Dr. Wei-Lun Hung received his Ph.D. in Food Science and Technology from National Taiwan University in 2012, after completing his B.S. in Nutrition and Food Science at Fu Jen University in 2005. He subsequently undertook postdoctoral training at National Taiwan University (2014–2015), Rutgers University (2015–2016), and the University of Florida (2016–2018), and joined Taipei Medical University in 2018. He is currently an Associate Professor in the School of Food Safety, College of Nutrition, at Taipei Medical University. Over the past decade, his research has focused on the chemistry, occurrence, and mitigation of process-induced toxicants, particularly reactive carbonyl species (α-dicarbonyls) and dietary advanced glycation end products (dAGEs), and on elucidating how dAGE exposure perturbs host metabolism, gut microbiota, and microbial metabolites in obesity-related models. Complementing this work, he has also investigated the health-promoting effects and molecular mechanisms of dietary phytochemicals against chronic diseases, spanning anti-obesity actions and inflammation-related pathologies, as well as organ-protective effects in vivo such as mitigating toxicant-induced liver injury. In parallel, his laboratory has developed robust analytical platforms to quantify process-induced harmful compounds and has identified practical intervention strategies using bioactive constituents from natural products to suppress their formation in real food systems. His current research focuses on integrating metabolomics with gut microbiome analyses to investigate how processing-induced harmful compounds contribute to chronic disease pathogenesis, particularly obesity and aging. His work has been published in leading peer-reviewed journals, including Food Chemistry, Food Chemistry X, Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry, Food & Function, Food Control, Molecular Nutrition & Food Research, and Journal of Functional Foods. He is a full member of Sigma Xi and has received Excellence in Review Awards from the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry. He currently serves on the Editorial Advisory Board of the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry, reflecting his continued commitment to advancing rigorous, mechanistic, and translational research at the interface of food chemistry, nutrition, and metabolic health.

Dr. Wei-Lun Hung's lab at Taipei Medical University focuses on understanding and mitigating processing-induced toxicants formed during thermal food processing, with particular emphasis on reactive carbonyl species (α-dicarbonyls) and dietary advanced glycation end products (dAGEs). By integrating food chemistry, advanced analytical chemistry (e.g., chromatography- mass spectrometry–based quantification), and translational nutrition research, the lab investigates how processing conditions and formulation factors drive toxicant formation in real foods and develops food-applicable intervention strategies using bioactive constituents from natural products. In parallel, the lab employs metabolomics, gut microbiome profiling, and animal models to elucidate how exposure to these compounds reshapes host metabolism and microbial metabolites, thereby contributing to chronic disease pathogenesis, particularly obesity and aging. Our long-term goal is to provide an end-to-end scientific framework that links chemical formation mechanisms to practical mitigation solutions and health-relevant mechanistic evidence, supporting safer food processing and improved public health.