Yuanliang Zhai obtained his PhD in Biochemistry from the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST) in 2010. Following his graduation, he served as a postdoctoral fellow in the Division of Life Science at HKUST and later became a Research Assistant Professor in 2013. From 2015 to 2018, Zhai held the position of Junior Fellow at the Institute for Advanced Study of HKUST. Subsequently, he joined the School of Biological Sciences at the University of Hong Kong (HKU) as an Assistant Professor, and was promoted to Associate Professor in 2024.

Zhai’s research focuses on the regulation of genetic and epigenetic inheritance. His lab employs a variety of techniques including cryo-electron microscopy (cryo-EM), chemical biology, biochemistry, and genomics to gain a deeper understanding of the molecular mechanisms underlying large macromolecular complexes involved in chromatin replication and related DNA-centric processes.