Emory University School of Medicine
Department of Pediatrics

Group Members

Chunhui Xu, PhD Professor SOM: Pediatrics

Chunhui Xu, PhD, is a Professor in the Department of Pediatrics, Emory University School of Medicine. Dr. Xu has extensive research experience on stem cells and heart cell development. Her research is focusing on heart cells derived from human pluripotent stem cells (hPSCs). Her group has made significant contribution to the field of hPSCs. Several of their publications have been identified as a hot paper or among the most highly cited publications in the field of hPSCs. She is an inventor or co-inventor of 18 issued US patents, and her publications have been cited more than 12,000 times according to Google Scholar . Her research has been funded by NCI, NHLBI, NIAAA, NSF, CASIS, AHA, and HESI/FDA. Her spaceflight experiment was called as a significant step for next-generation space research by the International Space Station National Laboratory, and featured by CNN, NASA, and Chemical & Engineering News.

Current Lab Members

Olivia Reid, BS

Research Specialist

Olivia Reid graduated from Georgia Tech with a Bachelor of Science in Chemistry in May 2024. As a Research Specialist in Dr. Xu's lab, Olivia focuses on studying the cardiotoxicity of chemotherapy drugs, with an emphasis on understanding the mechanisms that contribute to heart damage during cancer treatment. Olivia plans to pursue an MD-PhD beginning in the fall of 2026, combining clinical and research expertise to advance medical science.

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Stephanie Li

Undergraduate, Emory University

Stephanie Li is an undergraduate student at Emory University, majoring in Biology and Quantitative Sciences on the pre-medical track. She is passionate about health equity and pediatric health, with a particular interest in cardiology. Stephanie joined the lab in January 2025 and is excited to gain hands-on experience working with human pluripotent stem cells.

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Matthew Wang

Undergraduate, Emory University

Matthew Wang is an undergraduate student at Emory University, majoring in Intended Biology.

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Dr. Wenhao Zhang

Wenhao Zhang, PhD

Postdoctoral Fellow

Dr. Wenhao Zhang's research focuses on investigating the cardiotoxic effects of environmental toxicants using human iPSC-derived cardiomyocytes. Specifically, his work integrates stem cell biology, toxicology, and proteomics to understand how environmental exposures impair mitochondrial function, trigger oxidative stress, and disrupt cardiac development.

Email Wenhao




Past Lab Members

Postdoctoral Fellows/Scientists

  • Doan Nguyen, MD, PhD
  • Rajneesh Jha, PhD
  • Jingjia Han, PhD
  • Monalisa Singh, MD, PhD
  • Anita Saraf, MD, PhD
  • Dong Li, PhD
  • Antonio Rampoldi, PhD
  • Parvin Forghani, PhD
  • Kun Man, PhD

Students

  • Hayley Rebecca Beene
  • Hannah Choi
  • Zoe Beato                                                      
  • Madhumita Baskaran                                     
  • Makenna Elisabeth Pierce
  • Emma Tharp
  • Sydney Sharp                                                 
  • Sameer Sarma
  • Rui Liu
  • Hui Qi Loo
  • Megan Lee
  • Nicole Lin
  • Lara Vaid
  • Anna Staskiewicz

Research Specialists

  • Qingling Wu, MS
  • Marcela Preininger, BS
  • Cinsley Gentillon, MS
  • Hyun (Michael) Hwang, BS
  • Lawrence Armand, BS