Lab Members

Timothy W. Yu, MD, PhD

Tim is the principal investigator of the Yu lab. He completed his undergraduate degree in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology at Harvard College, his MD and PhD (Neuroscience) degrees at the University of California at San Francisco, and neurology residency at Massachusetts General Hospital and Brigham and Women's Hospital. He joined Boston Children's Hospital as an instructor in 2010 and started his own independent research group in 2013. He is an Associate Professor at Harvard Medical School and Associate Member at the Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard.

Lab Staff

**Education:** MS, Genetic Counseling, Brandeis University 2004.
BA, Biology and Chemistry, Mount Holyoke College 1998.
**Interests:** Art, chocolate making and watching her two kids thrive.

Jessica Douglas, MS, CGC

Genetic Counselor

Education: B.S. Biology, Binghamton University

Interests: cooking, hiking, and reading

Sonia Hills

Research Assistant

Education: PhD, Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Jilin University, China, 2004MD, Norman Bethune University of Medical Sciences, 1998Interests: Cooking for her family and spending free time in her garden — **Education**: PhD, Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Jilin University, China, 2004
MD, Norman Bethune University of Medical Sciences, 1998
**Interests:** Cooking for her family and spending free time in her garden

April (Chunguang) Hu, MD, PhD

Lab Manager

Education: PhD, Biotechnology, University of Siena, Italy, 2013MS, Cellular and Molecular Biology, University of Florence, Italy, 2009BA, Biology, University of Florence, Italy, 2007Interests: Traveling, reading, going to the theater, and spending time outside with her kids — **Education:** PhD, Biotechnology, University of Siena, Italy, 2013
MS, Cellular and Molecular Biology, University of Florence, Italy, 2009
BA, Biology, University of Florence, Italy, 2007
**Interests:** running after her two girls and reading

Claudia Lentucci, PhD

Senior Staff Scientist

**Education:** BA, Neuroscience and Global Health, Middlebury College, 2022
Interests: watching movies with my cat, trying new food, scenic runs

Edith Lopez

Clinical Research Assistant

**Education:** MS, Genetic Counseling, Boston University, 2023
BS, Neuroscience and Behavior, University of Notre Dame, 2019
**Interests:** reading, trying new crafts, exploring Boston

Margaret Meserve, MS, CGC

Genetic Counselor

**Education:** BS, Biological Sciences: Neuroscience, University of Rochester, 2022
**Interests:** Cooking, listening to music and playing ultimate frisbee

Kaitlyn Phillips

Research Assistant

Education: BA, Mathematics and Biology, Bowdoin College, 2021Interests: baking, swimming, and listening to music — **Education:** BA, Mathematics and Biology, Bowdoin College, 2021
**Interests:** baking, swimming, and listening to music

Emma SHerrill

Bioinformatics Research Assistant

**Education:** ALM, Biotechnology, Harvard Extension School, 2022
Bioinformatics Graduate Certificate, Harvard Extension School, 2019
BA, Bioinformatics, Wheaton College, 2016
**Interests:** Spending time in the mountains, hiking, and skiing

Aubrie Soucy

Research Project Manager

Post-Docs, Fellows & Graduate Students

**Education:**
Clinical and Research Fellow, Harvard Medical School Genetics Training Program, 2020-
Internal Medicine Residency Program, McMaster University, 2016-2020

**Interests:** exploring nature, sports, reading, and interventional genomics

Abdulrahman Aldeeri, MD

Clinical Genetics Fellow

**Education:**
PhD, Medical Science, Tokyo Medical and Dental University Graduate School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan
Senior Resident, Neurology, Tokyo Medical and Dental University Hospital, Tokyo, Japan
Resident, Physician, Tokyo Medical and Dental University Hospital, Tokyo, Japan
MD, University of Miyazaki School of Medicine, Miyazaki, Japan
**Interests:** Spending time with family, traveling, doing Kendo (a Japanese sport using a sword)

Yutaro Asami, MD, PHd

Post-doctoral Fellow

**Education:**
PhD, Genetics, Cambridge University, UK
MSc, Bioinformatics; Quantitative Genetics and Genome Analysis, University of Edinburgh, UK
BSc, Natural Sciences, University of Thessaly, Greece
**Interests:** Reading history, philosophy and psychology, cooking

Aikaterini Chatzipli, PHD

Post-doctoral Fellow
Co-mentor: Alice Lee

Education: Clinical Fellow, Harvard Neonatal-Perinatal Medicine Fellowship Program, 2020- Resident, Boston Combined Residency Program in Pediatrics, 2018-2020 MD, Harvard Medical School, 2018 PhD, Harvard Medical School, 2016 AB, Harvard College, 2011Interests: Spending time with family and friends, exploring New England and traveling, and brewing tea — **Education:**
Clinical Fellow, Harvard Neonatal-Perinatal Medicine Fellowship Program, 2020-
Resident, Boston Combined Residency Program in Pediatrics, 2018-2020
MD, Harvard Medical School, 2018
PhD, Harvard Medical School, 2016
AB, Harvard College, 2011
**Interests:** Spending time with family and friends, exploring New England and traveling, and brewing tea

Alissa D’Gama, Md, phd

Post-doctoral Fellow
Co-mentor: Ann Poduri

Education: PhD, Biology, Boston College, 2011MSc, Biotechnology, 2004BS, Food Engineering, 2003Interests: Walking in nature and taking seasonal photos — **Education:**
PhD, Biology, Boston College, 2011
MSc, Biotechnology, 2004
BS, Food Engineering, 2003
**Interests:** Walking in nature and taking seasonal photos

