(Maggie) Zhihua Wu

Profile

I studied Food Science and Engineering before completing a master’s degree in Biology and Medicine at the Ocean University of China in 2023. I am currently a PhD researcher in the School of Food Science and Nutrition at the University of Leeds.

My research brings together nutrition, immunology and the gut microbiome. During my PhD, I have worked across both the clinical and mechanistic aspects of Long COVID, from participant recruitment and clinical sample collection to immune profiling and experimental models of gut–immune interactions.

My research interests have developed towards understanding how immune dysregulation contributes to chronic disease, and how the gut-derived metabolites and nutrition may shape immune function.

Alongside my research, I served as a Postgraduate Researcher representative in the School of Food Science and Nutrition from 2023 to 2025, contributing to PGR activities and research events within the School and Faculty.

Awards and recognition

• First Prize for Oral Presentation, School of Food Science and Nutrition PGR Conference, 2026
• Highly Commended Partnership Award – Contribution to Student Experience, Faculty of Environment, 2025
• First Prize for Flash Talk, School of Food Science and Nutrition PGR Conference, 2025

Research interests

Gut–immune interactions and microbiota-derived metabolites (2026-
My research interests have expanded towards understanding how gut-derived metabolites influence immune function. Using ex vivo gut models and cell-based systems, I investigate how microbiota-associated metabolic changes affect intestinal and immune responses.

Immune dysregulation and T-cell phenotypes in Long COVID (2023-2026)
My PhD research initially focused on identifying immunological changes associated with Long COVID. Through clinical recruitment, sample collection, immune profiling and transcriptomic analysis, I have investigated alterations in circulating T-cell populations and inflammatory markers, including changes in T-cell activation, exhaustion, effector and regulatory subsets. I am interested in how these immune phenotypes relate to clinical symptoms and disease burden.

Immunomodulatory effects of marine-derived oligosaccharides (2020–2023)
During my master’s research, I investigated the immunomodulatory effects of soluble rhamnan-type Ulva oligosaccharides across innate and adaptive immune responses using in vitro and in vivo models together with transcriptomic analysis.