Postdoctoral Researchers
JIUNN Song, Ph.D.
POSTDOC: Jiunn is a cell biologist and gastroenterologist interested in liver biology and disease. He received his B.A. from Cornell University and M.D. and Ph.D. from Harvard Medical School. As a graduate student in the laboratory of Dr. Robert Farese Jr. and Dr. Tobias Walther, he studied the mechanisms of intracellular protein trafficking to lipid droplets using a genome-scale imaging screen. He completed his internal medicine residency at MGH and is currently a GI fellow there. In the Wang lab, Jiunn plans to apply spatial mapping technologies to study internal organs.
Hongyu chen, Ph.D.
POSTDOC: Hongyu received his Ph.D. in Chemistry from MIT in our lab in 2025. Hongyu is utilizing synthetic organic chemistry within the context of RNA modification to improve its therapeutic potential. He received his B.A. from Boston University in 2021, where he worked in Prof. John Porco’s lab on total syntheses of dimeric-xanthone natural products and pyrroloiminoquinone alkaloids as anticancer agents. Outside of lab, Hongyu is interested in photography, music, Japanese animates, and outdoor activities.
Yichun he, PH.D.
POSTDOC: Yichun is an Eric and Wendy Schmidt Postdoctoral Fellow at the Broad Institute, working on AI for biomedical research. She received her Ph.D. at Harvard University from John A. Paulson School of Engineering and Applied Sciences in 2025, co-advised with Prof. Jia Liu, where she has focused on combining biology, computer science, statistics and mathematics to interpret biological data. Yichun received her B.Eng. in Electronic Science and Technology from University of Science and Technology of China. In her spare time, Yichun would travel around and enjoy delicious food.
Mengyao li, ph.d.
POSTDOC: Mengyao received her B.S. in Biotechnology from Hebei Normal University and her Ph.D. in Biology from Tsinghua University. During her graduate research in Prof. Fuchou Tang’s lab at Peking University and Prof. Kehkooi Kee’s lab at Tsinghua University, she studied the epigenetic regulation of mammalian embryonic development and tumors by developing long-read–based single-cell sequencing tools. In the Wang lab, she is interested in studying degenerative diseases by developing spatially resolved methods and innovative RNA biology tools. Outside the lab, Mengyao enjoys hiking, skiing, and traveling.
niklas freund, ph.d.
POSTDOC: Niklas is a chemical biologist enthusiastic about method development. Originally from near Cologne, Germany, he studied Chemistry in Münster, completing his Bachelor's in 2016, and Biochemistry in Heidelberg, finishing his Master's in 2018. In 2019, he moved to Cambridge, UK, to pursue a PhD with Phil Holliger at the MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology. His research focused on biostable nucleic acid chemistries used in FDA-approved drugs, combining nucleotide synthesis, polymerase engineering, and aptamer SELEX. After graduating in 2024, Niklas joined Xiao Wang's lab as a Postdoc to extend the scope of spatial omics methods. Outside of the lab, he is also a passionate jazz saxophonist and composes music for his own band.
Dániel Barabási, Ph.D.
POSTDOC: Dániel Barabási is an Eric and Wendy Schmidt Postdoctoral Fellow at the Broad Institute, whose work blends neuroscience, network science, and machine learning. He received his B.Sc. in Physics from the University of Notre Dame in 2017, where he worked on network models of brain connectivity, and was awarded a PhD in Biophysics from Harvard in 2023. Outside of research, Dániel’s hobbies revolve around sci-art and going fast on specialized equipment, from bikes to skis, much to his mother’s dismay.
ANISH ROY, PH.D.
POSTDOC: Anish received his B.S. in Chemistry and Biochemistry from the University of Chicago in 2016 and his Ph.D. in Chemistry from Stanford in 2022. During his graduate school research in Professor W.E. Moerner’s lab, he developed novel single-molecule super-resolution microscopy methods to observe unusual mammalian cell environments at resolutions of 10-20 nanometers. In the Wang lab, he is interested in developing new correlative STARmap and super-resolution imaging methods to extract rich nanoscale biological information from cell culture and tissue samples. Outside of the lab, Anish enjoys reading and hiking.
