PAST LAB MEMBERS
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.
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
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.
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.
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
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
JENNIFER J LEE
UNDERGRADUATE STUDENT
Email: jjl11@illinois.edu
She joined the Mei Lab in February 2022.