You (Neil) Zhang 张优 bio photo

Miscellaneous

About my name

My first name, “You (优)”, means Excellent in Mandarin Chinese. Its pronunciation may cause misunderstanding in English when people refer to me, especially in a group discussion. Hence, I choose to go by “Neil”, and this name originates from an Irish word meaning Champion. I think this nickname aligns with the idea of my given name.

Besides research

I’m lucky to share life with my two cats, YlangYlang and Crissy—think you can spot who’s who in the photos? My cats YlangYlang and Crissy

I earned my SSI Open Water certification in Key Largo in the summer of 2025.
My scuba

During my summer 2023 internship at Seattle, I learned and enjoyed stand-up paddling quite much. My stand-up paddling

My favorite movies are Real Steel and Begin Again.

I also love traveling all around the world, especially to places with friends living.