameras are, or how high definition video recorders are, they can’t replace the experience of going down to see and observe in person.
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