Wendy Xueyi Wang, Ph.D.
POSTDOC: Wendy received her B.Sc. from the University of Western Ontario, and Ph.D. in Molecular Genetics from the University of Toronto (2022). During her graduate research in Dr. Julie Lefebvre’s lab, she studied how nerve cells wire into functional circuitries during development, through the lens of neuronal morphology, connectivity, and cell-surface receptors. Following her Ph.D., Wendy did a brief stint to work on DNA-based nanotechnologies. In the Wang lab, she is interested in developing spatially-resolved approaches for mapping cell-cell connections. She is funded by the Damon Runyon Foundation. Outside the lab, Wendy enjoys art in various mediums, reading, and exploring her new city.
JENNIFER LO, M.D.-PH.D.
POSTDOC: Jennifer received her BA, MD, and PhD from Harvard. As a graduate student in David Fisher’s lab at MGH, she studied determinants of response to melanoma immunotherapy and transcriptional regulation of PD-L1 in the melanocytic lineage. She is currently a resident in the research track of the Harvard Combined Dermatology Residency Training Program. In the Wang lab, she hopes to use in situ sequencing to characterize organization in skin cancers and pre-cancers.
YIMING ZHOU, PH.D.
POSTDOC: Yiming was born in Changzhou, a beautiful water city in China. He received his B.S. in Biotechnology from Shandong University in China (2013), and Ph.D. in Neuropharmacology from Fudan University in China (2019). During his graduate research in Prof. Lan Ma’s lab, he worked on mapping and decoding the engram circuitry underlying cocaine reward memory and deciphering the role of the medial habenula’s mu-opioid-receptors in the emotional processes. In the Wang lab, Yiming is interested in applying in-situ sequencing to investigate molecular events in the brain during behavioral processes. In his spare time, Yiming likes traveling and animation.
Graduate students
alicia pan, B.S.
MD-PhD STUDENT: Alisia received her B.S. in Chemistry and B.A. in Classical Civilization from Yale University in 2023. As an undergraduate, she explored spatial multi-omics technology via deterministic barcoding, studied effects of poly-ADP ribosylation on nucleosome dynamics, and completed thesis work in Prof. Anna Pyle’s lab on modulation of the RNA sensor MDA5. Now a trainee in the Harvard/MIT MD-PhD Program, Alisia is interested in applying nucleic acid chemistry to understand immune spatial organization and engineer novel therapeutics. Outside of the lab, Alisia enjoys baking, playing boardgames, snowboarding, and visiting museums.
thatcher lee, B.A.
PhD STUDENT: Thatcher received her B.A. in Chemistry from Smith College, where she worked in Prof. Maren Buck and Prof. Sarah Moore's labs on protein polymer conjugates (PPCs) and protein drug conjugates (PDCs) for targeted drug delivery. She is now a graduate student in MIT Chemistry. In the Wang lab, Thatcher hopes to expand the design space of mRNA for therapeutic applications. Outside the lab, she enjoys music and reading.
PEIZhe ren, b.s.
PhD STUDENT: Peizhe was born in Beijing, China. He received his B.S. in College of Chemistry and Molecular Engineering from Peking University. During his undergraduate research in Prof. Xing Chen lab, he focused on profiling glycoproteomics of microglia and LNP delivery. As a research assistant in Prof. Chuan He Lab at UChicago, he worked in developing multiple tools to study RNA modifications and their biological functions. Peizhe is now a graduate student in Chemistry Department at MIT. In the Wang Lab, he hopes to optimize the mRNA therapeutics strategy and use spatial multiomics tools to explore nervous system. Outside the lab, Peizhe loves ultimate frisbee, photography, and playing poker.
CONNIE WANG, B.S.
PhD STUDENT: Connie received her B.S. in Biochemistry and Applied Mathematics in 2021 at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. She is interested in developing therapeutic tools. In her spare time, Connie enjoys basketball and gym during the week, and inhabiting mountains and oceans with her snowboard and surfboard on weekends.
