Dr. Bi joined the University of Georgia in 2018 and is now a tenured Associate Professor in the Department of Genetics and the Center for Molecular Medicine. His lab studies the genetic and cellular mechanisms of human muscle development and disease. His team has studied the transcriptional control of myoblast fusion and muscle differentiation and how the highly efficient myoblast fusion machinery evolved in vertebrates through gene duplication and de novo gene emergence.

Bi lab also develops tools to advance functional genomics, including muscle-targeted CRISPR libraries for high-throughput screens and a cost-effective in vivo electroporation technique for generating conditional knockout mice. These resources—floxed alleles, CRISPR tools, and mutant lines and cells—are widely shared to accelerate discovery across the field. Beyond the research, he teaches the core undergraduate Genetics course and has instructed over 2,000 students. He integrates solid examples from muscle biology to illustrate gene regulation, functional genomics, and the therapeutic potential of CRISPR technologies to treat muscle disease. Through teaching, curriculum development, and mentorship, Dr. Bi aims to inspire the next generation of scientists to explore the fundamental biology of muscle as a powerful model for understanding development and disease.

Min is originally from Shandong, China, and joined the lab in October 2023. She earned her Ph.D. in Animal Nutrition and Feed Science from China Agricultural University, where her research focused on the effects and regulatory mechanisms of dietary nutrients on muscle fiber composition in pigs and mice. In her free time, Min enjoys staying active through running, yoga, and hiking, as well as relaxing with folk music.

Zheng is from Zhejiang, a province in eastern China along the lower reaches of the Yangtze River. He is currently an undergraduate at Zhejiang University and plans to pursue a Ph.D. after graduation. Zheng first joined the lab as an undergraduate trainee from 2021 to 2022 and returned as a graduate student in Fall 2023. Outside the lab, he enjoys building Lego sets and watching soccer matches.

Yushu (Nick) grew up on the tropical island of Hainan, China, and holds dual B.S. degrees in Life Sciences and Environmental Sciences from Peking University. He joined the lab in August 2024, bringing with him a passion for scientific discovery that started in his freshman year and hasn’t stopped evolving since. His scientific journey has taken him from microbiology to neuroscience, and now to the muscle lab, where he’s diving deep into the molecular and cellular genetics of muscle biology. Outside the lab, Nick is all about rhythm and motion—he loves singing, staying active through sports, and experimenting in the kitchen. Eventually, he hopes to push the boundaries of biology and one day help unravel the mysteries behind human diseases.

Haifeng joined the lab in Oct 2018. He earned a Ph.D. degree in Genetics from Ocean University of China. His graduate work focused on the molecular signaling pathways that regulate development of zebrafish. Haifeng also has a M.S. degree in Pharmacology, and a B.S. degree in Biotechnology from Qingdao Agriculture University. Haifeng started his own lab as a faculty at Ocean University of China.

Hannah is from Canton, GA. She is a biology major and studio art minor who hopes to become a genetic counselor. She joined the lab in Spring 2022. In her free time, she likes to paint, watch Netflix, and play video and board games.

Hi, my name is Aaryahi Deshmukh and I am a second-year (c/o 2025) at UGA. I am a Genetics Major with a minor in Public Health. I am currently pursuing the pre-med track with hopes to go into Oncology with a focus on breast health in the future. I love huskies, watching tennis, and drinking boba with my friends.

Ashlynn Kim is a third-year genetics student from Canton, GA. During her free time, she enjoys going on walks, crocheting, and trying new foods. She joined the lab in Fall 2022 and plans to continue studying clinical genetics after she graduates.

Yanqing is from Luoyang, a city with a long history. People can call him “Charlie” if they like it. He is a junior year student from Wuhan university, major in Biotechnology and minor in computer science. He joins the lab in 2022 as an undergraduate trainee. He likes to play table tennis and cycling, and he wants to try football in the future. He also wants to become a skillful person both in the laboratory and kitchen.

Alina joined the lab during the summer of 2020. She is a third-year premed student from Johns Creek, GA majoring in biochemistry and genetics. In her free time she likes to read, draw, and play with her cat. She also likes long walks and exploring new coffee shops.

Yanran is from Chongqing, China. She is a pre-med with a major in Biology and minor in Statistics. During her free time, Yanran loves to watch movies and listen classical music.

Renjie joined the lab in Oct 2018. He earned a B.S. degree in Biotechnology. As a college student, Renjie won the Silver Medal in the International Genetically Engineered Machine (iGEM) Competition in 2015. Renjie possesses a unique combination of skills in both bench work and bioinformatics, areas in which he has a keen interest. Throughout his doctoral studies in our lab, his outstanding performance earned him four awards with scholarships from the University or department. Renjie is currently a postdoc with Dr. Joseph Wu at Stanford University.

Tom grew up in the suburbs surrounding Chicago. He is studying biology with the goal of pursuing a career in orthopedic surgery. He joined the lab in Fall 2021. Outside of classes and tutoring, he enjoys longboarding, going to the gym, and celebrating the little victories with a trip to Cane’s.

Gaurav is from Johns Creek, GA. He is a Biology major with a Health Policy and Administration minor, and is also pre-med. Gaurav joined the lab in July 2020 as an undergraduate research assistant. In his free time, Gaurav loves to play tennis and basketball.

Carla was born in Caracas, Venezuela. She got her B.S degree in Chemistry from the University of Puerto Rico, Cayey Campus. She joined Dr. Bi Lab with a Summer Undergraduate Fellowships in Genetic during the summer of 2021. Her hobbies are learning new things and cultures, travel, doing exercise, going to the beach, movies, art and photography.

Emily is from Marietta, GA. She is a pre-med genetics major who hopes to become an orthopedic doctor. She joined the lab in Fall 2019. In her free time, she likes to exercise, water Netflix, and play with animals.

Jiacheng Chen (Jackie) is from Wuhan, China. He is an undergraduate student of Wuhan University who wishes to become a PhD student in the future. He joined the lab in Fall 2019 as a visiting scholar student. He likes music, watching movies and his favorite food is hot dry noodles, which is a traditional dish of his hometown.

Junfei grew up in Jiangxi, a middle east province in China. He joined the lab in Sept 2019. He is a senior college student from Wuhan University, China. He likes to play basketball and listen classical music when he is free from study and lab works.

William was born and raised in Macon, Georgia. He is currently a fourth-year biology major and pre-med. Willam loves to go camping and fishing in his free time. He also likes to watch movies directed by the Coen Brothers.

Hector is an undergraduate student from the University of Puerto Rico. He joined the lab for research training with a Summer Undergraduate Fellowships in Genetics (SUNFIG) in May 2019.