Meet the Team

  • Jia Xu, Ph.D.

    Principle Investigator

  • Chang Liu, M.S.

    Chang Liu, M.S.

    Lab Manager

    A researcher at the University of Alabama at Birmingham. She has a Master's degree in Mechanical Electronic Engineering and a Bachelor’s degree in Biomedical Engineering. She likes to use her interdisciplinary background to solve questions in the biomedical field.

  • Bohan Ning, M.D., M.S.

    Visiting Scholar

    A Visiting Scholar at the University of Alabama at Birmingham. She got her MD degree from Southern Medical University in China, and then finished clinical residency in pathology at Peking University First Hospital. She loves pathology so much and is eager to find the subtle connection between science and clinical practice. Out of work, she is a marvelous chef (self-styled).

  • Kevin Graciano

    Graduate Student

    Kevin received his B.S. in biochemistry from the University of West Florida in 2023. After graduation, he took a gap year to work full-time in a cancer research lab at UAB, where he discovered his passion for cancer research. In his free time, he likes to spend quality time with his friends, read, and play with his dog Jasper.

  • Ayushi Chokshi

    Undergraduate Student

    Ayushi is an undergraduate student at UAB majoring in Cancer Biology with a minor in Chemistry and Biology. She enjoys writing and playing pickleball with her friends in her free time

  • Daniela Flores Velarde

    Pre-Med Student

    My name is Daniela, and I am a pre-med student at UAB majoring in Biomedical Sciences with a minor in chemistry. When I am not focusing on my studies, I like to go to the gym, cook, and hang out with my friends.

  • Meredith McGhee

    Undergraduate Student

    Meredith is an undergraduate student at UAB majoring in Cancer Biology and Genetics and Genomic Sciences. She enjoys spending time with her two cats, reading, and baking in her spare time.

Postdoc trainees:

Lab Alumni

Han Jing, Undergraduate student

Current status: Graduate student @UC Davis

Zhiqian Zhou, Undergraduate student

Current Status: Graduate student @University of Pennsylvania

Yuwei Zhang, Undergraduate student

Current status: Graduate student @University of Georgia

Taylor Hannon, Undergraduate student

UAB

Mann Niraj Dangarwala

Rotation Graduate student

Apoorva Upreti

Rotation Graduate student

Jonathan Moye

Rotation Graduate student

Kat Adriatico

Rotation Graduate student

Undergraduate trainees:

Vivek Somasundaram

Rotation Graduate student

Katie Marlow

Rotation Graduate student

Ali Cem Kucukdagli, M.D., Postdoc Fellow

Current status: Hacettepe University hospital, Turkey

Graduate trainees:

Abigail Johnston

Master student

Kennedy A. Morman, SURE-GM program Undergraduate student

Miles College

Jiuyi Zhang, Undergraduate student

Current status: Graduate student @UCSF

Ke Xiang, Undergraduate student

UAB

Sua Chung, Undergraduate student

UAB

Ella Sperier, Undergraduate student

Current status: Dental School @UAB