Zhou Lihan

When Dr Zhou Lihan co-founded Mirxes in 2014 as a spin-off from the Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR), his ambition was to make early disease detection accessible through science. More than a decade later, that vision has evolved into one of Singapore's biggest biotechnology success stories. What began as a three-person research startup has grown into a company of around 400 people across eight countries, with a footprint spanning Asia and the United States. In 2025, Mirxes reached two defining milestones: its flagship microRNA blood test for the early detection of gastric cancer, GASTROClear, became the first non-invasive blood test approved for gastric cancer screening in China—a market with more than 500 million eligible adults—and the company listed on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange.

Yet for Zhou, the greatest challenge today lies beyond laboratories and regulatory approvals. While Mirxes continues to expand across Asia, he believes the harder task is transforming how people think about healthcare itself. “We talk about preventive health to replace treating the sick,” he says, noting that too many people still avoid screening because they associate a cancer diagnosis with inevitable death. Instead, he envisions a future where routine screening catches disease before symptoms emerge, dramatically improving outcomes and reducing the burden on families and healthcare systems alike.

That long-term vision also shapes how Zhou measures success. Rather than the number of tests Mirxes supplies, he hopes one day the company will be recognised for something far more meaningful: the number of lives saved. Looking further ahead, his curiosity is already extending beyond cancer towards a broader question—how science and artificial intelligence might one day help elevate human potential itself.