Research Associates

Jia Li, MD

Laboratory Manager & Research Associate I
Joined The Gao Lab in 2011
li.jia at umassmed.edu

Jia graduated from the Kunming Medical University in China with the specialty in Clinical Medicine. She works on the development of more effective and safer deliveries of therapeutic genes. She is also in charge of the animals used in lab research and responsible for lab management.

 

Anoushka Lotun, BS

Research Associate
Joined The Gao Lab in 2018
anoushka.lotun at umassmed.edu

Anoushka received her BS in Biological Sciences with a minor in Bioinformatics from the University of Connecticut. Her research focuses on Canavan’s Disease, specifically on tissue specificity of gene therapy in Canavan’s, as well as different metabolic contributions in NAA metabolism.

 

Lingzhi Ren, MS

Research Associate
Joined The Gao Lab in 2017
lingzhi.ren at umassmed.edu

Lingzhi graduated from the Biotechnology Program at Brandeis University. Her research focuses on gene and transcript editing, with a goal of gaining more knowledge and technical skills on human gene therapy.

 

 

Craig Mendonca, BS

Research Associate I 
Joined the Gao Lab in 2016
craig.mendonca at umassmed.edu

Craig graduated from the University of Connecticut with a BS in Physiology and Neurobiology as well as Molecular and Cell Biology. His research focuses on AAV-mediated RNA therapy for various diseases.

 

Wei Ding

Research Associate II
Wei.Ding at umassmed.edu

 

 

 

 

Hyunki Kang

Reseach Associate I
HyunKi.Kang at umassmed.edu