Didem Demirbas Cakici, PhD

Post-doctoral Fellow

**Education:**
PhD, Medical Science, Tokyo Medical and Dental University Graduate School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan, 2017
MD, Tokyo Medical and Dental University Graduate School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan, 2007
**Interests:** Music (playing violin), reading books, cooking, hiking and travel

Miwa Higashi, MD, Phd

Post-doctoral Fellow

Education: PhD, Pharmacology, Taipei Medical University, Taiwan, 2016BS, Pharmacy, China Medical University, Taiwan, 2010Interests: Exploring the city, taking walks, and spending time with friends and family — **Education:**
PhD, Molecular Pharmacology, Taipei Medical University, Taiwan, 2016
BS, Pharmacy, China Medical University, Taiwan, 2010
**Interests:** Exploring the city, taking walks, and spending time with friends and family

Yu-Han Huang, PhD

Post-doctoral Fellow
Co-mentor: Peter Park

Education: PhD, Neuroscience, VU University Amsterdam, Netherlands, 2013MSc, Neuroscience and Cognition, Utrecht University, Netherlands 2006BA, University College Utrcht, Netherlands 2004Interests: Swimming, hiking, photography, viewing contemporary art — **Education:**
PhD, Neuroscience, VU University Amsterdam, Netherlands, 2013
MSc, Neuroscience and Cognition, Utrecht University, Netherlands 2006
BA, University College Utrcht, Netherlands 2004
**Interests:** Swimming, hiking, photography, viewing contemporary art

Asia (Joanna) Korecka-Roet

Post-doctoral Fellow
Co-mentor: Vikram Khurana

**Education:**
PhD, Biomedical Science, UMass Chan Medical School
BS, Behavioral Neuroscience, Lehigh University
**Interests:** biking, exploring new food places, espresso, and plant propagation

Samantha Sarli, phd

Post-doctoral Fellow

**Education:**
PhD, Genetics, Peking Union Medical College at Tsinghua University, China, 2017
BS, Biological Sciences, Hunan Normal University, China, 2012
**Interests:** Reading, cooking, and exploring New England
**Twitter:** @ZhaoBoxun

Boxun Zhao, PhD

Post-doctoral Fellow
Co-mentor: Alice Lee

**Education:**
Pediatric Neurology Fellowship & Pediatrics Residency at Severance Hospital, Seoul, South Korea;
MD, Yonsei University College of Medicine, 2017
**Interests:** Classical music, Musicals, Swimming, Traveling

Hui Jin Shin, MD

Post-doctoral Fellow

student Interns & Visiting Scientists

**Education:** BS, Computer Science and Molecular Biology, MIT, 2024
MEng, Computer Science and Molecular Biology, MIT, 2024
**Interests:** volleyball, running, crocheting, and going to art museums

lilly Edwards

Masters Thesis Student

**Education:** Harvard College, Neurobiology, Graduation Year: 2025
**Interests:** Anthropology, Astrophotography, Rare genetic disorders, Neurolinguistics

Harrison Wallace

Undergraduate Thesis Student

**Education:** Simmons University, Biology, Graduating 2025
**Interests:** Swimming, Baking, and Thrifting

Camelia Hannah

Undergraduate Itern

Jangsup Moon, MD, PhD

Neurologist & Associate Professor

**Education:** MD, Harvard-MIT Program in Health Sciences and Technology, Harvard Medical School, 2025
PhD, Neurobiology, Harvard University, 2021
BS, Biology, Brandeis University, 2014
**Interests:** Reading, traveling, playing video games

Qiyu Zhang, PhD

Medical Student

Previous Lab Members

Ali Rahman, Medical Student, The Ohio State University College of Medicine ‘28
Victoria Suslovitch, MS, CGC, Genomic Science Liason, Ambry Genetics
Minh Ngyuen, Graduate Student, University of Pennsylvania
Olivia Riccardi, Physician’s Assistant Student, New York Institute of Technology ‘25
Kamli Faour, Medical Student, Tufts Medical School, Maine Track ‘27
Lisseth Burbano, MD, PhD, Neurology Resident, Fundacion Santa Fe de Bogota University Hospital
Tojo Nakayama, MD, PhD, Associate Professor, Tokyo Medical and Dental University
Megan Seferian, Medical Student, RUSH University Medical College ‘27
Renata DiDonato, Medical Student, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine ‘26
Katherine O’Kane, Embryologist, CCRM Boston Fertility
Mike Zhu, Medical Student, Albert Einstein College of Medicine ‘25
Cynthia Gubbels, MD, PhD, Principal Scientist, Biogen
Jinkuk Kim, PhD, Assistant Professor, Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology
Diana Chin, MD-PhD Student, Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine ‘27
Jai Vaze, DMD, Resident Dentist, St. Barnabas Hospital
Ji Hoon Phi, MD, Professor, Seoul National University
Susanne Goetze
Young Mi Kim

Previous Students

Luca Fusar Bassini• Sophie Stroeks • Nikoleta Argyrou • Nona Merckx • Umut "Cenk" Sagiroglu • Niklas Smedemark-Margulies
Elizabeth Cordoves • Naima Hiddink Verberne • Daan Van Beek • Neslihan Gunes • Jeroen Bisschop • Maximilian Haller
Tamara Hundscheid • Emily Plump • Evelyn Gates • Madison Mixer • Kate Donohue • Nicole Jehl • Sophie Ligon
Asami Ehlert • Kelly Duan • Jason Jiang • Zane Dash • Anu Khanna • Emily Lien • Jenna Pucel • Maria Theodore