I’m from Henan, China, the birthplace of Chinese civilization. After high school, I attended Shanghai Normal University, where I majored in Biological Science. During my Masters degree, I studied how the extracellular environment interacts with G protein coupled receptors on cells, making them less vulnerable to infection by viruses. A strong interest in Biological Sciences then prompted me to complete my Ph.D. at the University of Iowa where I studied the function of the periderm, a transient barrier found in development required for the formation of the palate and oral mucosa. Closely studying the function of biological barriers, and an interest in immunology, lead me to the Turner Lab for my postdoctoral studies. My project involves understanding how claudin-2, a component of the tight junction, regulates immunodifferentiation in inflammatory bowel disease (IBD).

Education and Training

2008-2012: Shanghai Normal University, B.S., Biological Science

2012-2015: East China Normal University, M.S., Biochemistry and Molecular Biology

2015-2020: University of Iowa, Carver College of Medicine, Ph.D., Cell and Developmental Biology

2020-Present: Postdoctoral Research Fellow, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Harvard Medical School