Dr. Tang earned his bachelor’s degree from Northwest A&F University in June 2009 and his Ph.D. from Tianjin University of Science and Technology in June 2015. From 2013 to 2015, he served as a visiting scholar at the Guelph Food Research and Development Centre, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada. Following this, he undertook a five-year postdoctoral fellowship with the Department of Food Science at the North Carolina Research Campus in Kannapolis, USA.
Since July 2021, Dr. Tang has been a professor at the College of Food Engineering and Biotechnology at Tianjin University of Science and Technology. He has been recognized as a Tianjin Overseas High-Level Talent and a "Tianchi Talent" Distinguished Expert in the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region. Additionally, he serves on the Early Career Advisory Board (ECAB) for the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry. Dr. Tang holds significant positions in professional organizations, including Vice Chairperson of the Sports and Nutrition Evaluation Branch of the China Society for Inspection and Testing, Specially Invited Expert for the National Health Commission's Food Safety Risk Assessment and Standards Development Laboratory (Food Additives), and member of the Tianjin Food Safety Risk Assessment Expert Committee. He also reviews projects for the Ministry of Science and Technology's Key Research and Development Program and serves as a reviewer for national talent projects and the National Natural Science Foundation of China.
Dr. Tang has published over 60 peer-reviewed SCI papers, contributed to three book chapters, and holds four patents. He actively reviews more than 20 international journals, reflecting his influence in the field.
Research Interests
Dr. Tang's research focuses on postharvest preservation and processing technology for agricultural products, as well as the development and industrialization of functional molecular network platforms for the deep processing of small grains. His work emphasizes the mechanisms and efficacy of bound phenolic compounds in controlling harmful substances during thermal processing of small grains.
He has conducted systematic studies on nutritional components and advanced glycation end products (AGEs) in minor cereals such as quinoa and oats. This includes the separation and identification of dietary polyphenols, their bioactivity, and metabolomics. Dr. Tang has also developed a rapid detection method for various reactive carbonyl species (RCS) in vivo, clarifying the binding forms and clearance mechanisms of dietary polyphenols and other bioactive compounds like serotonin.
In addition to research on AGEs, Dr. Tang has advanced technologies for reducing postharvest losses in fruits and vegetables while enhancing nutritional value. His work has established systematic, precise four-dimensional preservation technology that integrates temperature, humidity, gas composition, and antimicrobial preservation strategies, contributing to improved postharvest quality and shelf life of agricultural products.
Recent Publications
[1] Tang, Y.,Li, X. H., Zhang, B., Chen, P. X., Liu, R. H., & Tsao, R. (2015). Characterisation of phenolics, betanins and antioxidant activities in seeds of three Chenopodium quinoa Willd. genotypes. Food Chemistry,166, 380-388. ESI-Hot Paper, ESI-Highly Cited Paper
[2] Zhang, B., Deng, Z. Y., Ramdath, D. D.,Tang, Y.,Chen, P. X., Liu,R. H., Liu,Q., & Tsao, R. (2015). Phenolic profiles of 20 Canadian lentil cultivars and their contribution to antioxidant activity and inhibitory effects on alpha-glucosidase and pancreatic lipase. Food Chemistry,172, 862-872. ESI-Highly Cited Paper
[3] Tang, Yao., & Tsao, R. (2017). Phytochemicals in quinoa and amaranth grains and their antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and potential health beneficial effects: a review. Molecular Nutrition & Food Research,61(7), 16. ESI-Highly Cited Paper
[4] Tang, Y.,Huang, Y., Li, M. R., Zhu, W., Zhang, W., Luo, S., Zhang, Y. Y., Ma, J., Jiang, Y. Q. Balancing Maillard reaction products formation and antioxidant activities for improved sensory quality and health benefit properties of pan baked buns. Food Research International,2024, 195: 114984.
[5] Li, X. J., Luo, S. H., Shen, J. D., Li, C. Z., Kadeer, W., Chen, L., Li, X. H., Jiang, Y. Q., Tang, Y.*(2025). Synergistic anti-browning effects of short-term high oxygen pre-stimulation and supercooled storage on fresh-cut potatoes by regulating polyphenol biosynthesis and membrane lipid oxidation, Postharvest Biology and Technology,219, 113257.
[6] Li,X. J., Liu, Z. Y., Ran, Y. L., Li, L., Chen, L., Lin, Q., Liang, F. H., Li, J. X., Li,X. H., & Tang,Y.* (2022). Short-term high oxygen pre-stimulation inhibits browning of fresh-cut watercored Fuji apples, Postharvest Biology and Technology, 191, 111959.
[7] Jiang, Y. Q., Wang, X. D., Li, X. J., Wang, Z. Y., Wang, H. F., Li, W. H., Liu,T., Li, X. H., Jiang, Y. B., & Tang, Y.* (2023). Combination of 1-methylcyclopropene and phytic acid inhibits surface browning and maintains texture and aroma of fresh-cut peaches. Postharvest Biology and Technology, 200, 112328.
[8] Song, J. X., & Tang, Y.* (2023). Effect of extrusion temperature on characteristic amino acids, fatty acids, organic acids, and phenolics of white quinoa based on metabolomics. Food Research International, 169, 112761.
[9] Tang, Y.,Zhu Y. D., & Sang, S. M. (2020). A novel LC-MS based targeted metabolomic approach to study the biomarkers of food intake. Molecular Nutrition & Food Research, 64(22): 2000615.
[10] Tang,Y.,Zhao, Y. T., Wang P., & Sang, S. M. (2021). Simultaneous determination of multiple reactive carbonyl species in high fat diet-induced metabolic disordered mice and the inhibitory effects of rosemary on carbonyl stress. Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry, 69(3): 1123-1131.
