LAB TEAM
SOOK YIN CHONG (Celina)
GRADUATE STUDENT
EMAIL: sychong2@illinois.edu
Brief biography. Celina is originally from Malaysia. She completed her BS in the Department of Agronomy and MS in Microbiology at the Institute of Food Science and Technology, both from the National Taiwan University, Taiwan. She joined the lab as a PhD student in 01/2022. Her thesis projects focus on the host-pathogen interactions between Streptococcus pneumoniae competence regulon-regulated virulence and lung.
SHANNY KUO
GRADUATE STUDENT
Email: hsuank2@illinois.edu
Brief biography. Shanny completed her DVM (Department of Veterinary Medicine, National Chung Hsing University) and MS (National Taiwan University) from Taiwan. She joined the lab as a PhD student in 8/2019. Her thesis projects focus on the regulation of airway cell apoptosis and mucus secretion in the chronically diseased lungs.
SHI QIAN LEW (JOHNNY)
GRADUATE STUDENT
EMAIL: sqlew2@illinois.edu
Brief biography. Johnny is originally from Malaysia. He completed his BS and MS in the Department of Biochemical Science and Technology, Division of Microbiology, from the National Taiwan University, Taiwan. He joined the lab as a PhD student in 01/2022. His thesis projects focus on the regulation of airway mucus secretion in the diseased lungs.
UDENI WALGAMAGE
GRADUATE STUDENT
Description: Udeni completed her DVM at the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine & Animal Science, University of Peradeniya in Sri Lanka. She will join the lab in August 2024. Her Ph.D. projects will investigate novel vaccine candidates against Streptococcus pneumoniae.
CONG (ARYA) WU
GRADUATE STUDENT
Description: Arya is originally from Sichuan China. She completed her DVM and M.S. at the Chinese Agricultural University in Beijing, China, working on diagnostic viral immunology. She joined the lab as a PhD student in 08/2023. Her thesis projects focus on the regulation of airway mucus secretion in the diseased lungs by novel transcription factors.
ANNA ZHANG
GRADUATE STUDENT
Description: Anna Zhang obtained her BS and MS from the School of Molecular and Cellular Biology at the UIUC. She will investigate molecular and cellular mechanisms that mediate the breach of alveolar-capillary barrier by Streptococcus pneumoniae and Pseudomonas aeruginosa.
MILA ATAEI
UNDERGRADUATE STUDENT
Description: Mila is currently a UIUC Sophomore majoring in Biochemistry. She will join the lab in March 2024. She will assist Dr. Lau in characterizing antibacterial properties of novel antimicrobial peptides.
JONATHAN LAU
UNDERGRADUATE STUDENT
EMAIL: jlau18@jhu.edu
Brief biography. Jonathan has been a summer and winter intern since he was a high school student at the University of Illinois Laboratory High School. He is currently a senior majoring in the Biomedical Engineering at the Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore. In collaboration with the Hayouka lab (Hebrew University of Jerusalem), he is currently working on deciphering the antibacterial properties of random antimicrobial peptide mixtures.
Alumni
VISITING SCHOLARS
ZhiZhou Kuang (2007-2008), PhD
Institute of Viral Disease Control and Prevention, Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, China
Chao-Hui Duan (2011-2012), MD
Associate Professor
Sun Yat-Sen Memorial Hospital, Sun Yat-Sen Medical School, Guangzhou, China
Ying Xu (2012-2013), MD
Instructor
Sun Yat-Sen Memorial Hospital, Sun Yat-Sen Medical School, Guangzhou, China
Jinfeng Miao (2013-2014), DVM/PhD
Associate Professor
Nanjing Agriculture University, Nanjing, China
Yani Zhang (2015-2016), PhD
Associate Professor
Northwest University, Xi’an, China
Luhua Zhang (2015-2016), DVM/MS
PhD Candidate
Sichuan Agriculture University, Ya’an, China
RESEARCH TECHNICIANS
Huimin Ran (2002-2004)
Cincinnati Children’s Hospital
Huimin.Ran@cchmc.org
Yi Chen, (2004-2006)
Tax Accountant
Seattle
POSTDOCTORAL FELLOWS
Fansheng Kong (2004-2005)
MD/PhD, Division of Pulmonary, Critical Care and Sleep Medicine, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Cincinnati, OH
Associate Professor
School of Optometry and Ophthalmology, Wenzhou Medical College, China
Shiping Zhang (2003-2006)
MD/PhD, Division of Pulmonary, Critical Care and Sleep Medicine, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Cincinnati, OH
Senior Research Associate
Division of Pulmonary Biology, Cincinnati Children’s Hospital, Cincinnati, OH
Yonghua Hao (2007-2014)
PhD, Department of Pathobiology, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Champaign, IL
Research Scientist
Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA
Zhizhou Kuang (2010-2014)
PhD, Department of Pathobiology, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Champaign, IL
Senior Scientist
RayBiotech, Inc., Norcross, GA
Brent Walling (2013-2015)
DVM/PhD, Ruth L. Kirschstein National Research Service Awards Postdoctoral Fellowship NIH/NIEHS
Staff Pathologist II
Charles River Labortory, Ashland, OH
Jing Jia (2014-2016)
DVM/PhD, Department of Pathobiology, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Champaign, IL
Assistant Professor
Southwest Chinese Medical School, China
Myung Whan Oh (2019-2024)
Myung is currently a postdoctoral fellow under Professor Laurence Rahme, Massachusetts General Hospital.
