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Our Team of Current Scientist Members (listed in Alphabetical Surname Order)
Mai Lee Chang, PhD
Postdoctoral Researcher
School of Computer Science
Carnegie Mellon University
Email: maileec@andrew.cmu.edu
Personal Website: maileechang.com
Dr. Mai Lee Chang is a postdoctoral researcher in the School of Computer Science at Carnegie Mellon University. Her research is part of the AI-CARING National Science Foundation Artificial Intelligence (AI) Institute that focuses on developing the next generation of personalized collaborative AI systems that improve the quality of life of aging adults living at home.
She earned her Ph.D. in Electrical and Computer Engineering from the University of Texas at Austin. Her Ph.D. research enables robots to optimize for task performance and fairness in human-robot teaming. Prior to her Ph.D., she worked as an engineer at NASA-Johnson Space Center. She received her M.S. in Industrial and Systems Engineering and B.S. in Engineering Mechanics and Astronautics, both from the University of Wisconsin-Madison.
Sally Hang, MA
PhD Candidate
Department of Psychology
University of California, Davis
Email: salhang@ucdavis.edu
Sally is a Ph.D. student in the developmental psychology program at UC Davis. In 2022, she was awarded the Diverse Mentoring Initiative Award to recognize her commitment to promoting diversity in psychology and her mentorship work with her trainees. She completed both her Bachelor’s Degree in Psychology and Master’s Degree in Psychology with an emphasis in Behavioral Neuroscience at Cal Polytechnic Humboldt. Sally’s research background involved investigations on brain-derived neurotrophic factors (BDNF) and factors that mediated those concentration levels. She is currently utilizing the biopsychosocial model, computational methods, and novel technology to investigate health biomarkers to measure stress.
Publications:
https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=gZY4AIgAAAAJ&hl=en
Alex Khang, PhD
NIH Postdoctoral Fellow
Chemical and Biological Engineering
University of Colorado Boulder
Email: alexkhang18@gmail.com
Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alex-khang-phd-057ba8b4/
Website: www.alexkhang.com
Dr. Alex Khang is a postdoctoral researcher in the Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering at the University of Colorado Boulder. His research focuses on studying sex-specific disease initiation in the aortic heart valve toward identifying targets for pharmacological treatment.
He earned his M.S. and Ph.D. in Biomedical Engineering from The University of Texas at Austin. His Ph.D. research focused on elucidating differences in cellular behavior between normal and congenitally defective aortic heart valves. Prior to his Ph.D., he received this B.S. in Biomedical Engineering from the University of Arkansas.
Nkauj Zuag Lo, BSCR
Pediatric Clinical Research Coordinator
Atrium Health Levine Children’s Hospital
Email: nkaujzuaglo@gmail.com
LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/layla-lo-7b89b621a
Nkauj Zuag graduated from Campbell University, class of 2022, with her B.S. in Clinical Research. During the last semester of her college career, she interned at WakeMed Hospital Heart Center in Raleigh, North Carolina, where she gained experience and was exposed to different kinds of research. The main field of focus she worked on was Cardiology in both observational and interventional research. After graduation, Nkauj Zuag accepted an offer at Atrium Health Levine Children’s Hospital as a pediatric clinical research coordinator located in Charlotte, North Carolina. With her dedication in this department, she has worked alongside some of the best specialists/investigators and one of the top children’s hospitals in the Southeast region of the US, highly ranked by US News. Research studies that she is involved in are pediatric observational studies funded by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and Arthritis Foundation. Main specialities she is dedicated to is Nephrology and Rheumatology, where she has contributed her work to continue to better understand the following chronic illnesses/diseases in pediatrics: On-Set Nephrotic Syndrome, Minimal Change Disease, Membranous Neuropathy, Focal Segmental Glomerulosclerosis, Alport Syndrome, Chronic Kidney Disease, Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis, Systemic Lupus Erythematosus, ANCA-Associated Vasculitis.
