Research by Professor Zhang Xiaofei’s Team at CCNU Published as Cover Article in Nature Computational Science

Recently a research team led by Professor Zhang Xiaofei from the School of Mathematics and Statistics at Central China Normal University (CCNU) has published a groundbreaking study in Nature Computational Science, a top computational science journal under the Nature Portfolio. The paper has been selected as the cover article of the April 2026 issue (Volume 6, Issue 4). He Huifeng, a 2023 doctoral candidate at CCNU, is the first author. Professor Zhang Xiaofei (CCNU) and Professor Chen Luonan (Shanghai Jiao Tong University) serve as co-corresponding authors. CCNU is the first affiliation and first corresponding author institution.

The work advances the interdisciplinary field of AI + Life and Health, focusing on mathematical modeling and computational analysis of spatial omics data. It demonstrates how artificial intelligence and mathematical approaches empower spatial life science research, addressing key challenges in resolving single‑cell resolution from spatial transcriptomics.

In recent years, Professor Zhang’s group has published a series of high‑impact papers in leading international journals, including Genome Biology (2023, 2025) and Nucleic Acids Research (2024, 2025). This latest cover publication further strengthens CCNU’s research capacity in the convergence of artificial intelligence and life health sciences.