Assistant Professor

After getting his undergraduate degree in Veterinary Medicine, Dr. Zhang moved to the United States in 2008 for his Ph.D. training. In 2014, he joined the Matthew Waldor lab at Harvard Medical School, where he explored a broad range of host-pathogen interactions. Dr. Zhang developed a strong interest in understanding the role of metabolites in regulating host defense. He joined the WashU community in 2024.

Dr. Zhang grew up on a small fishing island near Shanghai. He always finds a deep connection to the captivating atmosphere of the sea. Beyond his professional life, Dr. Zhang finds joy in reading, gardening, and jogging.

Postdoc

Dylan is from St. Louis and did his Undegraduate Training at Saint Louis University. He did his PhD in Computational Biology in the lab of Megan Baldridge at Washington University in St. Louis. Dylan's research background has focused on studying the microbiota and understanding the genetics of novel bacteria and bacteriophages both computational and in the lab. 

Postdoc

Chunli is from Shandong and completed her Bachelor's degree in Food Science and Engineering at East China University of Science and Technology (ECUST) in Shanghai. She earned her PhD in Bioengineering in the lab of Qiyao Wang at ECUST. Driven by her findings from studying how pathogens manipulate serotonin metabolism, she is passionate about exploring host-pathogen interactions and the role of metabolites in shaping disease outcomes.

Undergraduate researcher

Monica Wang, Technician

Diego Orellana, Rotation student 2025