Yizhi is a Research Associate at the Urban Innovation Policy Lab, Edinburgh Napier University. She earned her PhD and Master of Civic Design (MCD) in planning from the University of Liverpool.

Previously, Yizhi served as a Postdoctoral Research Associate at the University of Manchester, where her focus encompassed the broader impacts of innovation districts, exploring economic, urban, and social transformations. Her doctoral research delved into smart city development and city-level smart city governance from an urban governance perspective in China.

Yizhi's research interests span technology-oriented urban development, particularly in the realms of smart cities and innovation districts. She is also deeply engaged in the study of urban governance, examining central and local interactions, as well as public-private-society relations. Yizhi's expertise further extends to urban and regional planning, coupled with a commitment to place-based research.