Yudai Huang

Ph.D. candidate and analytical scientist specializing in clinical metabolomics, food bioactives, and precision nutrition. Hands-on experience with targeted and untargeted LC–MS workflows, human plasma and urine analysis, clinical-study execution, and predictive modeling. Author or co-author of 10+ peer-reviewed publications and conference abstracts, with a strong record of laboratory quality, mentorship, and cross-disciplinary communication.

Graduate Research Assistant, Ph.D. Candidate at Illinois Institute of Technology, Institute for Food Safety and Health (2022-07 – Present)

Lead doctoral research in human metabolomics and clinical nutrition, investigating inter-individual variability in phytochemical metabolism across multiple human intervention trials.

• Develop reproducible machine-learning pipelines using demographic, clinical, dietary, dose, and baseline metabolomics data to predict end-of-study metabolite responses and participant metabotypes.
• Process and analyze large LC-MS/MS datasets from plasma and urine, integrating laboratory results with repeated-measures clinical data from berry and herb-and-spice interventions.
• Apply mixed-effects models, two-part models for zero-inflated outcomes, multivariate methods, feature selection, cross-validation, and model-interpretation approaches to clinical datasets.
• Translate findings into manuscripts, abstracts, posters, oral presentations, and technical reports for scientific and cross-functional audiences.

Graduate Research Assistant, M.S. Candidate at Illinois Institute of Technology, Institute for Food Safety and Health (2020-01 – 2022-05)

• Developed and optimized UHPLC-QQQ-MS/MS, UHPLC-QTOF-MS, and HPLC-DAD workflows for characterizing phytochemicals in foods and human biospecimens.
• Troubleshot LC-MS instrument performance and performed routine maintenance to support reliable data acquisition and minimize equipment downtime.
• Extracted bioactive compounds from freeze-dried foods, antioxidant-rich beverages, and commercial herbs and spices; evaluated extraction and sample-preparation strategies to improve analytical quality.
• Supported mixed-berry clinical studies through participant screening, biological-sample collection, data capture, and protocol-compliant study operations.
• Trained and supervised five students in sample preparation, solid-phase extraction, experimental design, and UHPLC-QQQ analysis.
• Managed laboratory equipment, supplies, documentation, and safety practices while maintaining organized, inspection-ready workflows.

Research Laboratory Student at Texas A&M University (2018-08 – 2019-05)

• Trained two student workers in processing, storage, and quality-control procedures for human plasma, serum, urine, and stool samples.
• Collected and handled human biospecimens under study protocols, maintained sample integrity, and prepared laboratory workspaces and supplies.

Research Laboratory Student at University of Texas Health Science Center (2017-06 – 2017-06)

• Performed sterile cell-culture activities and interpreted HPLC and fluorescence-spectroscopy data for molecular encapsulation and solubility studies.

Ph.D. in Food Science and Nutrition – Illinois Institute of Technology (2026-12)

M.S. in Food Safety and Technology – Illinois Institute of Technology (2022-05)

B.S. in Food Science and Technology; Minor in Chemistry – Texas A&M University (2019-05)