Yi Lor, MPH
PhD Student
Graduate Group in Epidemiology
University of California, Davis
Email: yijlor@ucdavis.edu
Yi is currently a PhD student in Epidemiology at the University of California (UC) Davis. His research interest is on understanding how lifecourse factors are associated with cognitive function and risk for Alzheimer’s disease and dementia. His dissertation project is focused on examining how lifecourse residential segregation and ethnic enclave are associated with cognitive decline and risk for Alzheimer’s disease using advanced causal inferences methodology and neuroimaging biomarkers. Prior to starting his PhD, he was a California Epidemiologic Investigative Service (Cal-EIS) fellow at the California Department of Public Health Injury and Violence Prevention Branch working on programs to prevent child maltreatment. He received his B.S. in Biology and Masters in Public Health at UC Davis.
Pangkong Moua Fox, PhD
Science Engagement Director
CACNA1A Foundation, Inc.
Email: pangkong@cacna1a.org
Pangkong received her PhD in Molecular and Cell Biology from Indiana University, studying intracellular transport mechanisms in development. She went on to do a postdoc at Northwestern University expanding her studies into neurobiology, followed by an Adjunct Professor position teaching at Northern Illinois University and Kishwaukee College. After her youngest son was diagnosed with a rare, genetic, neurodevelopmental disease in December of 2021, Pangkong joined the Leadership Team at the CACNA1A Foundation. The organization is a rare disease non-profit for those living with a spectrum of neurological disorders linked to mutations in the CACNA1A gene. There are currently no definitive treatments or a cure. Pangkong is now the Science Engagement Director for the CACNA1A Foundation. She works with both the CACNA1A patient community and global CACNA1A Research Network to raise awareness and support research to help develop treatments for CACNA1A-related disorders. She is a proponent of “conversational science” and educating general audiences about the impact and importance of basic and translational research.
Mai Thao, PhD
Senior Medical Affairs Program Manager at Coloplast
Email: maithao2047@gmail.com
I am a PhD trained Chemist who has navigated careers at the bench and beyond the bench. After a Post-doctoral Fellowship, I entered industry as a bench chemist and then moved to Medical Affairs to share science in a meaningful and impactful way. I'm a life-long learner with too much curiosity.
Touyee Thao, PhD
Research Soil Scientist (Research Associate)
USDA-ARS
Parlier, CA
Email: Touyee.Thao@usda.gov
I’m currently a postdoctoral fellow with the USDA Agricultural Research Service (ARS), Water Management Unit located in Parlier CA. Prior to ARS, I completed my BSc and MSc from California State University, Fresno in Plant Science with an emphasis in Agronomy and Agricultural Water Management. During my time at Fresno State, I worked for seven years at the Center for Irrigation and Technology (CIT) and managed various research projects on soil and environmental issues related to food production (e.g. soil salinity, nitrogen leaching, plant health, irrigation management, etc.). In May 2023, I completed my PhD from the University of California, Merced in Environmental Systems. My dissertation research focuses on the uses of wasted organic materials such as locally derived biochar and dairy manure compost on soil hydrological properties, greenhouse gas emissions, and plant productivity.
Yer Thor
UWSMPH Clinical Trials Institute Regulatory Coordinator
University of Wisconsin, Madison
Madison, WI
Email: ythor33@gmail.com
I am Yer Thor, a Hmong-American woman born in the land of cheese (Wisconsin!) I am currently working in research at the University of Wisconsin-Madison as a clinical trials regulatory coordinator. One of my main interests is neuropsychological testing as it relates to dementia and Alzheimer's disease. My work with Dr. Lindsay Clark has evaluated the reliability and validity of remote cognitive testing in populations with cognitive decline.
April Vang
M.S. Candidate
Statistical Data Science
University of California, Davis
Email: apvang@ucdavis.edu
April Vang is an M.S. student in Statistical Data Science and holds a B.S. in Statistics with a minor in Computer Science from the University of California, Davis. For four years, April was a researcher at the UC Davis Genome Center where she provided statistical support for projects on genetic epidemiological analysis, analysis of cancer registry data, and studies aimed at increasing marginalized community participation. She is the recipient of the Research Diversity Supplement Award issued by the National Cancer Institute and a Fellowship Award issued by the Translational Health Data Science Program from the UC Davis DataLab. Through this, her work focused on generating polygenic risk scores using machine learning methodologies to build genetic models for identifying high-risk groups of gastric and colorectal cancer in minority populations.
April is next working at the Violence Prevention Research Program to review California’s Yolo County Basic Income pilot. April wants to pursue a PhD in Epidemiology/Biostatistics and to actively engage in the scientific community to improve such statistics on neighborhood-level relationships to health diseases and violence in areas of persistent poverty.
