Meet the Team

Postdoctoral Fellow, itay_algov@dfci.harvard.edu

Itay did his Ph.D. in Prof. Lital Alfonta’s lab at Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Israel. During his Ph.D. Itay was studying enzyme electron transfer processes using synthetic biology tools. In the Zhou lab, Itay will build sensors and switches for a better understanding of the tumor microenvironment. In his free time, Itay likes to listen to music and climb walls. Itay will join us in July 2022!

Graduate Student, kaitlini_rhee@dfci.harvard.edu

Kaitlin comes from UC Berkeley with a chemical biology BS and a data science minor. She joined the Harvard chemical biology Ph.D. program in 2022. In the Zhou Lab, she is excited to design proteins that interact with and respond to the tumor microenvironment, acting as research tools and therapeutics. Outside of research, Kaitlin enjoys knitting, baking, music, and natural scenery!

Graduate Student, zhixing_ma@dfci.harvard.edu

Zhixing comes from Peking University with a BS in Medicine. He joined the PhD program in Biological and Biomedical Science of Harvard in 2022. Here, he is working on developing tools to rewire cell signaling networks. Outside the lab, Zhixing enjoys playing tennis, running and traveling!

Postdoctoral Fellow, aoxing_cheng@dfci.harvard.edu

Aoxing received his Ph.D. in Prof. Zhenye Yang’s lab at the University of Science and Technology of China. During his Ph.D. and first round of postdoctoral training, Aoxing focused on cancer metabolism and cell cycle regulation. In the Zhou lab, Aoxing will develop protein degraders and metabolite sensors to better understand and treat metabolic diseases. Outside the lab, Aoxing enjoys cooking and traveling! Aoxing will be joining the lab in January 2024.

Graduate Student, lawrence_shue@dfci.harvard.edu

Larry graduated from Princeton University with a bachelor’s degree in Molecular Biology and a minor in bioengineering. He completed his senior thesis studying the retinoic acid signaling pathway in tumor-associated dendritic cells. He joined the biological and biomedical sciences (BBS) PhD program at Harvard in 2023. He is excited to learn more about protein engineering in the context of cancer therapeutics. Outside of research, Larry enjoys knitting/crocheting, baking, and playing tennis!

Research Technician/Lab Manager, dingjingyu_zhou@dfci.harvard.edu

Dingjingyu (DJ) graduated May 2022 from Johns Hopkins University and studied Molecular and Cellular biology with a minor in visual arts on the pre-medical track. She is excited to study protein engineering and develop effective cancer therapies in the Zhou lab. Outside of lab, she enjoys photography, painting, and cooking!

Postdoctoral Fellow

Lars is completed his Ph.D. in the lab of Professor Kai Johnsson at the Max-Planck-Institute for Medical Research in Heidelberg, Germany. He worked on the development of chemogenetic biosensors for intracellular metabolites. In his free time, he likes to play football and craft things (wood work etc). He will be joining the lab at the end of 2024/beginning of 2025!

Postdoctoral Fellow

Sherry is completed her Ph.D. in Prof. Weiping Tang's lab at the University of Wisconsin–Madison, where her research focuses on designing tissue- and cancer-selective lysosome targeting degraders. Sherry will explore biological degraders and innovative drug delivery systems in Zhou lab. Outside the lab, Sherry enjoys kayaking and skiing!

Incoming Undergraduate Researcher

Mary is a Cornell University student concentrating in biotechnology and biomedical engineering, on the MD/PhD track. In the Zhou Lab, Mary is eager to explore protein engineering and its applications in cancer biology, metabolic abnormalities, and other therapeutics. She is passionate about mentorship and advancing healthcare equity and is driving startups focused on wearable health monitoring, diagnostic tools and hydroponics to tackle food insecurity. Outside of academics, Mary enjoys running waterfall trails, skiing, videography, and actively engaging with her community.

Executive Support, donnette_madrey@dfci.harvard.edu

Donnette received her B.S. in Communications at Suffolk University.