Dr Yan Lu

Profile

I’m a postdoctoral researcher with a strong interdisciplinary background in colour science, vision, and digital imaging. My academic journey began at Fudan University in China, where I earned a Bachelor's degree in Light Sources and Illumination Engineering, followed by a Master’s degree in Electro-Optical Measurement and Control Technology. My early work focused on the biological impacts of lighting and health-oriented illumination in indoor environments.

In 2023, I completed my PhD at the University of Leeds, where I developed statistical models to predict human perception of facial colour appearance and attractiveness. My doctoral research bridged colour science, machine learning, and psychophysics, offering new insights into culturally specific aesthetic preferences.

After PhD, I worked as a postdoctoral researcher with Prof. David Foster at University of Manchester, conducting psychophysical studies in virtual reality (VR) to explore how people perceive colour and perform visual tasks in immersive environments. My current work focuses on improving facial colour accuracy in digital and mixed-reality (MR) displays. I also collaborate with academic and industry partners—including Meta, L’Oréal, and Unilever—on projects ranging from facial reproduction in MR to imaging-based skin analysis.

I’m an active contributor to the International Commission on Illumination (CIE), where I’ve helped lead the development of a comprehensive human skin colour database, now recognized as a new international standard in the field.

Research interests

- Skin colour; facial appearance measurement, perception, and preference modelling

- Colour science, colour technology, and colour management for imaging and display systems (display, camera, AR/VR/MR)

- Human vision system and colour perception

- Lighting quality, characterisation, and measurements; health lighting

Qualifications

• PhD in Colour and Imaging Science
• MSc in Illumination Engineering
• BSc in Engineering

Professional memberships

• CIE Technical Committee Member CIE TC 1-92 , Human Skin Colour Database
• UK Representative, CIE Research Forum 03 (skin colour rendition)
• Review Editor, Frontiers in Imaging Journal (Imaging Applications)
• Review Committee Member for Colour and Imaging Conference and CIE Scientific Conference