Student Spotlight
Incoming Fall 2026 Cohort
Bianca Amador
Email:
Education:
Bachelor of Science in Biology, Texas A&M University, 2018.
Research Focus:
I plan to explore cancer biology, cancer metastasis, disease modeling, and also want to explore research outside of what I have been doing the past 8 years. I would like to do translational research.
Research Interest/Experience:
During my undergraduate studies, I researched the speciation of Desmognathus quadramaculatus in Dr. Bernardo’s lab, helping validate that its northern and southern clades represent distinct species. After graduation, I joined MD Anderson, where I spent two years in the Institute for Personalized Cancer Therapy studying variants of unknown significance and the past six years in TRACTION researching rare cancers and their unmet clinical needs. My work has included target and drug validation, cell line development, and patient population characterization. I am passionate about cancer research, particularly advancing therapies for rare cancers with significant unmet clinical needs.
Fun Facts:
All of my pets are rescue dogs and cats
It doesn’t matter how many times I watch a show or movie; I will still cry at the same parts every time
I am 30 years old, and my youngest brother-in-law is 7 years old
Hobbies:
- Dance, poetry, drawing, and playing with my fur babies
Trevor Jones
Education:
Bachelor's degree in Nutritional Sciences from Texas Tech University in Lubbock, TX.
Research Focus:
Research Interest/Experience:
I participated in undergraduate research in Dr. Chen’s lab starting in November 2023 where we specifically studied the surface protein CD44 to better understand its relationship during the process of epithelial to mesenchymal transition in tumor metastasis and explore how monoclonal antibody therapy could possibly be a treatment when knocking out certain variants of CD44 in-vitro. I was also able to work on projects that characterized microRNAs like mirtron-5010 to get a better understanding of their role in tumor metastasis as a possible future therapy target. I have specific interests in participating in research that looks further into epigenetic mechanisms that ultimately could make cancer types prone to relapse or the initiation of tumor metastasis so we can have a better understanding for the individual for our next-generation epigenetic therapies.
Fun Facts:
- I’ve always been an avid reader, definitely my favorite of the year so far has been Project Hail Mary and I’m currently reading through the Three-Body Problem Trilogy.
- I enjoy visiting parks frequently to paint landscape paintings, and have also been practicing digital art more recently.
- Music is a big part of my life, so concerts are a must to see out.
- I have frequently visited Alaska for dog sledding, and enjoy going to Colorado for hiking trips.
Emma Luna
Education:
Computer Science with minors in Biology and Mathematics, University of St. Thomas in Houston, TX
Research Focus:
Computational biology/genomics and bioinformatics, multi-omic data interpretation, precision medicine, translational genomics
Research Interest/Experience:
Most recently, I interned at Baylor College of Medicine, where I helped develop a pipeline to generate in silico mosaic variants for benchmarking mosaic variant callers. Previously, I worked in a computational biology lab analyzing metagenomic data, optimizing BLASTn workflows, and contributing to a manuscript. I also assisted in developing a neural network for protein analysis and presented biology-focused topics to support model development. My senior capstone focused on healthcare informatics, where I began building a medication management tool that detects emerging side effects and provides adaptive medication reminders. I also have foundational wet lab experience from my biology coursework.
Fun Facts:
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I really love crocheting and the dark academia aesthetic; my most listened-to genres of music are Neoclassical followed by Brazilian Phonk, I am a former student athlete (golf), and I have a cat named Barbie!
Nguyen Nguyen
Education: Bachelor's in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology with a minor in Neuroscience, Gettysburg College.
Research Focus:
I am highly interested in exploring immunotherapy regimens for combating cancer as well as utilizing multi-omics approaches to understand the physiological changes of different cell types in the tumor microenvironment.
Research Interest/Experience:
I’ve conducted research using Drosophila melanogaster during my undergraduate training. At Gettysburg College, I study the biochemical function of Dipeptidase A through enzyme kinetics and structural bioinformatics to better understand its similarity to the human enzyme CNDP2, while at Texas A&M I investigated the genetic basis of infection tolerance by characterizing immune and metabolic responses to bacterial infection across genetically diverse fly lines. As I move forward, I am excited to transition from model organism research to investigating cancer biology.
Fun Facts:
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I enjoy playing sports and am a keen soccer fan. I'm looking to improve my photography skills as well!
Paige Van Haute
Education:
- Bachelor’s in Biological Sciences - Molecular Genetics, University of Rochester
- Master's in Diagnostic Genetics and Genomics, University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center School of Health Professions
Research Focus:
Cancer biology, epigenetics, gene regulation
Research Interest/Experience:
As part of my master’s thesis, I conducted a retrospective observational study on enhancer hijacking in MECOM rearranged acute myeloid leukemia, where I used existing clinical and genomic data to assess optical genome mapping (OGM) utility, identify cryptic structural variants, and propose mechanisms of gene overexpression. Before starting my masters, I worked as a laboratory technician where I trained clinical study coordinators on biospecimen collection and shipping procedures for nationwide clinical studies and performed a variety of assays to determine biomarker concentration in serum and plasma for simultaneous clinical projects. I am broadly interested in investigating mechanisms of cancer progression and developing translational strategies that improve patient outcomes, and I ultimately want to identify novel targets for more effective treatment in cancer patients.
Fun Facts:
- I like to collect ornaments from every place I’ve traveled to.
- I love going to the Houston Symphony whenever I can.
- It pains me to leave a puzzle unfinished for long periods of time.
- My hobbies include knitting and crocheting, playing video games, and going to new places.
Furong Zhang
Education:
- Bachelor's in Biotechnology, Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine
- Master's in Cell Biology, Nanjing Medical University
Research Focus:
Organ crosstalk in metabolic diseases, Biomedical engineering in therapeutic development
Research Interest/Experience:
My research focuses on inter-organ communication in metabolic disease. I have studied liver-derived signals that regulate bone formation, as well as how adipose tissue, extracellular vesicles, and hepatic neural networks influence liver metabolism in metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease. These experiences have fueled my interest in understanding cellular communication, identifying therapeutic targets, and translating discoveries into clinical applications through integrated biological and engineering approaches.
Fun Facts:
Hobbies: traveling, kayaking, fishing, gardening, cooking (One of my dreams is to open a garden restaurant where guests can enjoy seasonal flowers year-round while tasting unique fusion cuisine inspired by my travels and the local flavors of different cities.)
Pets: I have a little American Shorthair cat named Raindrop. She has beautiful emerald-green eyes. She loves playing with fluffy little balls and chasing me around.
Qian Zhong
Education:
- Bachelor's in Biochemistry a d Psychology, University of Washington
Research Focus:
Immunotherapy or other topics related to cancer
Research Interest/Experience:
I have worked with Extracellular Vesicles during my college time as an undergraduate research assistant. My topic of the collaboration project of the lab focused on developing biomarkers for pregnancy and drug usage (like anti-depressants) from the plasma EV.
Fun Facts:
I love go hiking, and I like cats and dogs a lot!