Seth Furniss, M.S.
PhD STUDENT: Seth earned a master’s degree in chemistry from Keble College, University of Oxford. During his undergraduate research, conducted under the guidance of David Manolopoulos, he focused on investigating quantum mechanical effects in the vibrational polariton spectrum of water. As a graduate student, Seth is interested in leveraging spatial transcriptomics and super-resolution imaging to unravel the complexities of cellular systems.
Yi Han, B.S.
PhD STUDENT: Yi received his B.S. in Chemistry from Peking University. During his undergraduate research in Prof. Peng Zou's lab, and later in Prof. Adam Cohen's lab at Harvard as a research fellow, Yi engineered molecular tools for neuroscience study. He is now a graduate student at MIT Chemistry. At Wang lab, he is interested in expanding the RNA toolkit for brain research. In his spare time, Yi enjoys cycling and combat sports. He is also a fan of metal and classical music.
DANGLIANG LIU, M.S.
PhD STUDENT: Dangliang received his B.S. in Pharmaceutical Science in 2020 and M.S. in Chemical Biology in 2022 from Peking University. During his undergraduate and master's research in Prof. Suwei Dong’s lab, he worked on elucidating the functions of protein post-translational modification by utilizing chemical synthesis tools especially focusing on the glycosylation of amyloid beta protein. He is now a graduate student at MIT chemistry. In the Wang lab, Dangliang hopes to explore the chemical space of mRNA and advance its therapeutical potential. Outside the lab, he is interested in music, swimming, and watching movies.
JIAHAO HUANG, M.S.
PhD STUDENT: Jiahao received his B.S. in Biochemistry in 2016 at Purdue University and M.S. in Bioinformatics in 2018 from Georgetown University. During his Master's internship, he assisted in developing data analysis pipelines for the CPTAC project and studied transcriptome regulation in Cannabis at the ICBI from Georgetown University. Jiahao worked as an associate computational biologist to assist in building up the imaging process & downstream analysis pipeline in the lab from 2019-2022 and is now a graduate student.
yanze wang, b.s.
PhD STUDENT: Yanze earned his B.S. in Chemistry from Peking University in 2022. During his undergraduate studies, he gained two years of industry experience (2020–2022) at the intersection of machine learning, computational chemistry and drug design. Currently, he is a graduate student in the lab, focusing on the development of computational tools for RNA design.
Mingrui Wu, B.S.
PhD STUDENT: Mingrui graduated from Peking University with double B.S.’s in Chemical Biology and Economics in 2021. As an undergraduate, he worked on membrane voltage imaging and cancer epigenetics. Now he is a graduate student at MIT Chemistry. In the Wang Lab, he hopes to develop experimental and computational methods for in situ sequencing. Outside the lab, Mingrui loves traveling, photography, playing soccer, and watching movies.
Shuchen Luo, B.S.
PhD STUDENT: Shuchen received his B.S. in Chemical Biology from Tsinghua University in 2021. He had research experiences in designing small molecule inhibitors and peptides aided by structural and computational approaches. Now he is a graduate student at the Department of Chemistry at MIT. In the Wang Lab, Shuchen hopes to closely combine computational and experimental approaches for integrative multi-omics analyses and RNA therapeutics. Outside the lab, he enjoys various genres of music.
FRANKLIN KOSTAS, B.S.
PhD STUDENT: Franklin received his B.S. in Chemistry from Haverford College in 2018. After graduating, he joined Factor Bioscience to advance their mRNA delivery technology for dermatologic applications. Franklin is a current graduate student in the Chemistry department at MIT. In his spare time, Franklin enjoys backpacking, running, and cooking.
Qianhe zhang, b.s.
PhD STUDENT: Qianhe received her B.S. in Bioengineering from UC Berkeley in 2018. Following graduation, she worked as a research assistant to develop CRISPR gene editing tools in Cong Lab at Stanford. In Wang lab, she is interested in developing functional genomic tools for spatial omics studies.
