Research
After working in several nanomaterials labs in high school, I joined a nano-bio interface lab when I got to Stanford, where I became fascinated by brain-machine interfaces and understanding neuronal networks. My interests widened to interacting living systems more broadly, and I enrolled in a PhD at (Harvard/MIT) in 2020. Prompted by the pandemic, I took a detour to start Sora, but have since made my way back to active biophysics research.
Current Interests
I am interested in the statistical physics of interacting biological building blocks—molecules and cells.
Nucleic acid hybridization kinetics
Nucleic acids hybridize constantly in every cell—replicating DNA, transcribing RNA, regulating gene expression—yet we lack a comprehensive, predictive theory for how the hybridization process happens. While the equilibrium thermodynamics of NA hybridization have been well understood since the 90s, there's little correlation between equilibrium predictions and binding behavior on biologically relevant timescales. We need new models to capture NA dynamics pertinent to life.
I'm working with Ofer Kimchi at Princeton's Lewis-Sigler Institute to build such a predictive model by studying how small probe DNAs bind to longer target RNAs. Our goal is to infer binding affinity directly from sequence and structure, enabling the design of new RNA therapeutics that selectively disrupt problematic protein translation. We're also tackling the inverse problem—inferring RNA structure from binding data—which could dramatically simplify structural determination.
Past Themes
Neural Interfaces (2016-2020)
In the Cui lab at Stanford Chemistry, I grew large magnetic nanorods inside human cells, with the goal of being able to open ion channels mechanically by applying a magnetic field that would torque the nanorods. This work, published in Nano Letters, is a step towards "magnetogenetics", or remote activation of neurons using magnetic fields.
I then spent a summer in college working at Paradromics, a leading brain machine interface company, where I developed a method to sharpen electrodes on the nanoscale to minimize tissue damage upon insertion into brain tissue. They still use this protocol, to my knowledge.
huge iron rods we grew inside human cells
Nanomaterials (2012-2016)
Working in the Tracy, Li, and Melechko labs at NC State University in high school, I created optically active nanomaterials for bioimaging applications, catalysts for biofuel generation, and scalable production methods for vertically-aligned carbon nanofibers used in drug delivery, respectively. I coauthored my first research paper, on the latter work, at age 14. I also spent the summer before college at RTI International developing stain-resistant textile coatings for a corporate client, using harmless silica nanoparticles instead of the industry standard "forever chemicals".
For my research work in high school, I was named a Semifinalist in the Intel Science Talent Search and a Regional Finalist in the now-defunct Siemens Competition.
some nanomaterials I made: vertically aligned carbon nanofibers (left) and gold nanostars embedded in polymer nanofibers (right)