{"id":32,"date":"2022-08-04T14:31:42","date_gmt":"2022-08-04T18:31:42","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sites.bu.edu\/zhanglab\/?page_id=32"},"modified":"2026-01-29T21:21:40","modified_gmt":"2026-01-30T02:21:40","slug":"members","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/sites.bu.edu\/zhanglab\/members\/","title":{"rendered":"Lab Members"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"<\/p>\n

Xiaoling Zhang, M.D., Ph.D. (PI)<\/h4>\n

Associate Professor, Medicine, Biostatistics<\/span> & Bioinformatics
\nBoston University Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine
\nDepartment of Medicine, Section of Biomedical Genetics
\nPhone: 617-358-3580
\nEmail: zhangxl@bu.edu<\/p>\n

Additional Affiliations:<\/strong><\/p>\n

Bioinformatics Program<\/a>, Faculty of Computing & Data Sciences<\/a>, Boston University<\/p>\n

Biostatistics,<\/a> School of Public Health, Boston University<\/span>
\nRafik Hariri Institute for Computing and Computational Science & Engineering<\/a>, BU
\nGenome Science Institute,<\/a>\u00a0 \u00a0Boston University School of Medicine
\n<\/a><\/a>Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center<\/a>, Boston University School of Medicine<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

Postdoctoral Research Fellow:<\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n\n\n
\"\"<\/p>\n

Alexander Knyshov,\u00a0Ph.D.<\/strong><\/p>\n

aknyshov@bu.edu<\/a><\/p>\n

My project is focused on unraveling cell-specific mechanisms of AD progression and contributing to large-scale efforts to decipher the genetic component of Alzheimer’s disease. Currently, I am applying computational methods to brain RNA sequencing data with the aim of discovering the links between non-coding and circular RNAs and Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias. One of my specific research interests is developing and executing novel computational pipelines for DNA and RNA sequence data analysis. My prior research experience is in evolutionary genomics and bioinformatics and spans a wide range of species from insects to mammals. In my free time, I like to hike, bike, tinker with electronics, and play musical instruments.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Habbiburr Rehman<\/strong>,\u00a0Ph.D.<\/p>\n

hrbstat@bu.edu<\/a><\/p>\n

During my Ph.D. training, my research interests include understanding survival models and their applications in medical, biological, and clinical trials. I was particularly interested in investigating the effect of competing risks on subject survival using the parametric models with both conventional and Bayesian statistical approaches.\u00a0During my postdoc training, I have been analyzing plasma and CSF proteomics data from the Framingham Heart Study (FHS) and Alzheimer’s Disease Neuroimaging Initiative (ADNI) cohorts to identify new biomarkers for mild cognitive impairment (MCI) and Alzheimer’s disease (AD). Currently, I am working on longitudinal FreeSurfer brain MRI data to investigate new disease subtypes and stages using robust statistical methods.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Mintao Lin<\/strong>, M.D.,& M.S. (Bioinformatics)<\/p>\n

minty@bu.edu<\/a><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

 <\/p>\n

Current Graduate Students:<\/span><\/h3>\n

 <\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
\"\"<\/strong><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Nicholas O’Neill<\/strong>, Ph.D. Candidate.<\/em><\/p>\n

Bioinformatics (co-mentored with Dr. Farrer)<\/p>\n

nkoneill@bu.edu<\/a><\/p>\n

Single-Cell sequencing analysis, Alzheimer\u2019s disease progression, gene regulation and epigenetics<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n

\"\"Zainab Khurshid<\/strong>, Ph.D. Candidate, <\/em>Bioinformatics (co-mentored with Dr. Farrer)<\/p>\n

zainabk@bu.edu<\/a><\/p>\n

Alzheimer\u2019s disease and genomics<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n

\"\"Tong Tong<\/strong>, Ph.D. Candidate, <\/em>Bioinformatics (co-mentored with Dr. Farrer)<\/p>\n

tongt@bu.edu<\/a><\/p>\n

Identification of biomarkers for Alzheimer\u2019s disease through statistical, genetic, and functional genomic approaches.<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n

\"\"<\/strong><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Oluwatosin Olayinka<\/strong>, Ph.D. Candidate, <\/em>Bioinformatics\u00a0(co-mentored with Dr. Farrer)<\/p>\n

oaolayin@bu.edu<\/a><\/p>\n

Use of statistical methods to uncover transcriptional mediators of Alzheimer\u2019s disease pathology.<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/td>\n<\/tr>\n

\"\"<\/strong><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Francis Grenn<\/strong>, Ph.D. Candidate, <\/em>Bioinformatics<\/p>\n

fgrennjr@bu.edu<\/a><\/p>\n

Gene regulation and epigenetics, neurodegenerative disease genomics<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Junming Hu<\/strong>, Ph.D. Candidate, <\/em>Bioinformatics<\/p>\n

hjunming@bu.edu<\/a><\/p>\n

Alzheimer\u2019s disease, machine learning, genetics, particularly circular RNA and RNA modification in single nucleotide resolution<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n

Nuzulul Kurniansyah<\/strong>, Ph.D. Student, <\/em>Bioinformatics<\/p>\n

nkurnia@bu.edu<\/a><\/p>\n

 <\/td>\n<\/tr>\n

Liyuan Hu<\/strong>\u00a0\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0M.S. Student,\u00a0 \u00a0<\/em>Bioinformatics<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Hanchun Huang\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 <\/strong>M.S. Student,\u00a0 \u00a0 <\/em>Bioinformatics<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Elaine Huang\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 <\/strong>M.S. Student,\u00a0 \u00a0 <\/em>Bioinformatics<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

