People

Principal Investigator

Yue Julia Wang, Ph.D.

Assistant Professor of Biomedical Sciences, 

College of Medicine, FSU.

Office: Thrasher Medical Research Building, Suite 2300-D 

Tel: 850-645-7324

Email: julia.wang@med.fsu.edu

Dr. Wang obtained a B.S. at Tsinghua University in China, and received her Ph.D. degree in Human Genetics at Johns Hopkins University. Julia completed her post-doctoral training in Dr. Klaus Kaestner's laboratory at University of Pennsylvania. In addition to her love for science, Julia enjoys rock climbing and playing with her cat. 

Gengqiang Xie, Ph.D. (Co-mentored with Jerome Irianto)

Office: Thrasher Medical Research Building

Email: gengqiang.xie@med.fsu.edu

Dr. Xie obtained his B.S. from Lanzhou University and Ph.D. at the Institute of Biophysics of Chinese Academy of Sciences in China. Outside the laboratory, Gengqiang is a sports fan. His favorite activities include driving and hiking. He also enjoys playing with his four-year old little boy.

Hyo Jeong Yong, M.S.

Office: Thrasher Medical Research Building

Email: HyoJeong.Yong@med.fsu.edu

Hyo Jeong obtained her B.S and M.S. in Biological Sciences at Sookmyung Women's University in South Korean. She is passionate to develop new genomic technologies and apply cutting edge of genomic and molecular biological techniques to uncover underlying mechanisms of human diseases and discover new targets for therapeutic methods. Hyo Jeong is actively engaged in science communication activities and she was one of the eleven finalists for the FameLab Korea 2016. To balance work and life,  she enjoys drawing, reading books, playing instruments, and playing golf (Florida is a fantastic place to play golf!).

Xue (Snow) Hu, M.S.

Co-mentored with Dr. Mike Roper.

Office: Thrasher Medical Research Building

Email: xue.hu@med.fsu.edu

Snow earned her B.S. from Xinjiang University and her M.S. from Hunan University in China. She is interested in applying single-cell RNA sequencing techniques to human pancreatic islets and is dedicated to exploring the pathogenesis of diabetes. Outside the lab, Snow spends a lot of time cooking and enjoying nature.

Pilar Toledo, M.D.

Office: Thrasher Medical Research Building

Email: pilar.toledo@med.fsu.edu

Pilar obtained her M.D. degree at the National University of Tucumán (Argentina). As a research assistant, she is interested in learning about new technologies  in molecular biology that can provide us with a better understanding of diseases, in particular diabetes. When she is not working, she enjoys running, doing outdoor activities, and spending time with her dog. 

Pamela Sandoval Sanchez, M.S.

Office: Thrasher Medical Research Building

Email:  p.sandoval-sanchez@med.fsu.edu

Pamela obtained her B.S. in Biomedical Sciences and M.S. in Biology at the University of West Florida in Pensacola, Florida. Her profound interest in the central dogma of molecular biology motivated her to delve deeper into the realm of molecular sciences and recognize that even subtle genetic alterations can trigger significant downstream consequences. Pamela enjoys spending quality time with her family, reading fiction books, and cuddling with her cat Eleven.

Kathryn Woodford

Email:  kaw20@fsu.edu 

Kathryn is an undergraduate student at Florida State University and is working towards her B.S. in Biological Sciences. She is passionate about science and medicine, as she is pursuing a career in healthcare. Outside of the laboratory, Kathryn enjoys painting, gardening, and spending time with friends.  

Valerie Martino

2021-2023. Undergraduate student. Current position: Pharm.D. student at UF.

Jacob Gottlieb

2021-2022. Research assistant. 

Patrick Wabnitz

2019-2020. UROP undergraduate student. Current position: FSU. 

Madison Layfield

2019-2020. UROP undergraduate student. Current position: Ph.D. student in Biostatistics. FSU.