GRADUATE STUDENTS
Brent Walling, DVM, PhD (2013)
Staff Pathologist II
Charles River Laboratory, Ashland, OH
bewalling@hotmail.com
Ying Xu, MD, MS (2013)
Attending Physician & Instructor
Sun Yat-Sen University, China
longsixiuxiu@126.com
Luchang Zhu, DVM, MS, PhD (2013)
Senior Research Associate
Methodist Hospital Research Institute, Houston, TX
zhulvchang2014@gmail.com
Jayme Jeffries, DVM, MS (2014)
Senior Staff Veterinarian
Veterinary Services, National Import Export Services, APHIS, USDA
jayme.hennenfent@gmail.com
Rommel Max Tan, DVM, MS, (PhD 2014)
Anatomic Pathologist II
IDEXX Laboratories, Sacramento, CA
rommel.tan@gmail.com
Woosuk Choi, DVM, MS, (PhD 2020)
Post-doctoral Researcher
UCLA School of Medicine, Los Angeles, CA
woosuk84@gmail.com
Jingjun Lin, DVM, MS, (PhD 2019)
Post-doctoral Researcher
UC Davis, Davis, CA
jjnlin@ucdavis.edu
SUMMER VETERINARY MEDICINE T35 RESEARCH STUDENTS
Elizabeth Peters (2007)
Veterinarian
College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI
Caroline Cua (2009)
Associate Veterinarian
Bartlett Animal Hospital, Bartlett, IL
Rebecca Powell (2012)
Associate Veterinarian
Forest South Animal Hospital, University Park, IL
Michelle Waltonberg (2015)
Epidemiology Elective Program Student in the One Health Office
National Center for Emerging and Infectious Zoonotic Diseases, CDC
Aaron Sieve (2019)
3rd-year DVM Student
College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Champaign, IL
UNDERGRADUATE STUDENTS
Jin Ahn, BS (2008)
DO, Midwestern Medical School, Downers Grove, IL
Physician
Carle Foundation Hospital, Urbana, IL
Abbie Wong, BS (2008)
Research Scientist
Pfizer, St. Louis, MO
James Chu, BS (2009)
Trinity Theological Seminary
Youth Pastor
Chicago, IL
Amita Krishnan, BS (2009)
MD, SUNY-Buffalo Medical School, Buffalo, NY
Physician
Buffalo, NY
Francis Lee, BS (2009)
MD, University of Illinois Medical School, Chicago, IL
Medical Residency
MacNeal Hospital, Berwyn, IL
Timothy Lee, BS (2009), MS (2011)
MD (2016), University of Illinois Medical School, Chicago, IL
Medical Residency
UC-Irvine School of Medicine, Irvine, CA
Charlotte So, BS (2009)
MD, Rush Medical School, Chicago, IL
Physician
North Shore Medical Group, Chicago, IL
Jason Yoon, BS (2009)
CITES IT Specialist
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Champaign, IL
Helena Berezowskyj, BS (2010)
JD, Loyola University School of Law, Chicago, IL
Lawyer
Rakoczy Molino Mazzochi Siwik LLP, Chicago, IL
Nazihah Salehan, BS (2010)
PhD Candidate in Plant Pathology
University Putra Malaysia, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
Liyu Mei, BS (2013)
Physical Therapist
Chicago, IL
Ryan Lee, BS (2013)
MD, University of Illinois School of Medicine, Chicago, IL
Medical Residency
Northwestern University School of Medicine, Chicago, IL
Shawn Choe, BS (2014)
Medical Student
Loyola University School of Medicine, Maywood, IL
Susie Kim, BS (2015)
Awaiting admission to medical school
Constantine Gastouniotis, BS (2015)
Chemical Engineer
Madeline Steiner, BS (2017)
PhD Student
MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX
Anita Matthews, BS (2017)
Research Technician, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL
Awaiting admission into medical school
Tishuana Edwards, BS (2019)
MS Student in Public Health
Southern Illinois University, Carbondale, IL
Vivian Li, BS (2019)
PhD Student in Psychology
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Champaign, IL
Henry Rothenberg, BS (2019)
MS Student in Science Education
University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI
David Salami, BS (2019)
MS Student in Med School Preparation
Southern Illinois University, Carbondale, IL
Paul Park, BS (2020)
PhD Student
Thomas Jefferson School of Medicine Cancer Center, Philadelphia, PA
Alina Yang, BS (2020)
PhD Student
Brown University School of Medicine, Providence, RI
Hannah Caraway, BS (2023)
Integrative Biology Honors Program at the UIUC
Attending Southern Illinois University School of Medicine
HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS
Eunice Kim (Summers 2007-2009)
Cherry Creek High School, Greenwood Village, CO
BS, University of Colorado-Boulder, Boulder, CO
IT Specialist
Denver, CO
Daniel Cheng (2009-2010)
Univeristy of Illinois High School, Urbana, IL
BS, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL
Working at Facebook, San Francisco, CA
Gyumin Lee (Summer 2019)
Centennial High School, Champaign, IL
Student in Bioengineering Program
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Champaign, IL
Noah King (2024)
Noah is currently a 1st year medical student at the Chicago Medical School, Rosalind Franklin University of Science and Medicine.