I am a postdoctoral researcher in the Department of Plant Sciences at the University of California, Davis, working in the Monroe Lab, where I recently completed my Ph.D. in Plant Biology. My research sits at the intersection of evolutionary genomics, plant biology, and computational biology.
My Ph.D. work focused on understanding the evolutionary and functional consequences of loss-of-function (LoF) genetic variation in plants. I developed computational pipelines to identify LoF alleles and used genome-wide association approaches to link them to trait variation and adaptation.
I applied these methods across diverse plant systems — from the model organism Arabidopsis thaliana to economically important crops like cassava and diploid wheat — to uncover the genetic basis of adaptation, domestication, and trait diversity.
As a postdoc, I am studying somatic mutations in cassava clones, using high-quality HiFi genome assemblies of clonal accessions from various countries to date the historical spread of these clones.
University of California, Davis
Advisor: Dr. J. Grey Monroe
Dissertation: From Model to Crop: Leveraging Natural Loss-of-Function Variation and Genome-Wide Burden Tests to Understand Gene Dispensability and Accelerate Plant Breeding
School of Agriculture and Biology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University
Advisor: Dr. Jingjin Zhang
Thesis: Effects of Red Light and Far-Red Light on the Growth, Development, and Hormone Levels of Water Spinach Sprouts
School of Foreign Language, Shanghai Jiao Tong University
Building high-quality HiFi genome assemblies and a somatic-mutation pipeline for clonal cassava accessions from various countries, to date the historical spread of the clones.
Developing novel computational pipelines to call LoF alleles and discover causal relationships with trait variation. Computationally recapitulating flowering time networks in Arabidopsis and validating findings through RNAseq experiments.
Analyzing over 1,000 cassava genomes, including 387 newly sequenced Colombian landraces, to investigate population structure, climate-associated genetic differentiation, and the functional consequences of LoF mutations.
Investigating patterns of LoF variation in Triticum monococcum and their potential roles in adaptation and domestication, bridging evolutionary biology and crop improvement.
Developed a CRISPR/Cas9 system for C. richardii to generate knockout lines targeting CrLFY, enabling functional characterization of the LEAFY transcription factor in ferns.
New Phytologist. 2026.
Plant Cell. 36(6):2410–2426, 2024.
China Vegetables. 1(6):51–57, 2019. (In Chinese)
Bay Area Plant Hub 2026 Symposium, Berkeley, CA oral
PAG 33 (Plant and Animal Genome Conference 33), San Diego, CA oral
UCD Plant Breeding Annual Retreat, Bodega Bay, CA oral
PAG 32 (Plant and Animal Genome Conference 32), San Diego, CA poster
PAG 31 (Plant and Animal Genome Conference 31), San Diego, CA oral
2024 UCD PBGG Colloquium, Davis, CA oral
UCD Plant Sciences Symposium, Davis, CA poster
Evolution Conference video flash talk
I am always happy to discuss research collaborations, questions about my work, or opportunities in plant genomics and evolutionary biology. Feel free to reach out by email.