He earned his PhD in Food Science and finished postdoc training at Arkansas Children’s Nutrition Center. He was a research assistant professor at University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences before moving to University of Florida in 2008. Dr. Gu’s research programs focus on chemistry, bioavailability, and bioactivity of phytonutrients in berries and grapes. He published 60+ original researches on food science, nutritional science, and pharmaceutics journals. He directed 10+ research projects funded by governments and food industries. He was a recipient of Outstanding New Faculty Research Award at University of Florida in 2010. He was recognized as a Highly Cited Researcher by Thomson Reuters in 2014.