People

Zerong Ma received her Ph.D. from the University of New South Wales (UNSW Sydney), where she focused on developing polymer and lipid nanoparticles for the delivery of therapeutic siRNA to treat both adult and childhood solid tumors. With her expertise in nanomedicine, Zerong is now working on developing innovative lipid nanoparticles for epigenetic editing, aiming to advance precision therapeutics for brain cancer. Outside the lab, Zerong enjoys exploring farmers’ markets, watching films, and taking long walks by the water.

I-Ching Wang received her Ph.D. degree from Baylor College of Medicine in Neuroscience. She worked on how brain activity modulates gut microbial ecology in her PhD project. With her expertise in neuroscience, she is interested in developing in vivo functional genomic methods in brain tumor models for discovery of therapeutic targets. When not in the lab, I-Ching enjoys playing badminton, exploring coffee shops, hiking and watching movies.

Akane Hubbard received her undergraduate degree in biology from the University of Michigan. She joins the lab with experience from the National Cancer Institute and Caribou Biosciences. With the Liu Lab, she is leveraging her diverse research background to develop functional genomic tools to better understand and treat glioblastoma. In her free time, Akane can be found backpacking in the mountains or searching for the best kouign-amann in the city.

Teerithveen Pasricha received her B.S. from Northeastern University in Bioengineering and Biochemistry. Prior to beginning her PhD, she gained diverse research experience spanning immunology, therapeutic delivery, and gene therapy. In the Liu Lab, she is interested in developing CRISPR-based therapeutics to suppress oncogenic programs in GBM with a focus on understanding resistance mechanisms that may limit therapeutic potential. Outside of the lab, you can find her dancing, reading, or dog walking.

Sasha Sengelmann is an undergraduate SURF fellow and Rose Hills Scholar at the University of California, Berkeley, majoring in Molecular and Cell Biology. Within the Liu Lab, she is currently exploring molecular mechanisms of radiation and chemotherapy resistance with focus on the DNA damage response, and developing novel genetic and epigenetic editing technologies for in vivo application. Outside of the lab, Sasha enjoys reading, trying new foods, and spending time with friends.

Violet Hering is an undergraduate SURF fellow and Molecular and Cell Biology major at the University of California, Berkeley. In the Liu Lab, she is focused on investigating gene function and radiation resistance mechanisms in glioblastoma by developing and applying CRISPR-based genetic perturbation systems. When she’s not in the lab, Violet likes to run, explore the Bay Area with friends, and play the fiddle.

Krish Raval is an undergraduate at UC Berkeley studying applied mathematics and is interested in bioinformatics and computational biology. Within the Liu Lab, he is currently applying mathematical modeling to cancer biology. Outside of the lab, Krish enjoys learning new languages and plane-spotting.