Kieng B. Vang-Dings, PhD
Lead Clinical Scientist
FSP Merck
Email: kbvangdings@gmail.com
Kieng B. Vang-Dings, immunologist, scientist, medical writer, and education enthusiast, received her Ph.D. in Microbiology, Immunology, and Cancer Biology from the University of Minnesota. Her scientific and professional experience includes leading and developing a targeted dendritic cell melanoma vaccine, mentorship of students, teaching and outreach, and clinical trials. She believes that every child can succeed in science with the right mentorship and opportunities. She serves on the board of directors for AR Kids Read, a nonprofit dedicated to fighting literacy in Arkansas.
Publications:
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/myncbi/kieng.vang%20dings.1/bibliography/public/
Duha Vang
Ph.D. Candidate
Molecular, Cellular, Developmental Biology & Genetics Program
University of Minnesota – Twin Cities
Email: duhavang@gmail.com
LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/duhavang
Duha Vang received her B.S. in Biomedical Sciences from St. Cloud State University. There, she researched on developing the planarian flatworm, Dugesia tigrina, as an animal model for anti-epileptic drug testing. After graduation, she worked as a research technologist at the Mayo Clinic in the Microscopy and Cell Analysis Core for two years. She then joined Dr. Sivaraj Sivaramakrishnan’s lab at the University of Minnesota, where they specialize in protein engineering and biophysical techniques to investigate protein interactions and cellular functions. She is currently a Ph.D candidate and a recipient of the National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship Program. Her research seeks to understand the role of myosin VI in cancer progression through multiplexed regulation and receptor trafficking.
Pajau Vangay, PhD
Senior Director
Scientific Network at the Hypothesis Fund
Email: vangay.p@gmail.com
Pajau received her Ph.D. in Computational Biology from the University of Minnesota where her research focused on the impact of migration on the human gut microbiome and obesity development in Hmong and Karen refugee communities. Upon graduating, she completed a California Council on Science and Technology Science and Technology Policy Fellowship and joined the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, where she managed community engagement programs focused on microbiome data stewardship and open science. Currently, she is the Sr. Director, Scientific Network at the Hypothesis Fund, where she supports a diverse network of scientist ‘scouts’ in funding high-risk, high-reward research at their earliest stages.
Zoua Pa Vang, PhD
NIH Postdoctoral Fellow, University of Minnesota
Marquette University
Zoua Pa is currently a postdoctoral fellow at the University of Minnesota, Twin Cities working with Professor Ian Tonks. Her NIH funded research focuses on titanium catalyzed amination reactions that are atom- and step- economical and are useful for synthesizing druglike molecules. She received her PhD in March 2023 at Marquette University under the supervision of Professor Joseph Clark. Her dissertation focused on exploring new techniques for precision deuteration of small organic molecules containing alkene and alkyne functionalities.
Kory Yi Vue, PhD
Psychometrician
Alpine Testing Solutions
Email: vuyi0401@gmail.com
Dr. Kory Vue is a Psychometrician at Alpine Testing Solutions with a Ph.D. in Quantitative Methods from the Educational Psychology department at the University of Minnesota – Twin Cities. His research centers on the validity of test scores, particularly the impact of construct-irrelevant variance. Notably, he was part of the team that developed the Hmong IGDI PreK assessment instruments—a collaborative effort between the University of Minnesota and Saint Paul Public Schools. These tools assess the Hmong language skills of Hmong-speaking preschoolers aged 3-5.
Currently, Dr. Vue focuses on instrument development and research design, with a strong emphasis on validity. His expertise spans various aspects of instrument creation, including blueprint design, job task analysis, and item writing, as well as recommending appropriate analytical methodologies. Passionate about mentoring, Dr. Vue looks forward to contributing his research methodology expertise to HASR and inspiring young scholars interested in pursuing academic or industry careers in higher education.
