TEAM

Xue-Yan obtained her Ph.D. in 2015 at Nanjing University, China, where she discovered a novel, non-cell-autonomous function of myeloid p53 in protecting against inflammation-associated tumor development, and also studied the spatial assembly pattern of heteromeric AMPA glutamate receptors, uncovering a novel function for signal peptides. As a Postdoctoral Fellow at Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, she expanded her research to the tumor microenvironment, investigating the mechanism of enhanced synergistic immune surveillance from CCR2-expressing breast cancer cells and currently focusing on the impact of stress-induced neutrophil extracellular traps on immune surveillance and cancer metastasis. She has received multiple postdoctoral fellowships and awards, including the AACR breast cancer fellowship and the Intersections Science Fellow. At Washington University in St. Louis, the primary interest in Xue-Yan’s lab is to understand how systemic behavioral stress affects colorectal tumor initiation and progression, with a specific focus on the tumor microenvironment.

Xiaoxiao obtained her Ph.D. in 2023 from the Institute of Biophysics, Chinese academy of Sciences in Beijing. During her Ph.D., she studied nanoparticle-based vaccines against HBV.
Outside of the lab, she likes hiking (to feel the nature), cooking (to enjoy Chinese food) and sleeping (to dream).

Chen obtained his Ph.D. in Genetics from Nanjing University in 2014. His thesis project focused on studying cell migration and smooth muscle contraction. After his Ph.D., he worked as a Postdoctoral Fellow at the Medical School of Nanjing University from 2014 to 2016 to investigate mechano-electrical ion channels and AMPA receptor assembly. From 2017 to 2023, Chen worked as a Postdoctoral Fellow at Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory to study breast cancer, utilizing mouse models and patient-derived organoids.

Steven is a current sophomore at Washington University in St. Louis pursuing a major in biochemistry and a minor in music.

In his free time, he enjoys playing saxophone, reading, and going to the gym.

Riku is a second-year PhD candidate in Mechanical Engineering at Washington University in St. Louis. He obtained his master’s degrees in Biomedical Engineering & Mechanical Engineering in 2023.

In his free time, he enjoys playing saxophone, playing video games, and producing anime derivative work.

Jiayi (Eirc) is a Postbaccalaureate Researcher at Washington University in St. Louis. He obtained his bachelor degree in UC San Diego in 2024. 

In his spare time, he likes playing basketball, watching anime, and playing video games.