Lab Group

PAST LAB MEMBERS

Chris Oh

WILLIAM NGUYEN

GRADUATE STUDENT

Email: kalamln2@illinois.edu

Kalam “William” Nguyen joined the Mei lab from August 2020 to May 2024. He currently studies the benefits of dietary fiber and probiotics (Bacteroides intestinalis) treatment on host health using various in vivo & in vitro techniques. He also studies the adverse effects of hnRNP I deficiency on the gut microbiota formation and the impact of intestinal dysbiosis on the pathogenesis of colitis and colorectal cancer with Ziyu and Salwa. In his free time, he enjoys optimizing histopathology techniques and improving existing protocols for histologic preparation for the mouse gastrointestinal tract.

EMILY TUNG

UNDERGRADUATE STUDENT

Email: etung4@illinois.edu

Emily Tung joined the Mei lab as a freshman in the School of Molecular and Cellular Biology in August 2020. She currently works with William to elucidate the role of BI in promoting health by releasing metabolites from digestion of arabinoxylan.

Jie Ji

JI JIE

2021-2023

Email: jieji4@illinois.edu 

She joined the Mei Lab in August 2021. Currently, she is attending a master of science program at a different institution.

Ronak Parmar

RONAK PARMAR

2021-2022

Email: rparmar2@illinois.edu

Ronak joined the lab in August 2021 as a junior from School of MCB. Outside the lab, he enjoys working at the ARC or trying new food at restaurants in the city. At home, he immerses himself in nature by either hiking or fishing. His future plans are to become a doctor and pursue a career in academia in the microbiome field.

KRISTY CHIN

2017-2019

Current Position: Medical Scribe for Dermatology

Email: kristyychinn@gmail.com

Kristy Chin joined the Mei lab as a sophomore in the School of Molecular and Cellular Biology. She conducted a research project to study if hnRNP I regulates neonatal immune adaptation through a Myd88-dependent mechanism by generating hnRNP I and Myd88 double knockout mouse model. She received the School of Molecular and Cellular Biology Summer Undergraduate Research Fellow award because of her research work conducted in the lab. Currently, Kristy Chin is in the MD program at the Rosalind Franklin University of Medicine and Science.

Anamaria Cruz

WESLEY TUNG

2016-2019

Current Position: Post-baccalaureate fellow at NIH

Email: wesleytung1029@gmail.com

Wesley Tung joined the Mei lab as a sophomore in the School of Molecular and Cellular Biology. He generated the tamoxifen inducible hnRNP I knockout mouse model and characterized the intestinal defects in this mouse model. He received a high distinction award for his thesis work conducted in the Mei lab. He was selected as featured oral presenter at the UIUC Undergraduate Research Symposium twice to present his research work. In addition, he received NIH Summer Internship Fellowship Award, Mayo Clinic SURF Trainee Award and NIH Intermural Research Trainee Award. Currently, Wesley Tung is in a MD/PhD program at Yale university.

Anamaria Cruz

DANIELLE YEE

2017-2020

Current Position: Post-baccalaureate fellow at NIH

Email: danielle.yee@nih.gov

Danielle Yee joined the Mei lab as a sophomore in the School of Molecular and Cellular Biology. She conducted an independent research project to study the function of hnRNP I in regulating spermatogenesis through the control of Sertoli cell function. She also conducted research work in studying host-gut microbiota interactions. She received the Mayo Clinic SURF Trainee Award due to her excellent research performance.

MAAZ HAJI

MAAZ HAJI

UNDERGRADUATE STUDENT

Email: mhaji5@illinois.edu

Maaz Haji joined the Mei lab as a sophomore in the School of Molecular and Cellular Biology in August 2019. He has been working with other lab members to study the mechanism by which hnRNP I controls intestinal stem cell survival.

MANAS ADARSH GAJJELA

UNDERGRADUATE STUDENT

Email: mgajje2@illinois.edu

He joined the Mei Lab in February 2022.

JENNIFER J LEE

UNDERGRADUATE STUDENT

Email: jjl11@illinois.edu

She joined the Mei Lab in February 2022.

YUJIE WANG

UNDERGRADUATE STUDENT

Email: yujiew5@illinois.edu

He joined the Mei Lab in February 2022.

AMANDA FINN

UNDERGRADUATE STUDENT

Email: yujiew5@illinois.edu

He joined the Mei Lab in February 2022.