I received my B.S. from Shandong University, China. During my undergraduate study, I worked on projects to uncover the structure and function of GPCRs. I joined the Hu lab as a PhD student in 2024.  I am interested in building new tools to spatially and temporally profile proteases and elucidate their function in cancer.  In my free time, I enjoy traveling and exploring natural sceneries.

I earned my bachelor’s degree in Biological Sciences from UC Davis, where I investigated the role of MARCKS (myristoylated alanine-rich protein kinase C substrate) in lung cancer. After graduating, I worked for three years as a research associate in both academic and biotech settings, contributing to glycobiology and glycoproteomics projects, including mass spectrometry-based biomarker discovery in cancer. I then earned a master’s degree in Translational Research and Applied Medicine at Stanford University, where my research showed that PD-1 antibody binding is influenced by cell surface glycosylation.

In summer 2025, I joined the Hu Lab as a Ph.D. student with the goal of studying fibroblast wiring across diverse tissues and pathology using spatial transcriptomics, single-cell RNA sequencing, and complementary in vitro and in vivo techniques to uncover mechanisms that may inform new strategies for cancer immunotherapy. Outside the lab, I enjoy dancing, hiking, and exploring Houston’s food scene.

I earned my Ph.D. from the University of Science and Technology of China, where I studied how the gut microbiota regulates the function of T cells in the intestinal epithelium. After completing my Ph.D. training in immunology, I began my postdoctoral research at Ruijin Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, focusing on a specific subset of microbiota-modulated Treg cells and their roles in regulating glucose metabolism and chronic inflammation. This experience gave me a comprehensive understanding of the immune system and its connection to immune-related diseases.

In the fall of 2024, I joined the Hu Lab as a postdoctoral fellow, focusing on tumor immunotherapy and spatial transcriptomics. I aim to deepen my understanding of the spatial organization of cells within the tumor microenvironment and contribute to advancing immunotherapy.

Outside the lab, I enjoy practicing basic yoga and Muay Thai. I also enjoy hiking in national parks and plan to explore camping and skiing.

Hello! I completed my undergraduate degree from Texas A&M University May 2023. I am now a research assistant in Kenneth Hu’s lab at MD Anderson Cancer Center’s Department of Immunology. I intend to pursue an MD or PhD after gaining more lab experience. In my spare time, I like to drink boba and watch sitcoms.

Hi, I am Derya from Turkey. I obtained my M.D. degree from Dokuz Eylul University Faculty of Medicine. During my medical school education, I also worked in Dr. Duygu Sag’s lab on cancer immunology at the Izmir Biomedicine and Genome Center. My investigations were primarily focused on TNF-related apoptosis-inducing ligand (TRAIL) and its impact on human macrophage polarization. I joined the Hu lab in June 2024 as a postdoctoral fellow to gain a deeper perspective on cell death in the tumor microenvironment using a multi-omics approach. I also would like to learn novel techniques such as spatial profiling and two-photon microscopy.

During my free time, I enjoy jogging, watching movies (horror is my favorite genre), and playing computer games.