The Breakthrough Stars Award recognizes relatively early-career assistant and associate professors who demonstrate considerable contributions to their field in terms of research and scholarly activity while at USC. This recognition can contribute to recipients' career advancement and retention, and helps the university attract the best and brightest young faculty to join UofSC.

Zhengqing Fu is a plant biologist who is fascinated by the molecular interactions between pathogens and plants. Many plant pathogens including fungi, oomycetes, bacteria, viruses and nematode cause severe diseases that produce adverse effects on human life. Zhengqing's lab focuses on the plant hormone salicylic acid signaling in plant pathogen interactions. Learn more about  Zhengqing's fascinating research here!