Our Team

Jiakun received his PhD degree from Washington University in St. Louis, where he used zebrafish to investigate early embryonic development in the lab of Lila Solnica-Krezel. He joined Marc Freeman’s and Kelly Monk’s labs in the Vollum Institute at OHSU for his postdoctoral research in astrocyte biology using both fruit flies and zebrafish model systems. He started his own lab at UNC in 2024, his lab studies the roles of astrocytes in nervous system formation and function.

I have always been fascinated by how cells grow, change, and interact with other distinct cell types. I was first able to explore these interests as an undergraduate at Ithaca College in the lab of Dr. Ian Woods. There, I studied development and function of sensory neurons in zebrafish and received my B.S in Biology 2019. Following that, I served as a Peace Corps Volunteer teaching in Indonesia. Upon my return to the states, I worked as a Research Technician at UW-Madison in the lab of Dr. Katie Drerup – exploring molecular mechanisms underpinning proper cargo transport in zebrafish lateral line neurons. Now as Cell Biology and Physiology graduate student in the Chen Lab here at UNC, I hope to help unravel the molecular basis of astrocyte morphogenesis and interaction with other cell types such as neurons and immune cells.

Jenevieve completed her undergraduate training at Florida State University, where she studied nest-site fidelity in the lance-tailed manakin, a tropical passerine bird, in the DuVal lab. She then made the jump from researching the movement of birds to how cells move, where she worked as a lab technician in the Peifer lab at UNC-CH. There she worked on what proteins regulate collective cell migration of testis nascent myotubes in Drosophila. Jenevieve hopes to keep asking questions about how cells change shape and move now through the lens of how astrocytes form complex structures and how their characteristic processes support the neural cells around them. When she’s not in lab, she enjoys crafting, baking, and birdwatching.

Taino started his academic journey at St. John’s University but discovered his love for science when he transferred to UNC. He recently graduated with his B.S. Degree in Biology and a minor in Chemistry. While studying at UNC, he completed his undergraduate thesis in Peifer lab where he studied the collective cell migration of testis nascent myotubes in Drosophila. Now he has started as a research technician studying astrocyte morphogenesis in both fruit flies and zebrafish.

Catherine is studying at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. She recently graduated with her B.S. Degree in Biology and minors in Chemistry and Philosophy, but she is continuing her academic journey at UNC in the B.S. Radiologic Science program. She has long harbored a deep interest in neuroimaging. While also working in the UNC CogMAP Study to research cognitive changes across cancer treatment using whole-brain fMRI scans​, Catherine is now also thoroughly excited to engage in imaging at the cellular level of astrocytes in the Chen Lab. She plans to pursue an MD after her future gap years as an interventional radiologic technologist. Outside of the lab, she enjoys being with family and wrestling philosophical thought experiments.

Rebecca is a sophomore at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill majoring in Biology. Her interest in research began in high school, where she interned at a cardiology lab at NYU. There, she studied how genetic mutations affect lifespan and susceptibility to disease. She is excited to continue her research journey at the Chen lab, where she hopes to refine her research skills and learn more about astrocyte biology.