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Born into an academic family in southeast China, Xu developed a tremendous passion for science and art. She found biology, especially the nervous system, integrates the beauty of both. After graduate school, she decided to pursue a research career in neurodegenerative diseases, in particular, Alzheimer's disease and related dementia (ADRD). She aims to use interdisciplinary approaches to understand the disease from unique perspectives, and to uncover new therapeutic avenues.

Daniel obtained his PhD from the Institute of Neurobiology of the National Autonomous University of Mexico where he worked on stress-induced tau phosphorylation in different reproductive stages of the female rat. Passionate about neurobiology, he strongly believes in the power of multidisciplinary approaches to understand and answer the most puzzling questions of neurodegenerative diseases. He enjoys reading non-fiction and science books in his free time but is also a big boxing fan and likes to try new foods and craft beers.

Suborno did his PhD work at CSIR-Indian Institute of Chemical Biology, Kolkata, India. He received his degree from University of Calcutta, India. Currently, he is a postdoctoral fellow in Biochemistry Department at University of California, San Diego. He likes to read scientific books related to the field and beyond. He is a sports enthusiast and loves to travel and hike in his free time.

Yajuan got her PhD from the department of Cell Biology and Genetics, Peking University, Beijing, China. Currently, she is a postdoctoral fellow in Bioengineering Department at University of California, San Diego. She likes reading books related to philosophy, poems and she is enthusiastic in classic music and playing with cat in my leisure time.

Leigh-Ana earned her BS in Brain and Cognitive Sciences from MIT in 2018 and did undergraduate research on gene therapies for Huntington's Disease in the lab of Dr. Guoping Feng. Post-bacc, she worked as a research assistant in the lab of Dr. Mustafa Sahin at Boston Children's Hospital, investigating nutrient sensing in the brain and its role in epileptogenesis. After spending her whole life in New England, she decided to move to San Diego in 2020 to join UCSD’s Biomedical Sciences PhD program. In lab, she is interested in brain-body connections and is excited to be dissecting the molecular mechanism of the ketogenic diet in Alzheimer’s disease for her thesis work in the Chen Lab. Outside of the lab, you can find her trying out new coffee shops, breweries, and dog parks with her pup Murphy.

Yuhang is a current BS/MS student at UCSD majoring in molecular and cell Bio. He graduated in August 2022 and is continuing to obtaining his MS degree. In his free time, he enjoys playing soccer and video games.

Gabriela received her BS in Marine Biology at UCSD and performed undergrad research investigating gene regulatory networks involved in the biomineralization of shells in molluscs. She is now pivoting towards working in the biomed field. In her free time, she enjoys boogie boarding at the beach, going tidepooling and pet sitting.

Jamie is a Research Assistant who was an undergrad at UCSD majored in Public Health with a concentration in Biostatistics as well as minors in General Biology and Chinese Studies. She plans to attend medical school with a focus on geriatrics. In her free time, she enjoys folding origami, figure skating, and dancing.

Yuren earned her BS at UCSD majoring in General Biology. She is starting her PhD training in UCSD BMS graduate program in the Chen lab in Fall 2024. She enjoys reading about archaeology and paleontology in her spare time and loves visiting museums. She cures herself by cooking when she is stressed.

Stacy earned her BS at UCSD majoring in Ecology, Behavior and Evolution. She is now continuing in the BS/MS program in the Chen lab. In her free time, she enjoys jogging, watching movies and playing piano.