Dr Li Zhang obtained her medical degree from Fudan University (former Shanghai Medical University). She worked as a physician at China-Japan Friendship Hospital in China prior to her research career. In 1993, Dr Zhang received her PhD degree from the University of Cambridge. She then worked as a post-doctorial fellow at the Institute of Molecular and Cell Biology in Singapore and the University of New South Wales (UNSW) in Australia. Currently, Dr Zhang is a senior lecturer at UNSW. Dr Zhang is interested in understanding the role of mucosal associated bacteria in human inflammatory diseases. Dr Zhang is one of the pioneer researchers in the field of Campylobacter concisus and IBD. She and her collaborators were the first worldwide to report the association between C. concisus and Crohn’s disease. Dr Zhang’s laboratory identified IBD-associated C. concisus polymorphic zonula occludens toxin (zot) gene and enteric-disease-associated C. concisus genomic island CON_PiiA. Dr Zhang has expertise and publications in Campylobacter species, enteric Helicobacter species, bacteria associated with IBD, intestinal epithelial barrier, animal models of IBD, mucosal immunology, major histocompatibility complex polymorphisms in autoimmune diseases and apoptosis signalling pathways. Dr Zhang has supervised numerous research students. She served as a reviewer for various academic journals, conferences and research funding organizations such as Australian National Health and Medical Research Council.