Lab pictures
June 2025. Back: Nicolas, Bing-Jun, Marilyn, Shawn, Airi, and UnJin. Front: Junhui, Cong, Li, Sasha, and Alice.
July 2023. Lab retreat, Sam’s Point, Minnewaska State Park Preserve. From left to right: Xia, Yufei, Vivian, Bing-Jun, Cong, Alice, Shawn, UnJin, Eli, Sam, Lucas, Nico, and Li.
July 2022. From left to right: Priyanka, Yufei, Nico & Lucas, Vivian, Alice, Tina, Eric, Li, Chris, Sam, Cong, and Yutaro.
Li Zhao : Associate Professor
Ph.D. Chinese Academy of Sciences
lzhao@rockefeller.edu
Li is investigating the genetic mechanisms of the origin and spread of de novo genes. She is also interested in the role of spatially varying selection in phenotypic evolution.
Nicolas Svetec : Senior Research Associate
Ph.D. University of Munich
nsvetec@rockefeller.edu
Nico is an evolutionary geneticist with a particular interest in adaptation. His research focuses on the phenotypic and genetic innovations that allow organisms to adapt to their environments.
Junhui Peng : Postdoctoral Researcher
Ph.D. University of Science and Technology of China
jpeng@rockefeller.edu
Junhui is interested in studying the structure, function and evolution of novel proteins encoded by de novo genes.
UnJin Lee : Postdoctoral Researcher
Ph.D. University of Chicago
ulee@rockefeller.edu
UnJin is interested in understanding how natural selection and genomic architecture shape one another. He is currently exploring the role that gene regulation and rapid evolvability play in influencing de novo gene origination.
Bing-Jun Wang : Postdoctoral Researcher
Ph.D. Wuhan University
bwang02@rockefeller.edu
Bing-Jun is interested in studying the evolution and function of evolutionarily dynamic genes.
Airi Sato : Postdoctoral Researcher
Ph.D. Tokyo Metropolitan University
asato@rockefeller.edu
Airi is interested in the genomic and genetic mechanisms underlying novel behaviors in Drosophila.
Alice Gadau : Graduate Student
B.S. Arizona State University
agadau@rockefeller.edu
Alice studies sensory receptor evolution in the Drosophila suzukii species complex.
Cong Li : Graduate Student
B.S. Zhejiang University
cli02@rockefeller.edu
Cong is interested in studying how novel genes affect novel behaviors. He is also exploring other types of phenotypic and functional innovation.
Shawn Mozeika : Graduate Student
B.S. Northeastern University
smozeika@rockefeller.edu
Shawn is interested in studying how the evolution of sensory systems gives rise to novel behaviors.
Sasha Mills : Research Assistant
B.S. University of Pennsylvania
smills@rockefeller.edu
Sasha is interested in investigating the genes that impact novel and known phenotypic and behavioral differences in a variety of Drosophila species.
Ziyu Tom Xu : Undergraduate research assistant
B.S. (expected 2025) New York University
Tom is interested in investigating the evolution of genes that may alter protein function and further influence phenotype.
Former lab members:
Postdoctoral Researchers:
Eran Even-Tov: Data scientist in Tel Aviv.
Sigi Benjamin: Senior scientist at Eurofin
Graduate Students
Sam Khodursky: MD at University of Pennsylvania
Eric Bo Zheng: Yale University Psychiatry Residency
Evan Witt: Computational Biologist at Biomarin Pharmaceutical
Research Assistants
Sylvia Durkin: Graduate student at UC Berkeley
Christopher Langer: Graduate student at New York University Medical School
Vivian Yan: Graduate student at Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai
Xia Wu: Graduate student at University of Iowa
Barbora Cudova: Medical student (MD) at Ponce Health Sciences University in St. Louis
Undergraduate Students
Leo Xiao (Carleton College): Senior at Carleton College
James Pham (Cornell University, Tri-I Gateways to the Laboratory Summer Program): Cornell University
Yutaro Tanaka (Undergraduate student, Columbia University): Research assistant at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute
Dulce Moran (visiting student from Bard-Rockefeller program): Research Data Associate at NYU
Tina Sun (Undergraduate): Undergraduate at NYU
Eamen Ho (Undergraduate, Hunter College): Public health master’s degree
Xin Yu Zhu Jiang (undergraduate, Hunter College): Graduate student at Weill Cornell Medical College
Miriam Kopyto (SSRP summer high school student): Undergraduate at Yale University
Yuanhang Jiang (visiting summer student): Graduate student at University at Oxford
Michelle Timlin (visiting student, Trinity College Dublin): Analytics consultant, Ireland