Organization: The University of Hong Kong
Region: Asia and the Pacific Islands
Nationality: China
Country: China
Interests & expertise: Human rights
Profession or occupation: Advocate/activist
What inspires you to work in the HIV field?
All my experiences led me to this field. My hometown went through a major AIDS crisis in the 1990s, and growing up in that silence shaped how I understood stigma. Two decades later, we now have all the tools to end AIDS as a public health threat; yet stigma still keeps people from getting tested and treated. When choosing my research focus, I became interested in how social media could communicate HIV science more effectively. For example, “undetectable = untransmittable” (U=U) is such a transformative fact, but many people still do not know it, and I want to help change that.
During my internship at UNAIDS, I created an original U=U song and launched a youth campaign, which showed me that creative communication works. My later fieldwork and interviews brought me closer to the people doing this work and strengthened my motivation to contribute in the most meaningful way I can.
What are your goals as an IAS change maker?
My goal is to help make HIV science more understandable, relatable and accessible for young people, so that fewer people are left in fear or silence and more can live with dignity.
Communication does not create change overnight, but it can shift mindsets and open the door for broader structural progress. Especially at a time when funding cuts and shrinking public attention make HIV conversations harder to sustain, I want to use this opportunity to help keep those conversations alive. I also hope to learn from others in the network and build practical tools that young people can use and adapt, so that accurate information and open dialogue become easier to reach.