Dr. Akram Alshawabkeh's lab focuses on the impact of environmental factors on child health and development, especially in Puerto Rico. They study how exposures during pregnancy and early childhood can affect obesity, neurodevelopment, and reproductive health. By gathering data and biological samples from a large cohort of children and pregnant women, the team aims to inform public health policies and interventions in the U.S.

Mark Jonathan Niedre's lab focuses on developing innovative techniques to monitor circulating tumor cells (CTCs) in real-time within living models. By using a novel non-invasive optical method, they aim to study how CTCs influence metastasis in various cancers, particularly in response to treatments like radiation. This research could lead to significant advancements in understanding cancer progression and improving therapeutic approaches.

Dr. Nikolai Slavov's lab focuses on understanding Alzheimer's Disease (AD) by studying the abnormal and mis-processed proteins that accumulate in the brain. The research combines cutting-edge techniques in proteogenomics and mass spectrometry to analyze these proteins in different brain regions and cell types. By identifying how these proteins contribute to AD, the lab aims to uncover insights that could lead to new therapeutic targets for the disease.

Dr. Guohao Dai's lab at Northeastern University focuses on understanding how certain proteins, known as Sox13 and Sox17, influence the behavior of blood vessel cells. By studying the differences between arterial and venous cells, the lab aims to improve how blood vessels adapt to changes in blood flow. Their work could lead to better treatments for vascular diseases and improvements in tissue-engineered grafts used in medicine.

Dr. Lei Wang's lab at Northeastern University focuses on developing innovative RNA-based sensors that can accurately detect specific cell types in real-time. The lab's research bridges synthetic biology and biomedical applications, aiming to improve therapeutic responses for diseases like cancer by using advanced RNA technologies. Students will learn how to engineer RNA circuits to monitor cellular signals, paving the way for more targeted medical interventions.