Qing Yang is a recipient of the National Science Fund for Distinguished Young Scholars. She has made pioneer contributions to the development of novel pesticide molecular targets that are highly effective and safe for both humans and animals. Her major research interests include: 1) discovering new pesticide targets, specifically key proteins involved in chitin-associated bioprocesses such as chitin biosynthesis, degradation, and assembly in insect pests and phytopathogens of agricultural significance, and 2) developing small molecules to target these proteins. The ultimate goal of her work is to control insect pests, nematodes, and phytopathogens of agricultural importance in a human-safe, eco-friendly, and efficient manner. She has published 122 SCI-indexed papers in leading journals including Cell, Nature, and Nature Microbiology.