Lab Members

Meet the Peng Ji Lab team members. We welcome requests for information about our work and collaboration opportunities.

Principal Investigator

Peng Ji, MD, PhD, FCAP

Professor of Pathology
Vice Chair for Research, Department of Pathology
Chief Pathology Officer, Silver Family Blood Cancer Institute
Director, Pathology Physician-Scientist Training Program (PSTP)

peng-ji@fsm.northwestern.edu

Lab Manager

Ermin Li, MD, PhD

In July 2010, I completed my Bachelor of Medicine, and Bachelor of Surgery, and then obtained my Master's in Hematology by July 2013. After two years of residency at a hospital, I returned to school in September 2015 to pursue further academic achievements. During my Ph.D. graduate studies, I accumulated substantial experience in cell and molecular biology and received high-level scientific training, including publication and grant writing, presentation skills in various settings, and critical thinking. As I was ready to step out of my comfort zone and face new challenges, I decided to get trained in a lab that primarily uses the mammalian system with research projects of a more translational nature. I joined Dr. Peng Ji’s lab at Northwestern University to receive my training as a postdoctoral fellow. In Dr. Ji's lab, I had the opportunity to learn state-of-the-art technologies, which helped me understand the detailed pathological changes in human hematological disorders and mouse hematological disease models.

Graduate: MD Degree in Clinical Medicine, Xuzhou Medical University. PhD Degree in Pathology, Fudan University

ermin.li@northwestern.edu

Postdoctoral Fellows

Xu Han

Dr. Xu Han joined Dr. Peng Ji’s lab in July 2017 as a postdoctoral fellow. He mainly focused on two studies: 1, Develop effective Plek2 inhibitors and use them to treat cancers including myeloproliferative neoplasms (MPNs) and prostate cancer; the finding that novel Plek2 inhibitors have therapeutic effectiveness in MPNs was published in the Journal of Clinical Investigation (Xu Han et al, JCI, 2023), and the paper demonstrating Plek2’s roles and Plek2 inhibitors’ effectiveness in Pten loss induced prostate cancer was under revision. 2, Explore hematopoiesis under normal development and diseases with spatial transcriptomic technology including Visium, Xenium and multiplexed immunofluorescence assays, and the paper on this study is prepared to submit. Additionally, Dr. Xu Han also participated in another study of exploring the roles and related mechanisms of PPIL2, a new member of Plek2 signalosome, in normal erythropoiesis and MPNs, and this paper was also under revision.

Graduate: PhD Degree in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Central South University

xu.han@northwestern.edu

Honghao Bi

Hello, my name is Honghao. I am currently a postdoctoral fellow in Dr. Peng Ji’s lab, where my research focuses on the mechanisms of myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS) and genetic predispositions to hematopoietic diseases, as well as exploring new therapies for these conditions. Collaborating with colleagues both within and outside our lab, we have established a comprehensive system for investigating the mechanisms of genetic predisposition, from clinical studies to cellular and mouse models. Our investigative approach encompasses a wide range of wet lab technologies and bioinformatics tools. We have made significant progress by identifying connections between predisposition genes and genome structure and stability. Looking forward, I am excited to delve deeper into the genomic and molecular biology mechanisms involved in hematopoietic diseases. If you are interested in learning more about my work or discussing potential collaborations, please feel free to contact me.

Graduate:Ph.D. in Genetics and Genomics, IOWA STATE UNIVERSITY. Master of Medicine, ZHEJIANG UNIVERSITY. Bachelor of Medicine, ZHEJIANG UNIVERSITY.

honghao.bi@northwestern.edu

Kehan Ren

With undergraduate training in Laboratory Medicine and graduate training in Pathology, I have built a strong understanding and compassion for human diseases. Through performing autopsies during my Ph.D. training, I strongly realized how difficult it is to get the whole picture of the progression of diseases under the microscope, yet basic science research is the unneglectable pathway to gaining an understanding of the mechanism of disease development, which would ultimately translate into disease prevention and treatment. As a postdoc at Dr. Peng Ji’s lab at Northwestern University, I am exposed to state-of-art technologies like spatial transcriptomics and single-cell RNA sequencing which greatly helped me dissect the detailed pathological changes in human hematological disorders. I am always driven by the passion and curiosity to pursue the answers to scientific questions, which are the key components to a sustainable and fruitful research career to my understanding.

