Meet the Lab
Principal Investigator
Dr. Gang Chen is an assistant professor at the Marsico Lung Institute and Cystic Fibrosis Research Center. He is also affiliated with the faculty of the Division of Pediatric Pulmonology at the Department of Pediatrics, Cell Biology and Physiology (CBP) Curriculum and the Biological & Biomedical Sciences Program (BBSP), UNC at Chapel Hill. Dr. Chen received his B.S. and M.S degrees both from Yangzhou University, China, his Ph.D. from the Molecular and Developmental Biology Graduate Program of Cincinnati Children’s Hospital, and his postdoctoral training from both Cincinnati Children’s Hospital and Cystic Fibrosis Research Center of UNC at Chapel Hill.
Email: gang.chen@unc.edu
Postdoctoral Fellows
Dr. Koichi Hasegawa earned his M.D. at Nagoya University and completed a residency in Internal medicine and a fellowship in Pulmonary Medicine in Japanese hospitals. After completing his Ph.D. at Kyoto University, he joined the Chen lab in 2022. His research interests include the mechanisms of lung injury/repair and progenitor function of the airway and alveolar epithelial cells.
Email: khasega@email.unc.edu
Ling Sun is an awardee of the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation postdoc fellowship (2022-2024). He joined the Chen lab as a postdoc in 2020. His focus is on the identification of molecular biology and physiology in respiratory medicine with a particular focus on muco-obstructive lung diseases (MOLDs), including idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis(IPF), cystic fibrosis(CF), and Job’s Syndrome.
Email: ling_sun@med.unc.edu
Research Assistants
Taraneh Sadritabrizi joined the Chen lab in 2022 and received her B.S. in Biology with a minor in Hispanic Studies from UNC Chapel Hill in 2023. Her research uses transgenic and knockout mouse models to examine relations between gene expression in mediating mucus production and chronic airway inflammatory diseases. Outside of the lab, she enjoys reading and hiking.
Sam Walls received her B.S. degree in Molecular and Cellular Biology from Appalachian State University and joined the Chen lab as a research assistant in 2023. She works with other lab members on various projects in the lab, all of which have the common goal of further understanding chronic airway inflammatory diseases. Outside of the lab, she enjoys crocheting, reading, and hiking.
Meiqi Zheng received her B.S. degree in Biology and Psychology with a minor in French from UNC Chapel Hill. She is currently working on human lung organoid culture to study the mechanisms of lung injury as well as studying the effects of bacterial and viral infection on transgenic mice. She is also on the premed track. Outside of the lab, she likes to stay home, read, sing, and play the piano.
Student Assistants
Daniela Danilova is an undergraduate at UNC majoring in quantitative biology and minoring in chemistry on the pre-medical track. She assists other lab members with various tasks and is interested in therapeutic targets for people with chronic airway inflammatory diseases. Outside of the lab, she loves doing jiujitsu and hiking.
Lynn Zhou is a senior majoring in Neuroscience and minoring in Chemistry on the pre-dental track. Her research involves using transgenic mouse models and phenotyping to conduct gene expression analysis in the lungs. Outside of the lab, she likes to dance and spend time with friends.
Lab Alumni
Anshu Deshmukh is a masters student in the physiology program at Case Western Reserve University and is a member of the Frank Xie lab at the Cleveland Clinic. They plan to apply to medical schools in the 2024 cycle.
Olivia Maidans worked in the Chen lab as a lab manager and research assistant supporting lab members on various projects to further explore gene expression and its effects on chronic airway inflammatory diseases in mouse models.