I consider myself a scientist first and my laboratory and classroom at China Agricultural University as second homes.
Our lab focus is molecular biology, with research on topics such as fruit sugar accumulation and the role of phytohormones in fruit development. Exciting stuff! You can see some of the publications here. My students and I also work on intriguing wine marketing projects. You can read about those here.
I teach courses like Horticultural Product Marketing and General Horticulture, and supervise the theses of 10 graduate students. I also have given lectures at other universities.
Last, but certainly not least, I have taught a wine appreciation class for 15 years. More than 7,000 students have taken this course.
The wine appreciation class is open to all majors. As our school attracts students nationwide, the class is somewhat representative of China. Many former students now work at wine importers, retailers and consultancies, at local wineries, and in wine-focused academic or government departments.