 <\/p>\n

<\/h3>\n

Staff Data Analysts:<\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
\"\"<\/strong><\/p>\n

Congcong Zhu, M.S.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Senior Data Analyst<\/em><\/p>\n

zhucc@bu.edu<\/a><\/p>\n

CongCong performs multiple statistical analyses. Her work deals with developing bioinformatics pipelines for NIH funded projects, studying the genetics of Alzheimer\u2019s disease and addiction to alcohol, cocaine, and opioids. CongCong also harmonizes and cleans phenotype and genotype data.<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n

\"\"Jenny Empawi<\/strong>, M.S.\u00a0Data Analyst<\/em><\/p>\n

jaempawi@bu.edu<\/a><\/p>\n

Jenny implements various bioinformatic analysis strategies for multiple ongoing and emerging epidemiology, genetics, and genomics projects in Alzheimer\u2019s Disease.\u00a0 It involves directing the development and maintenance of genome-wide association analysis (GWAS), testing, and utilizing new software and tools, modifying them as needed to adapt to specific research needs, and also pipeline training.<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n

\"\"Chris Doan, M.S.<\/strong><\/p>\n

chdoan@bu.edu<\/a><\/p>\n

Identify pathways modulated by C-reactive protein (CRP) interaction with APOE genotype in peripheral blood, and build a pipeline for spatial transcriptomics data, study cell-cell communication in AD.<\/p>\n

With a background in pharmacy and human genetics\/bioinformatics. I am interested in aging-related diseases by analyzing multi-omics data, and applying machine learning methods. Outside of work, I play the electronic piano and tennis. I retired from badminton after about 22 years of playing.<\/p>\n

 <\/td>\n<\/tr>\n

Jinghan Huang<\/strong>, M.S.,\u00a0Ph.D. Student<\/p>\n

Data Analyst<\/em><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

 <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Visiting Scholars:<\/span><\/h3>\n

Yan Shi, M.D., Ph.D. (Beijing Tongren Hospital, China)<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Alumni<\/span><\/h3>\n

Shrishtee Kandoi, M.S. Student, <\/em>Bioinformatics<\/p>\n

Benyu Zhou, M.S., Data Analyst<\/span><\/em><\/p>\n

Yibo Zhu, M.S., Data Analyst<\/em> (shared with Dr. Qiu)<\/p>\n

Devanshi Patel, Ph.D., Bioinformatics (co-mentored with Dr. Farrer), Current: AbbVie<\/span><\/p>\n

Qi Zhang, Ph.D., Data Analyst<\/em> (shared with Dr. Qiu and Dr. Ang)<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/span>Zhuorui Sun, M.S., Data Analyst<\/em><\/span>
\nM.S. in Bioinformatics, Boston University, Boston, MA (2022)<\/span>
\nM.S. in Biomedical Engineering, Tufts University, Medford, MA (2020)<\/span>
B.S. in Biomedical Engineering, Tsinghua University, Beijing, China (2017)<\/span><\/p>\n

Focusing on CircRNAs and circular-transcriptome-wide analysis, using bioinformatics tools and machine learning to further understand Alzheimer\u2019s disease on gene level<\/span><\/p>\n

Yixuan Wang, M.S. Student<\/em>, (shared with Dr. Qiu)<\/span><\/p>\n

Ryan Yordanoff, <\/span>\u00a0 M.S. Summer Intern<\/em>, Bioinformatics<\/span><\/p>\n

Aiji Guo, M.S. Summer Intern<\/em>, Data Science<\/span><\/p>\n

Payton Bock, <\/span>Bioinformatics<\/span> BRITE undergraduate Summer Student<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n

Sasha Bacot, Bioinformatics<\/span> BRITE undergraduate Summer Student<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n

Iris Xu, M.S. Summer Intern<\/em>, Bioinformatics<\/span><\/p>\n

Bryan Roy, M.S. Summer Intern<\/em>, Bioinformatics<\/span><\/p>\n

Jiaying Chen, M.S. Summer Intern<\/em>, Biostatistics<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Xiaoling Zhang, M.D., Ph.D. (PI) Associate Professor, Medicine, Biostatistics & Bioinformatics Boston University Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine Department of Medicine, Section of Biomedical Genetics Phone: 617-358-3580 Email: zhangxl@bu.edu Additional Affiliations: Bioinformatics Program, Faculty of Computing & Data Sciences, Boston University Biostatistics, School of Public Health, Boston University Rafik Hariri Institute for Computing and […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":21018,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"menu_order":5,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/sites.bu.edu\/zhanglab\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/32"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/sites.bu.edu\/zhanglab\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/sites.bu.edu\/zhanglab\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sites.bu.edu\/zhanglab\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/21018"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sites.bu.edu\/zhanglab\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=32"}],"version-history":[{"count":51,"href":"https:\/\/sites.bu.edu\/zhanglab\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/32\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":83,"href":"https:\/\/sites.bu.edu\/zhanglab\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/32\/revisions\/83"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/sites.bu.edu\/zhanglab\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=32"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}