On December 19, 2025, the pre-defense for doctoral dissertations of  two PhD candidates,  GAO Feng-li and XIA Jing-yi, was successfully held at School of Materials Science & Engineering. The event aimed to evaluate and enhance the quality of the doctoral candidates' research work prior to the blind review and formal defense.

Two PhD candidates presented their extensive research under the supervision of Professor Feng Chuan-liang.

PhD Candidate Gao Feng-li defended her thesis titled "Chirality Regulation of Berberine Hydrochloride and Camptothecin Supramolecular Assemblies and Tumor Therapy Application." Her research focuses on controlling the chirality of supramolecular assemblies formed by drug molecules and exploring their potential applications in cancer therapy.

PhD Candidate Xia Jingyi presented her work on "Chiral Self-Assembly Behavior and Piezoelectric Properties of Phenylalanine Derivatives." Her thesis investigates the self-assembly processes of phenylalanine-based molecules and their resulting piezoelectric properties, which are crucial for developing new functional materials.

The pre-defense committee provided rigorous review and constructive feedback. The committee was chaired by Professor Wang Yang from Fudan University. Members included Professor Li Wan-wan, Associate Professor Xu Can, Song Yang, and Dou Xiao-qiu from Shanghai Jiao Tong University.

The pre-defense is a critical milestone in the PhD candidacy process, allowing candidates to refine their arguments, improve their presentation skills, and incorporate expert suggestions to strengthen their final dissertations. The successful completion of this pre-defense signifies significant progress in the research projects of both candidates.