Tou Yia Vue, PhD
Assistant Professor
Department of Neurosciences
University of New Mexico
Email: TVue@salud.unm.edu
Tou Yia’s journey as a neuroscientist began during his undergraduate studies at UC Davis, which paved the way toward a PhD from the Graduate Program in Neuroscience at the University of Minnesota. He also completed a postdoctoral research at UT Southwestern Medical Center at Dallas, which was supported by several NIH fellowships (F32 NRSA, K22 Career Transition Award). He is currently an Assistant Professor in the Department of Neurosciences at the University of New Mexico Health Sciences Center in Albuquerque. Research in his laboratory is dedicated to unraveling the development and function of glial cells (astrocytes and oligodendrocytes) in the brain, and how these cells are altered by prenatal alcohol exposure or transformed into highly malignant brain tumors. These research programs are supported by an R01 grant and P50 alcohol center grant from the National Institute of Health (NIH). Apart from being a research mentor and working with students in the lab, he enjoys hiking the trails of the Sandia Mountain in Albuquerque. Tou Yia is excited to be a part of HASR, to help support, nurture, and foster the next generation of Hmong research scientists and scholars in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics).
Gaokhia Yang
PhD Student
University of New Mexico
Email: gvyang@salud.unm.edu
Gaokhia graduated from the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse with her bachelor's in psychology in 2017 and her master's in biology with a concentration in cellular and molecular biology in 2022. Currently, she is a PhD student at the University of New Mexico studying under the direction of Dr. Sam McKenzie, where she studies memory formation using in vivo optogenetics and ribo-immunoprecipitation techniques to spatiotemporally control and measure circuit changes at individual synaptic levels. After graduation, she plans to stay in academia where she can continue to develop a research program and mentor future students.
Julian Yang
PhD Student
Department of Pharmacology
University of Minnesota
Email: jyang427@gmail.com
I am from Oakdale, Minnesota, and graduated with my B.S. in Biology from Concordia University, St. Paul. As a PREP scholar at the University of Kansas, I am conducting research in neuropharmacology with an emphasis on Alzheimer's Disease. I will continue research in molecular pharmacology at the University of Minnesota.
Kao Lee Yang, M.P.A.
PhD Candidate
Department of Neuroscience
University of Wisconsin-Madison
Email: klyang@medicine.wisc.edu
Kao Lee Yang is a doctoral candidate in Neuroscience at the University of Wisconsin–Madison, where she recently received her master's in public affairs. Her work focuses on Alzheimer’s disease biomarkers, including plasma phosphorylated tau and neuroimaging markers, with a particular emphasis on elucidating brain changes that occur prior to cognitive decline in Alzheimer's disease. Kao Lee’s research has been presented at numerous national and international conferences and her dissertation project to extend Alzheimer's disease blood biomarker research into the Hmong community is currently supported by a Community-Based Research Grant from the Morgridge Center for Public Service.
In addition to her research, Kao Lee is a passionate advocate for diversity in STEM. She co-founded the Coalition for Asian American Research, Education, and Services (CAARES), an initiative dedicated to increasing Asian American representation in Alzheimer’s research. She has also developed culturally tailored dementia materials for Hmong and Cambodian communities. Her advocacy work has gained national attention, including her Nature op-ed on the importance of disaggregating data on Asian Americans in science.
Kao Lee is Morgridge Center Fellow for Community-Engaged Research (2022-2023) as well as a Science and Medicine Graduate Research Scholars Fellow (2020-2024). She is also a recipient of the Alzheimer’s Association’s One to Watch Award and has been a featured guest on Dementia Matters, where she discussed her research and advocacy work with Dr. Nathaniel Chin.
Michelle Yang, PhD
Medical Student
Ross University
Email: michelleyang2009@yahoo.com
Currently in 3rd year of medical school. Interested in research opportunities.
Moua Yang, PhD
Instructor in Medicine
Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center
Harvard Medical School
Email: myang4@bidmc.harvard.edu
Moua Yang received his Ph.D. in Cell Biology in 2018 from the Medical College of Wisconsin where his training was performed at the Blood Research Institute of Versiti Blood Center of Wisconsin. His Ph.D. was in the field of platelet redox signaling in arterial thrombosis as it relates to dyslipidemia. He then pursued postdoctoral training at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center and Harvard Medical School, where he focused on the role of thiol isomerases in thrombosis and hemostasis using chemical biology. Additionally, he focused on understanding the dynamics of in vivo thrombus formation in murine models using intravital microscopy.
