Yining Zhao

Vaccine and virology scientist with 8+ years of experience in pharmaceutical R&D at Sinopharm / CNBG and academic research at Institut Pasteur. At CNBG, I worked on an in-licensed RSV vaccine candidate transferred from the U.S. NIH, contributing to its development from cell-line and vector transfer through QC-method development and pilot-scale manufacturing, as well as to the regulatory (IND) submission.

This experience, together with my PhD research in virology and host–pathogen biology, has given me a strong foundation in scientific evaluation and an understanding of how biological evidence translates into development decisions. I also bring a China–Europe perspective, with native Mandarin and first-hand experience working with Chinese scientific and regulatory materials.

Doctoral Researcher — Virology & Host–Pathogen Biology at Institut Pasteur / Université Paris Cité (2022-10 – Present)

• Evaluate the biological rationale and mechanism behind viral targets — the assessment discipline that underpins scientific due diligence on early-stage assets.
• Integrated and interpreted large multi-omics datasets (proteomics: ~7,000 proteins across 12 comparative conditions; transcriptomics: ~18,000 genes) to separate mechanistic signal from noise and build translational hypotheses.
• Distinguished real biological relevance from overexpression artefacts by testing viral protein function using authentic engineered viral mutants and infection models, including work under BSL-3.
• Coordinated international cross-laboratory collaborations contributing to high-impact publications in Nature Metabolism and Cell Host & Microbe.
• Co-supervised junior researchers; presented to mixed expert and non-specialist audiences at six international symposia.

Assistant Researcher — Preclinical R&D (RSV Vaccine Program) at Sinopharm / China National Biotec Group (CNBG) (2017-07 – 2022-10)

• Advanced an in-licensed asset through the development pipeline — CNBG's pre-fusion RSV F-protein subunit vaccine, a technology-transfer collaboration with the U.S. NIH (recombinant CHO cell line + expression vector transferred in). Involved from technology transfer through QC-method development and pilot-scale manufacturing.
• Established quality-control methods for the program (identity, quantitation and immunogenicity assays: plaque, qRT-PCR, ELISA, immunofluorescence) and supported scale-up to pilot-scale manufacturing.
• Contributed to preparation of portions of the regulatory (IND-equivalent) submission — direct exposure to the evidence package that moves an asset toward the clinic.
• Prepared the annual materials-procurement budget spanning ~10,000 SKUs within the company's SAP-coded purchasing system (animals, sera, reagents, media, consumables, packaging).
• Led hospital epidemiological-sampling collaborations analyzing RSV subtype prevalence (2,800+ clinical samples).
• Operated within cross-functional teams and GxP-aligned documentation across research, translational development, and external partners.

Certified Music Industry Agent at Beijing Zhelaizhai Cultural Development Co., Ltd. (2012-12 – 2020-02)

• Owned commercial operations, vendor negotiations (lighting, sound, venue) and stakeholder relationships for a performing-arts venture across 60+ live productions, including a national tour and flagship events with audiences up to 1,250.
• Managed commercial partnerships and brand-endorsement campaigns for the act — representing partners across the beverage, audio-equipment, and musical-instrument sectors.

Volunteer — Cultural Event Coordination at Paris 13th District Local Government (2026 – 2026)

• Supported logistics and on-site coordination for a community cultural event promoting Chinese performing arts.

PhD Candidate in Virology & Host–Pathogen Biology – Institut Pasteur / Université Paris Cité (2022)

MSc in Biology – Shanghai Ocean University & Shanghai Medical College of Fudan University (2014 – 2017)

BEng in Biological Engineering – Tianjin University of Commerce (2010 – 2014)