My name is Iman Kazani and I am from Karachi, Pakistan. I acquired my high school IB diploma from The Aga Khan Academy, Mombasa in 2022. Over high school, I participated in school-based research, and I am looking forward to gaining more professional experience at the Liang Lab.
Member since June 2022
Lan Wen Undergraduate Student
Lan Wen is originally from China. She is currently a sophomore major in Biology and philosophy at Emory University. It is her first time working in an official research lab. She is looking forward to work with other students to explore about virus.
Member since August 2024
Serena Park Undergraduate Student
Serena Park is originally from San Jose, California. She is in her third year at Emory University, working towards a degree in Neuroscience and Behavioral Biology. Before her involvement with Liang Labs, she played a key role in the executive boards of both the Oxford Cancer Foundations and the Korean American Student Association, in addition to participating in academic research. Her interest in Liang Lab was piqued after she developed a research project focused on Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV), which was inspired by the studies published by the lab.
Member since August 2024
Maggie Betkowski Undergraduate Student
Maggie is originally from Mercersburg,Pennsylvania, a small town in rural Pennsylvania. She graduated from Mercersburg Academy in 2021. She is currentlya juniorstudying chemistry and French in the Emory College of Arts and Sciences and is on the pre-dental track. In addition to her work in the Liang Lab, she also works in an ecology lab in the Emory Biology Department where she studies host-parasite interactions of the Guinea Worm, a parasite found in regions of Africa. Maggie became interested in working in the Liang Lab because of her interest in how chemical interactions of bio-macromolecules can affect biological machinery and the lab’s impact on human health.
Member since August 2023
Haoyang (Alex) Li Undergraduate Student
Haoyang, originally from Dalian, China, is a rising junior at Emory University, majoring in Biology and Chemistry. Passionate about these subjects, he has completed a year of organic chemistry research at Emory University. Additionally, during his summer break, Haoyang contributed to two genetic engineering projects at Worldshaper Company in China. He also gained valuable experience as a teaching assistant for the iGEM competition at Zhejiang University. Haoyang joined Liang Lab to work on Biochemistry projects.
Aiden Lee Undergraduate Student
Aiden is originally from Bellevue, Washington. He is currently studying to be a Biology Major at Emory University. The Liang lab would be his first research opportunity and he is looking forward to learning about the causes of neurobiological diseases and potential ways of identifying them. In his free time Aiden likes to read and mountain bike.
Member since August 2023
Aalekhya Nemilikonda Undergraduate Intern
Aalekhya is originally from Tallahassee, Florida. She is a rising senior attending Alliance Academy for Innovation. She has a passion for biochemistry and in her free time she enjoys uploading videos for her AP Biology YouTube channel. She has been accepted into her school’s EMT program and will be riding the ambulance this upcoming school year. In school, Aalekhya is a senior officer for her Science Olympiad club and has placed 2nd in two events at the regional level in the 2023-2024 season. She actively participates in various volunteering events through HOSA and Bridge AAI and received the PVSA gold award for over 250 volunteering hours in the healthcare field. Doing karate for over 10 years, she assisted over 100 classes and is planning to test for her second degree black belt in the fall. She joined the Liang lab to obtain research experience and to increase her knowledge in the biochemistry field.
Undergraduate Intern: May 2024 - August 2024
Hannah Yim Undergraduate Intern
Undergraduate Intern: May 2024 - August 2024
Ethan Jones Undergraduate Intern
Ethan Jones is from Snellville, Georgia, and is a rising junior at The Gwinnett School of Mathematics, Science, and Technology. He is passionate about neuroscience and medicine and explores those passions through various clubs and honor societies at his school. Ethan is an active member of his school's science olympiad team where he has placed top 3 in multiple regional and state level competitions and is a member of the National Society of Black Engineers Jr. Ethan is also an accomplished violinist. He has participated in various regional and state-level orchestras and festivals like the GMEA All-State Orchestra and has received awards for his violin playing. He is looking forward to participating in the program and hopes to gain new experiences from the program.
Undergraduate Intern: May 2024 - August 2024
Iman Merchant Undergraduate Intern
Iman is from Atlanta, Georgia and is a rising senior at The Westminster Schools. She is enrolled in the highest academic tracks and because of her strong passion for science and technology, she is involved in multiple organizations related to STEM fields. As the lead for Westminster’s chapter of HOSA - Future Health Professionals, Iman was awarded 2nd place for her medical innovation in stent surgical advancement and will be presenting at the International Leadership Conference 2024. Additionally, Iman is the project manager for the Robotics team and is on the executive council for Mu Alpha Theta. Iman plans to pursue a career in medical engineering and has previously interned with a neurosurgical private practice researching neurotechnology. She has also independently researched cancer immunotherapy using machine learning predictive analysis models. Outside of her career passions, Iman enjoys playing piano, violin, and soccer. Iman joined the Liang Lab to gain more exposure within biochemistry research.
Undergraduate Intern: May 2024 - August 2024
Jessica Han Undergraduate Intern
Jessica is from Lilburn, Georgia and is a rising junior at GSMST.She has an interest in science, chemistry, and biology. She is in several clubs at her school such as Medfinity and Science Olympiad. Jessica enjoys reading and ice skating.She is looking forward to learning more about biochemistry in the Liang Lab.
Undergraduate Intern: May 2024 - August 2024
Medha Krishna Undergraduate Intern
Medha Krishna is from Marietta, Georgia and is a rising senior at Walton High School. She is the captain of her school’s Science Olympiad team and has placed in the top three for all her events at the 2024 State tournament. She leads the Community Outreach program at Walton and volunteers with underprivileged children at various elementary schools. She is a nationally ranked table tennis player and actively participates in national and international tournaments. She tutors students in need of academic help through her involvement in Science National Honor Society, Mu Alpha Theta, and NHS. Over the past summer, she created a capstone research project on the various treatments of Alzheimer’s and participated in the John’s Hopkins Global Health Leadership Conference. She is passionate about promoting public health through research. She looks forward to working in the Liang Lab to learn more about biochemistry.