Shany Yang
Ph.D. Candidate
Neuroscience Graduate Program
University of Michigan
Email: shanyya@umich.edu
Shany Yang received her B.S. in Biology from the University of Wisconsin – Madison in May 2018. There, she conducted research to elucidate the effects of methionine deprivation on metabolic health in mice. She spent 2 years as a Laboratory Technician at the University of Utah where she examined the role of serotonin on alcohol aversion using Drosophila melanogaster. She is currently a Ph.D. Candidate in the lab of Dr. Joanna Spencer-Segal at the University of Michigan where she is investigating the molecular mechanisms underlying the development of neuropsychiatric symptoms, e.g., anxiety, observed in sepsis survivors.
Toufue Yang
Principal Engineer
Genetech/Roche
Email: tfyang33@gmail.com
I received a BS in Cell Biology from UC Davis and have been working in the biopharmaceutical industry for the last two decades within the same company. In my current engineering role, I manage commissioning of new facilities and qualification of new equipment for the manufacture of biopharmaceuticals across our North American campuses. Engineering expertise include, but are not limited to emergent AI technology, single-use technology, design/fabrication/repair of pressure vessels, and reliability engineering best practices. Biomanufacturing process experience include end-to-end knowledge from seed train through to product filling with expertise in product purification (e.g., HPLC, TFF, etc.) and support equipment (e.g., cleaning and sterilization systems).
Current Undergraduate Members (listed in Alphabetical Surname Order)
Julia Thuy Lee, MPH
Undergraduate Student
University of California, San Diego
Email: juliatylee516@gmail.com
Julia is a 4th year Mechanical Engineering undergraduate at UC San Diego. She has diverse experience, from filing two patents as a Mechanical Engineering Intern at GE Appliances to working on high-voltage battery systems at Monarch Tractor, an electric autonomous tractor startup. As a RISE Germany Scholarship Recipient, she used data analysis to conduct research at the Urban Water Management Lab at Technical University Berlin. She also advises the Engineers for a Sustainable World Chapter at UCSD, which promotes sustainable technologies and career opportunities to students.
Her research interests are broadly centered on advancing the clean energy transition and supporting sustainable public infrastructure (water, power, public transportation). Her current research involves using new NREL data platforms to improve the accuracy of capacity expansion models that guide planning and forecasting for renewable energy integration. Her research will also contribute to an interdisciplinary $2M study on the capacity expansion modeling of microgrids to maximize climate change disaster resiliency and socioeconomic equity. After undergrad, she plans to pursue graduate school and continue her research interests.
Maivnyaj Lita Moua
Undergraduate Student and Lead Research Assistant
Stanford University, Stanford University BPP Lab
Email: litamoua@stanford.edu
Maivnyaj is a Sophomore at Stanford University, where she is planning to major in Human Biology with a minor in Education. She is currently a Lead Research Assistant at the Stanford Biobehavioral Pediatric Pain Lab, under Dr. Laura Simons, as a part of the School of Medicine’s Department of Anesthesia, where she studies and researches chronic pain in children and adolescents. In the future, Maivnyaj has aspirations to earn her MD/PhD to become a practicing emergency room physician and a researcher. She also hopes to inspire youth to pursue higher education and STEM careers through her endeavors.
Sean Xiong
Undergraduate Student
College of Biological Sciences
University of Minnesota – Twin Cities
Email: sliaxiong@gmail.com
Sean Xiong is a dedicated student currently enrolled at the University of Minnesota College of Biological Sciences. With a major in biochemistry and a special emphasis on neuroscience, he is deeply engrossed in unraveling the complexities of the human brain. His academic interests are driven by a passion for neurocognitive repatterning, particularly in the context of understanding and treating addiction, with a specific focus on alcohol addiction. This passion extends beyond the classroom, as he serves as a 3M Research Aide in the chemistry department. With a steadfast commitment to the pursuit of knowledge, he harbors the aspiration of attaining a Ph.D. in STEM, ultimately aspiring to share his expertise and inspire future generations as a professor in the field.
Josh Yang
Undergraduate Student
Neuroscience major (behavioral & cognitive)
Northern Michigan University
Email: Josyang@nmu.edu
Josh is currently an undergraduate student at Northern Michigan University, where he studies behavioral and cognitive neuroscience. At Northern, he studies affective processing and how that can interact with certain aspects of cognition. Additionally, he is also involved in research that determines the effects of novel compounds to various psychological and psychiatric disorders such as anxiety and PTSD. Josh plans to pursue a Ph.D. in something that relates to psychology or neuroscience!
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