Lili Yang is a professor in the Department of Statistics and Data Science at Southern University of Science and Technology. Her research focuses on big data analytics, data imputation, deep learning, and risk modeling. She has published over 150 papers in leading journals, including those from Nature, EJOR, ISR, Environmental Research Letters, and Applied Energy. Previously, she was a professor and university senator at Loughborough University in the UK, leading more than 20 projects funded by the EU and UK ministries. She has reported to the UK Cabinet Office and been interviewed by BBC Radio. Since returning to China, Yang has undertaken over 15 research projects funded by the NSFC and other entities, with total budgets exceeding RMB 200 million. Her work has practical applications and has earned her the 2021 Scientific and Technological Progress Award from the Ministry of Science and Technology and the China Instrument and Control Society.