Posts classified under: Alumni

I was born and raised in Hangzhou, China, a city just an hour outside of Shanghai. After high school, I came to the US to pursue higher education. I received my B.S. in Molecular Biology and Biochemistry from California State University, East Bay and my PhD in Vascular Biology from University of California, Irvine. Currently, I am conducting my postdoctoral study in Dr. David Williams’ lab at UCLA, studying mitochondrial dynamics and motility in retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) cells, a cell type that is implicated in various retinal degenerative diseases. I have had fairly diverse research experience and I am interested in leveraging my knowledge in the broader field of molecular and cell biology to study cell-cell interactions in complex tissue environment and pathology. At every stage of my career, I encountered great teachers and mentors who not only passed on their knowledge and wisdom, but also affected me on a personal level, to be passionate and dedicated to my own pursuits, to be caring and respectful of others, and to commit to serving the community. Therefore, I hope to use what I learned to help and inspire the next generation of young scientists. Outside of work, I am a board member of the ARCS foundation to advocate and help fund college and graduate level research. I also enjoy practicing yoga, cooking and gardening.

My long-term goal is to obtain an academic position where I could conduct research, teach undergraduate courses and continue to mentor students. Being a first-generation myself, I also hope to advocate for and help immigrants and students from underrepresented communities to achieve their own goals.

I got my bachelor’s degree in Chemistry and Pharmaceutical Biology from the National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM). I first came to California as part of an Education Abroad Program- little did I know that the Parasitology class I signed up for would forever change the way I thought about parasites. I returned to pursue my PhD in the Ecology, Evolution and Marine Biology Department at UC Santa Barbara. My doctoral research examined the social organization of trematode parasites in their snail hosts (turns out some species have a non-reproductive soldier caste that defend the parasite colony from invaders!). While at UCSB, I also obtained an MA in Applied Statistics and a Certificate in College and University Teaching. Now, as a postdoc in Dr. Robert Wayne’s lab at UCLA, I use environmental DNA signatures to identify and quantify parasite and pathogen biodiversity in California ecosystems. I am also developing curriculum for the new Environmental DNA for Science Investigation and Education Program. I love dancing and being outdoors.

I hope to become a professor at a primarily undergraduate institution. I believe in promoting student engagement through active learning and in giving students authentic experiences in scientific inquiry. As teacher and mentor, my role is not to take students by the hand on their journey, but to motivate, support, and challenge them while they create their own adventure.