Graduate: PhD Degree in Pathology, Fudan University

kehan.ren@northwestern.edu

Pan Wang

Graduate: PhD Degree in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Central South University

pan.wang@northwestern.edu

Inci Aydemir

Inspired by the myth of Prometheus, who endured daily regeneration of his liver as a symbol of life’s persistence and renewal, my research embodies this regenerative spirit in a modern context. As an aspiring physician-scientist, I am deeply invested in exploring the impact of DDX41 gene mutations on the efficacy of stem cell transplants in elderly patients. Utilizing innovative approaches such as mouse models, induced pluripotent stem cells(iPSCs), and bone marrow organoids, I am dedicated to dissecting the complexities of the bone marrow microenvironment. If you can’t find me in the lab, I am probably watching Premier League, exploring new places all over the world, or enjoying Lake Michigan.

Graduate: MD Degree from Trakya University School of Medicine

inci.aydemir@northwestern.edu

Research Technologist

Summer Student

Kara Tao

Kara Tao is an undergraduate student at Yale University majoring in Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology. In the Ji laboratory, she collaborates with her mentors Kehan Ren and Ermin Li to study the role of SRF in erythropoiesis. Outside the lab, Kara enjoys volunteering in the pediatric emergency department, contributing to Yale Scientific Magazine, and listening to music.

kara.tao@yale.edu

Cristina Torres

My name is Cristina Torres and I worked in Dr. Peng Ji's lab the summer of 2023 with the NU-CURE Northwestern University Cancer-Focused Undergraduate Research Experience. I worked under Dr. Honghao Bi and Inci Aydemir working on Characterizing DDX41 Expression Level and Subcellular Distribution During Erythroid Differentiation. I'm a Chicago native currently enrolled at Cornell University where I study Biological Sciences with a concentration in genetics, genomics, and development. In my free time I like to read and hang out with my friends!

cristytorres92409@gmail.com

Jeffrey Lin

Hi, my name is Jeffrey Lin and I am a student at Walter Payton College Preparatory High School and I have an interest in studying biology and I have been shadowing in the lab during my school breaks. Experience at the lab: being at the lab was an extremely impactful experience since it allowed me to agin valuable insight on what it’s like to work alongside a group of people in a professional setting and this was made possible due to the kind and supportive people at JiLab who taught me many techniques that I would be able to use that technical knowledge in my future career as I am planning to major in biology once I am in college and hopefully being able to successfully apply for medical school later on.

Yongyi Chen

Hello, my name is Rongyi Chen. I attend Whitney Young Magnet High School. Some of my hobbies include reading and figure skating. I have always been interested in biology, and learning at Dr. Peng Ji’s lab has really helped me further my understanding of science.

rongyi.ch@gmail.com

Alumni

Baobing Zhao

Professor at Shandong University

Dr. Zhao received his research training in Dr. Peng Ji’s lab from 2012 to 2017, serving as both a Postdoctoral Fellow and a Research Assistant Professor. His work primarily focused on the molecular mechanisms of normal erythropoiesis and the pathogenesis of hematologic malignancies, during which he contributed to identifying several novel drug targets (Haematologica 2014, Dev Cell 2016, JCI 2018).

Yang Mei

Professor of Hunan University

Dr. Mei joined Dr. Peng Ji’s lab in September 2013 as a postdoctoral researcher. His work primarily focused on erythropoiesis and myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS), uncovering the crucial roles of inflammatory signaling in the pathogenesis of MDS and its progression to leukemia. He also investigated the functions of the actin nucleator mDia formin proteins in hematopoiesis. Dr. Mei is currently a professor at Hunan University in China.

Yijie Liu

Assistant Professor at Northwestern University, Pathology (Hematopathology)

Dr Yijie Liu joined Dr Peng Ji’s lab in Feb 2018 as a postdoc researcher. During the three years in the lab, Dr Liu mainly worked on the mechanisms of erythropoiesis under physiologic and stress/disease conditions using molecular and cell biology techniques and mouse models. In a recent publication, we reported that mDia formins are critical for erythroid membrane integrity, proteome remodeling, and organelle clearance (Blood, 2021). This work opens an opportunity for the study of a broader relationship between membrane skeleton and terminal maturation of erythroid cells. Currently, Dr Yijie Liu is an Assistant Professor of Pathology in Northwestern University, Feinberg School of Medicine, as well as the Scientific Director of the Clinical Flow Cytometry Lab at Northwestern Memorial Hospital.

Jingxing Zhang

Associate Professor at Zhengzhou University