Meet the team
Zhiyuan (ZY) Chen, Ph.D. ZY is an assistant professor in the Division of Developmental Biology and the Reproductive Sciences Center at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital. ZY received his Ph.D. in Animal Sciences at University of Missouri-Columba, where he studied genomic imprinting and loss-of-imprinting disorders in Dr. Rocío Melissa Rivera’s lab. He performed his postdoctoral training at Boston Children’s Hospital and Harvard Medical School, where he studied epigenetic mechanisms in oogenesis and early embryogenesis in Dr. Yi Zhang’s lab. ZY is enthusiastic about gene regulation and developmental biology and is committed to pursuing rigorous and innovative research. ZY is a recipient of a NIH K99/R00 Pathway to Independence Award.
Jian Yang, Ph.D. Jian is a research fellow in the Chen lab. He completed his doctoral work in the Department of Physiology at the College of Biology, China Agricultural University (CAU). His Ph.D thesis focused on improving the efficiency of ovarian cryopreservation to preserve female fertility. He is experienced with techniques such as allogeneic organ transplantation, high-resolution imaging, tissue clearing, and organoid culture. His research focused on epigenetic mechanisms in mouse oogenesis and early development.
Lauryn Cook, B.S. Lauryn is a research assistant in the Chen lab at CCHMC. She received her bachelor’s degree in Biochemistry from the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry at Miami University. During her studies, she was an undergraduate research assistant in Dr. Gary Lorigan’s Biophysical Chemistry lab where she studied the KCNE1/KCNQ1 heart membrane proteins and the Tau protein using Electron Paramagnetic Resonance (EPR). She was a 2021 Hughes Summer Scholar where she had the opportunity to continue her undergraduate research position full-time. Lauryn is eager to work at CIncinnati Children’s Hospital and use her degree practically to continue her passion for innovative research.
Neha Gupta, B.S. Neha is a research assistant in the Chen Lab, CCHMC. Holding a bachelor's degree in Biology with a minor in Chemistry from the University of Toledo, she actively engages in research activities. During her undergraduate research, Neha conducted quantification of sperm centrioles using Fluorescence-based Ratiometric Analysis (FRAC) in Dr. Reiss's lab. Subsequently, she delved into research aimed at understanding the effects of Aurora B inhibition on mitotic responses to nocodazole and imidazole chalcone (IPE8) in Dr. Taylor's lab. Recognized for her academic excellence with the International Rocket Award from the University of Toledo, Neha is eager to apply her knowledge at CCHMC, aiming to contribute meaningfully to innovative research endeavors.
Peiyao (Pearl) Liu, B.S. Peiyao is a student of the Biomedical Research Technologies MS Program (BMRT) at CCHMC. She received her bachelor’s degree in Plant Science and Technology from the Huazhong Agricultural University. After graduation, she joined the laboratory of Dr. Pengcheng Bu’s lab as a research assistant at the Institute of Biophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, where she received training in cell biology and animal studies. She has broad interests including next-generation sequencing, organogenesis, regenerative medicine, and assisted reproductive technology. In her spare time, she enjoys birdwatching and planting.