Our Team

Zhihua Hua, PhD

Principal Investigator

I am thinking whenever possible. I love working with and care about motivated people. I like breaking and fixing things, including computer programming.

Peifeng Yu

PhD Graduate student

Recipient of the Donald Clippinger Graduate Fellowship (one of the five recipients through the Graduate College in the 2023-2024 academic year. The most prestigious graduate student award.)

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I am curious about biology and always patient in figuring out how it works, such as the role of the ubiquitin-26S proteasome system that I am stuyding now. I like basketball and fishing.

Madhura Yapa

PhD Graduate student

I am anxious of expanding my knowledge in a broader spectrum of Biology. My career goal is to conduct research in an institution where I can proceed with my interests.

Yang Li

PhD Graduate student

My philosophy is work hard and play hard. My career goal is to become a college professor. I like video games.

Samantha Fedoush

PhD Graduate student

I want to become a professor. I prepare myself through both classroom and laboratory training. I like to study how ubiquitin E3 ligases impact plant growth.

Maddie Shelt

Undergraduate student

Recipient of Ivan K. Smith 2022 Summer Research Fellowship. I have always had a passion for science and am excited to see where my research with Hua lab takes me. I hope to apply it to studying the use of medicinal plants in cancer research when I attend graduate school.

Ben Hannon

Undergraduate student

I love expanding my education, especially in a new field of science. Working in the laboratory has led me to realize my dream in pursuing a graduate degree.

Cecilia Sebring

Undergraduate student

Alyssa Favro

Undergraduate student

Avery Meinke

Undergraduate student

Anna Smith

Undergraduate student

Previous Members

Undergraduate Research Experience

  • Julian Renton (Computer Science), Fall 2021 to Spring 2023
  • Noah Barber (PBIO, Recipient of Norman S. Cohn 2021 Summer Research Fellowship)
  • Sophia Kasprzycki (Psychology)
  • Miranda Silcott (Meteorology)
  • Garrett Dildine (Engineering)
  • Abigail G. Moore (PBIO)
  • Mateo Anaya (PBIO)
  • Charles G. Ndiaye (PBIO)
  • Caroline Siegert (PBIO, Recipient of 2016 PURF Award)
  • Adam Stumbo (PBIO Minor)
  • Andrew Rose (PBIO)
  • Elisabeth A. Wilds (Biological Sciences)
  • Maria Gomez (Biological Sciences)
  • Kayley Jaeger (Forensic Chemistry)
  • Sean Smith (Chemical Engineering)
  • Isaac Stern (Chemistry and Biochemistry)
  • Mario A. Hernandez (Chemistry and Biochemistry)
  • Jacob Sieg (Chemistry and Biochemistry, Recipient of 2016 PURF Award)
  • William Vu (Chemistry and Biochemistry, Recipient of 2016 PURF and 2017 EXPO Awards)
  • Alex Bochenek (Computer Science)
  • Matthew Early (Computer Science)
  • Matthew Emerson (Computer Science)
  • Shuai Ji (Computer Science)
  • Logan Leland (Computer Science)

Graduate Studies

  • Paymon Doroodian, MSc ("I have always been curious to understand why things work the way they do. So I decided to make it my career").
    Current Position: Research Assistant, Georgetown University in Washington DC

Visiting Research

  • Zhenyu Gao, PhD (China National Rice Institute)
  • Fanglei Liao, PhD (Zhejiang Normal University)

What Previous Members Say

I have decided to go to grad school at NC State! I am super excited about this decision, and I wanted to take the time to thank you for writing a recommendation letter. Without you, this wouldn't be possible! I also wanted to thank you for the time in the lab and allowing me to be a part of the lab family these past two years. I truly have enjoyed my time working will you all.

Miranda SilcottGraduate Student at North Carolina State University

I would like to let you know that I just got into Ohio State University College of Dentistry! Thank you so much for all the help you have provided me. I would not have gotten this far without your support.

William VuDDS Candidate at OSU

I would like to thank you for my experience this past year. A lot of the things I learned carried over to the position I am at currently and I had a great time.

Alex BochenekProgram Developer