Gu Lab - Members

Principal Investigator

Zhaohui Gu, Ph.D.

2020-Present: Assistant Professor, Beckman Research Institute, City of Hope
2015-2020: Postdoctoral Research Associate, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital
2008-2014: Ph.D. Student, Shanghai Jiao Tong University

Dr. Gu earned his bachelor’s degree in biomedical engineering from Xi’an Jiaotong University in 2008, followed by a Ph.D. training in bioinformatics at the Shanghai Institute of Hematology, Shanghai Jiaotong University, under Dr. Zhu Chen. Following his doctoral training, he joined Dr. Charles Mullighan’s group at St. Jude Children's Research Hospital in Memphis, where he received extensive training in leukemia genomics. His work led to multiple highly impactful discoveries, which shapes the foundation for his independent research. In June 2020, he started his independent research career at City of Hope, focusing on B-cell development and acute lymphoblastic leukemia.

Current Member

Zunsong Hu, Ph.D.

2024-Present: Staff Scientist, Beckman Research Institute, City of Hope
2020-2024: Postdoctoral Fellow, Beckman Research Institute, City of Hope
2017-2020: Postdoctoral Research Associate, University of Tennessee Health Science Center
2012-2017: Ph.D. Student, Peking Union Medical College

Dr. Hu graduated in Preventive Medicine from Huazhong University of Science and Technology, then did his Ph.D. training at Fuwai Hospital, Peking Union Medical College. His major scientific interests are in integrated multi-omics research of complex diseases and risk factors.

Zhilian Jia, Ph.D.

2022-Present: Staff Scientist, Beckman Research Institute, City of Hope
2020-2022: Postdoctoral Fellow, Beckman Research Institute, City of Hope
2017-2020: Assistant Professor, Shanghai Jiao Tong University
2015-2017: Postdoctoral Fellow, Shanghai Jiao Tong University
2009-2015: Ph.D. Student, Molecular Biology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University

Dr. Jia earned her bachelor's degree in Nursing from Peking University and her Ph.D. in Molecular Biology from Shanghai Jiao Tong University. Her research focuses on functional study of driver genetic lesions in novel leukemia subtypes.

Alexander Chassiakos, B.S.

2021-Present: Ph.D. Student, Biological Sciences, City of Hope
2018: B.S., Microbiology, Immunology, and Molecular Genetics, UCLA

Alexander worked at the Vaccine Research Center (NIAID/NIH) before joining the Gu Lab as a Ph.D. student. His interests focus on identifying and understanding B-cell receptor features of B-ALL subtypes.

Ming Zhan, Ph.D.

2023-Present: Postdoctoral Fellow, Beckman Research Institute, City of Hope
2019-2023: Attending Doctor & Assistant Research Fellow, The Ninth People's Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University
2017-2019: Resident Doctor, Biliary and Pancreatic Surgery, Renji Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University
2015-2017: Training Doctor, Surgery, Renji Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University
2012-2015: MD & PhD Student, Shanghai Jiao Tong University
2009-2012: MS Student, Shanghai Jiao Tong University
2004-2009: BS Student, Kunming Medical University

Dr. Zhan obtained his medical degree from Kunming Medical University and then earned his Ph.D. from Shanghai Jiao Tong University, where he studied oxidative stress-related signaling in cancer. He trained in surgery and oncology at Renji Hospital and The Ninth People's Hospital, later becoming an attending doctor and assistant research fellow. In 2023, he joined Dr. Gu’s lab as a postdoctoral researcher to study the biological roles of molecular markers associated with high-risk B-ALL subtypes.

Xiaohua Huang, M.S.

2023-Present: Research Associate, Beckman Research Institute, City of Hope
2022-2023: Assistant to the General Manager, Vua Kho Bo, INC.
2015-2016: Structural Design & Overhaul Training, Voith Turbo GmbH & Co. KG, Heidenheim, Germany
2008-2010: Master of Science in Material Science & Technology, Harbin Institute of Technology, China
2004-2008: Bachelor of Science in Material Science & Technology, Harbin Institute of Technology, China

Xiaohua earned his Master’s and Bachelor’s degrees in Material Science and Technology from Harbin Institute of Technology. With extensive experience in mechanical engineering, structural design, and failure analysis, he worked in various industries. In 2023, he transitioned into biomedical research and joined the Beckman Research Institute at City of Hope as a Research Associate, where he focuses on computational and genomic data analysis.

Xiying Guo, M.D., Ph.D.

2023-Present: Visiting Scholar, Beckman Research Institute, City of Hope
2021-Present: Attending Physician, Cardiac Intensive Care Unit, The First Affiliated Hospital of Kunming Medical University, China
2019-2021: Attending Physician, Department of Cardiology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Kunming Medical University, China
2017-2019: Resident Physician, Internal Medicine, The First Affiliated Hospital of Kunming Medical University, China
2012-2017: M.D. in Internal Medicine, Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, China
2007-2012: B.S. in Clinical Medicine, Shandong University School of Medicine, Jinan, China

Dr. Guo is a physician-scientist with expertise in cardiomyopathy, cardiovascular disease, and internal medicine. She has over a decade of clinical experience, including work in the Cardiac Intensive Care Unit. In 2023, she joined the Beckman Research Institute at City of Hope as a visiting scholar, where she is conducting CRISPR-based functional screening to identify key drivers of B-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (B-ALL).

Yanan Zhu, M.D., Ph.D.

2023-Present: Visiting Scholar, Beckman Research Institute, City of Hope
2018-Present: Attending Physician, The First Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University
2017-2018: Resident Physician, Renji Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University
2012-2017: M.D. in Clinical Medicine, Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, China
2009-2012: B.S. in Life Sciences, Tsinghua University, Beijing, China

Dr. Zhu is a physician specializing in hematology, with a focus on lymphoma. She has extensive clinical experience and a strong background in molecular research. Since 2023, she has been a visiting scholar at the Beckman Research Institute, City of Hope, where she applies in vitro and in vivo models to study the molecular mechanisms driving a high-risk subtype of B-ALL.

Alumni

Than Than Han (Helen), B.S.
Judd Collado, B.S.
Behzad Damirchi, Ph.D.
Ke Wang, Ph.D.