Lab Members

Raju Ahmmed

PhD Student
Raju is a Ph.D. student in Human Nutrition from Bangladesh. Since 2018, he has been as an Assistant Professor in the Department of Food Engineering at Dhaka University of Engineering & Technology (DUET), Gazipur, Bangladesh, and is currently on deputation leave to pursue his Ph.D. He earned his bachelor’s and master’s degrees in Food Engineering from Bangladesh Agricultural University in 2011 and 2013, respectively. His research focuses on optimizing the properties and health benefits of resistant starch through structural modification and dietary strategies. Raju’s favorite sports are badminton, cricket, and soccer.

Xiaojun Lin

PhD Student
​Xiaojun (Samantha) is a Ph.D. student in Human Nutrition from Guangdong, China. She earned her Master’s degree in Food Science and Human Nutrition from the National University of Singapore in 2024 and her Bachelor’s degree in Food Science and Technology from Beijing Normal–Hong Kong Baptist University in 2023. From 2024 to 2025, she worked as a research assistant in Prof. Baojun Xu’s lab. Her current research focuses on using emulsion electrospinning and electrospraying to improve the functional activity of lutein. She is also exploring the application of non-invasive imaging techniques for fruit ripeness and deterioration monitoring.

Xuanyi Zhang

PhD Student
​Xuanyi (Harry) is a Ph.D. student in Human Nutrition from Shenyang, China. He earned his Master’s degree in Food Science from National University of Singapore in 2025 and his Bachelor’s degree in Food Science from Beijing Normal–Hong Kong Baptist University. His research interests include electrospinning and bioactive compound encapsulation, with an emphasis on their applications in food and health. Xuanyi’s favorite activities are fitness training and watching movies.

Sophia Marshall-Pelayo

Undergraduate Researcher, Randall Research Scholar
Sophia is a sophomore from Boston, Massachusetts. She is majoring in Biology with minors in Spanish, Biochemistry, and the Randall Research Scholars Program. After completing her undergraduate degree, she hopes to continue her education in medical school.​

Cameron Rancher

Undergraduate Researcher, Achieve Scholar, Emerging Scholar
Cameron is a sophomore from Chesterfield, Virginia. He is majoring in Neuroscience and Biology with a minor in Biochemistry. After getting his bachelor’s degree, Cameron plans to continue his education in medical school, hoping to earn an MD/PhD.

Molly Sullivan

Undergraduate Researcher, Randall Research Scholar
Molly is from Cypress, Texas. She is a senior majoring in Biology with a minor in the Randall Research Scholars Program and Interdisciplinary Studies in Medicine. After getting her bachelor’s degree, Molly plans to continue her education in medical school.

Lab Alumni

Jiayue Guo, PhD Student, Now Associate Professor at China Agricultural University

Jingyi Zhou, PhD Student, Now Postdoctoral Scientist at the Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station​

Yanqi Zhang, PhD Student, Now Postdoctoral Scholar at Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine

Songnan Li, Visiting PhD Student and Visiting Scholar, now Assistant Professor at Yangzhou University.

Jun Wang, Visiting Scholar, now Assistant Professor at Yangzhou University.

Jiannan Feng, Research assistant, Now PhD student at UGA

Yuxuan Si, MS student, Now PhD student at Lincoln University, New Zealand

Sara Ghulamani, Undergraduate Research Assistant​
Nicole Angle, Undergraduate Research Assistant​, Now PhD student at Duke University
Ali Gutierrez, Undergraduate Research Assistant​, Now PhD-MD student at South Carolina College of Medicine
Emily Ager, Undergraduate Research Assistant​, Now PhD student at San Diego State University
Katie Webb, Research Assistant-Master
Gabrielle Van Hoet, Undergraduate Research Assistant​
​Shu Hang Kwan, ​Undergraduate Research Assistant​
Brittany Humphreys, ​Undergraduate Research Assistant
Morgan Abercrombie, Undergraduate Research Assistant
Mindy Martinez, Undergraduate Research Assistant
Joshua Kelly, Undergraduate Research Assistant
​Lilla Gladden, Undergraduate Research Assistant
Tyler Lubbat, Undergraduate Research Assistant
Alegna Trejo Contreras, Undergraduate Research Assistant
​Steven Li, Undergraduate Research Assistant