Our Team
Xueqin Sherine Sun, PhD.
Principle Investigator
Cancer Biologist | Cell and Molecular Biologist | Genome Engineer|
Trained at Wuhan University (China) and Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory (U.S.); fascinated by cancer and aging; highly motivated to identify therapeutic targets and develop effective therapeutic interventions.
Bin Lu PhD.
Senior Scientist
I am a cell and molecular biologist by training. I graduated from Wuhan University and had Postdoctoral training at Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory and Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center. I am fascinated with epigenetic regulation of gene expression, and developing large scale CRISPR screening and genomic profiling strategies to identify novel therapeutic targets of human cancer.
Shuo Zhang Ph.D.
Postdoctoral Associate
I earned my Ph.D. from the Center for Excellence in Molecular Cell Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences, and pursued my first postdoctoral training at UC San Diego. I joined the lab in August 2025, where my research focuses on the epigenetics of glioblastoma and the development of combination therapies for this disease.
Arshe Tahirkheli
Assistant, Center Support
NCI-Designated Cancer Center
Mansi Solanki
Research Assistant
I graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Molecular, Cell, and Developmental Biology from UCLA and have a strong passion for cancer biology research. My current focus is on glioblastoma, where I apply molecular and cellular techniques such as functional genomics, CRISPR-based gene editing, transcriptomic analysis, and epigenetic assays to investigate the genetic and epigenetic regulation of transcriptional networks. Originally from San Diego, I enjoy reading, traveling, and exploring nature through hiking when I'm not in the lab.
Laurence Haddadin
Graduate student
I graduated with a bachelor’s degree in general biology from the University of California, Riverside, in 2023, where I worked in the Garland Lab studying the effects of exercise on mice through evolutionary lens. After graduating, I joined the Adams Lab at SBP, focusing on characterizing the phenotype and genotype of senescent cells in aging mice. This experience inspired me to join the Sun Lab, where I am now pursuing my PhD, researching the epigenetics of glioblastoma. In my free time, I enjoy climbing and spending time with family and friends.