Lab Members

Dr. Chen is an RNA biologist whose research focuses on the functional significance of circular RNA (circRNA) translation. Drawing upon his expertise in two classes of non-canonical RNAs – long non-coding RNA and circRNA – he utilizes multi-omic and high-throughput screening approaches to uncover the regulatory components and mechanisms governing circRNA translation, unlocking the potential of circRNAs for next-generation RNA technologies and therapeutics.

My name is Ajin Park (Jin), a PHD student in MCB working in Dr. Chun-Kan Chen’s lab My main research project involves CircRNA localization, but other projects I’ve helped out with include: Ribo-Seq, Naive stem cell circRNA sequencing, and others. My favourite topic in biology is anything circRNA related, while my least favourite topic is cancer biology. For my educational background, I have a bachelors in Genetics and Cell Biology from Washington State University, and a Master’s in Biomedical Engineering at Washington University in St. Louis. My favourite thing in life is waking up early but not getting out of bed while my hobbies outside of lab include kickboxing, Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, 3D printing, and learning random skills. 

I am currently a laboratory technician in the lab of Dr. Chun-Kan Chen at Washington University in Saint louis. I hold a bachelors of science in biology from the University of Missouri Columbia and a Bachelors of arts in Biochemistry/ Biotechnology from the University of Missouri Saint Louis. My Research interests include expanding our understanding of the molecular mechanisms that control circRNA function and its  development into a viable RNA-based therapeutic.

I am Yi-Cian Zheng, just feel free to call me Crystal. I graduated from National Tsing Hua University in Taiwan with a B.S. degree in Medical Science. I now work in Dr. Chen’s Lab as a lab technician, diving deeper into circRNA and its RBPs. I love to try out new coffee or boba places in my free time.