About Me
We are living in the midst of a data revolution. Modern biomedical research and healthcare systems increasingly require accessible and shareable data, and scalable data analysis. Working at the intersection of neurobiology and data science, my goal is to provide sustainable solutions to modern neuroinformatics challenges and generate new frontiers in neuroscience research leveraging rich multi-modal, multi-scale, and cross-species information. My work involves developing machine learning tools, computational pipelines, data infrastructure, and user-interfacing solutions for advancing neuroscience discoveries in partnership with scientists, healthcare professionals, and the biomedical industry.
My Journey
I started my undergraduate study at Tsinghua University in China. Upon reception of the HKSAR government scholarship during my first year, I moved to Hong Kong to continue the study, and received my B.Sc. in Mathematics and Physics from the University of Hong Kong. I subsequently explored a career in economics, where I obtained a master's degree from Boston University and held research positions at Harvard Business School and the World Bank. During my time at Harvard, I was first introduced to neuroscience and deeply fascinated. I owe a debt of gratitude to Dr. Richard Masland, Dr. Joshua Sanes, Dr. Jeff Lichtman, and Dr. Long-Jun Wu for their support and guidance on my critical career transition.
My neuroscience career officially launched with Dr. John Rinzel while I pursued a master's degree at New York University. I completed my first computational neuroscience thesis on biophysical model of persistent sodium channel in mammalian pre-Bötzinger complex in collaboration with Dr. Jeffrey Smith at NINDS. John has since become my dear friend and great mentor. He is a truly wise and noble scholar.
During my thesis work, I started realizing the importance of experimental neuroscience, which led to my subsequent move to Penn State University for my doctoral research where I got my hands dirty. I received my Ph.D. in the Center for Neural Engineering at the Department of Engineering Science and Mechanics with Dr. Patrick Drew.
Prior to joining Broad, I held the position of Research Scientist at Brain Science Institute of RIKEN, Japan, and then Computational Science Manager at Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, working with Dr. Partha Mitra. I led a team of computational scientists to develop scalable, high-throughput pipelines for processing imaging data mapping whole-brain connectivity in mammalian brains. I managed more than 10 collaborative projects with reputable neuroscientists worldwide. I continue to advice in a consultative capacity for Dr. Mitra's group.
Now I live in Long Island, New York, with my husband and daughter. We enjoy all outdoor activities that Long Island has to offer year-round.
Born and raised in China, I possess deep passion for the vast diversity of Chinese languages, ethnicities, and cultures. Mandarin Chinese is my mother language. I also acquired fluent Cantonese. China is my go-to destination for vacations and I highly recommend to you all :)