JIAKUN TIAN, B.A.
PhD STUDENT: Jiakun received his B.S. in Chemistry and Biology from Tsinghua University in 2020. As an undergraduate student, intrigued by the intricate epigenetic network of gene expression regulation, he worked in multiple labs developing and applying chemical tools to explore chromatin structure, histone modifications, RNA modifications, and how they may interplay with each other. Now he is a graduate student at the Department of Chemistry at MIT. In the Wang Lab, Jiakun hopes to develop novel spatial multi-omics technologies and electron microscopy-based methods to study tissue biology. Outside the lab, he enjoys playing music, playing badminton and ping-pong, and traveling.
STaff
GREWO LIM, M.S.
LABORATORY MANAGER: Grewo holds a Master's degree in Biochemical Sciences from South Korea and previously contributed to research on the mechanisms of neurodegenerative diseases at Boston University. As a research lab manager, Grewo’s mission in the Wang lab is to create an environment where everyone can work safely, efficiently, and enjoyably, supporting both their productivity and well-being. Beyond the lab, Grewo loves traveling and reading—pursuits that fuel her curiosity and creativity, enriching the collaborative atmosphere she aims to foster.
Research Associates and undergraduates
CONOR MEHAFFEY, B.S.
RESEARCH ASSOCIATE: Originally from Portland, Oregon, Conor graduated from Stanford University in 2025 with a B.S. in Human Biology. While at Stanford, he worked on the development of adenoviruses for use in developmental neurobiology in the lab of Prof. Liqun Luo. As a member of the Wang Lab, he will continue to work with viruses, assisting other members in producing and adapting them for new projects. Outside of science, Conor’s interests include cooking, movies, and playing basketball and rugby.
kate sanderson
UROP: Kate is a senior at MIT studying Biological Engineering. In the Wang Lab, she applies super-resolution microscopy and spatial translatomics to understand how ribosomes are organized during protein synthesis. Outside of the lab, Kate enjoys running and spending time outdoors.
Alumni
HAILING SHI Postdoctoral researcher 2019-2024. Now Assistant Professor at Emory University
RENA REN
Ph.D. student 2019-2024. Now Postdoc at Harvard Medical School
ABHISHEK ADITHAM
Ph.D. Graduate student 2019-2024. Now Research scientist at Genentech
HU ZENG Postdoctoral researcher 2020-2023. Now Assistant Professor at Peking University
ALBERT LIU
MIT UROP student 2019-2021. Now PhD student at University of Pennsylvania
MORGAN WU Computational associate 2021-2023. Now MSTP student at University of Washington, Seattle
CHANAN SESSLER
Ph.D. student 2019-2025. Now Postdoc at Stanford University
XIN SUI Ph.D. student 2020-2025. Now consultant at McKinsey & Company
ZEFANG TANG Postdoctoral rsearcher 2021-2025. Now Assistant Professor at Zhejiang University
JIANTING GUO
Ph.D. Student 2020-2025. Now Research scientist at Stellaromics
KAMAL MAHER
Ph.D, Student 2020-2025.
YAMAN THAPA Undergraduate student summer 2021. Now PhD student at Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory
QIYANG ZHOU MIT UROP student 2021-2025. Now Research Intern at MD Anderson Cancer Center.
HAOWEN ZHOU Visiting student 2020-2024. Now PhD student at UCSD
EMMA BOU HANNA Undergraduate Student Summer 2021
ZHENGKAI HUANG MIT UROP student 2019-2020. Now PhD student at Harvard University
BRIDGET LI MIT MEng Student 2023-2024. Now ML Scientist at Nabla Bio
INORI KAWAUCHIYA MIT MEng student 2024-2025
JESSICA PAN MIT MEng student 2024-2025
MICHAELA CHAPTER Administrative Assistant 2019-2021
ALEXANDRA GNIESKI Administrative Assistant 2021-2022
ERIN HOWARD
Operation Specialist 2022-2025
