Jianping Li Research

Zongxiu (Lisa) Zhang
Research Technician

Lisa joined Dr. Li's lab in December 2023 . She studies the roles of chromatin regulators in B-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia.

Brianne Barker, PhD
Postdoctoral Fellow

Brianne received her Bachelor of Science in Biology (High Honors) from Lehigh University in 2018. After receiving her Master of Science in Immunology (First Class Honors) from Trinity College Dublin in 2021, Brianne stayed to pursue her PhD in Clinical Medicine under the supervision of Prof. Ursula Fearon. Her research focused on how fibroblast diversity and metabolism contribute to the pathogenesis of Rheumatoid Arthritis. She joined Thomas Jefferson University as a postdoctoral researcher in 2026 and is passionate about translating lab bench science into clinical treatments for patients with acute lymphoblastic leukemia.

Samuel Sey
PhD Student

Sam received his Bachelor's degree in Biological Sciences from Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology in Ghana in 2020 and his Master's degree in Biology from Adelphi University in 2024. Sam began his PhD in Genetics, Genomics, and Cancer Biology at Thomas Jefferson University in August 2024, focusing on CNS infiltration driven by NSD2 mutation in acute lymphoblastic leukemia.

Zhengyang (Kevin) Sun
MD/PhD Student

Kevin received his Bachelor's degree with double majors and a minor in Biomedical Research at the University of California, Los Angeles. He took two gap years as a research technician at Harvard University and the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. He joined Thomas Jefferson University for his MD/PhD in 2023 and focuses on NSD2 mutation-driven leukemia transformation.

Venkata (Siva) Dasuri
MD Student

Siva is part of the Academic Program- Combined BS/MD 7-year program. He received his bachelor’s degree from Penn State University, and Siva had completed a one-year research internship at Boston Children’s Hospital. He joined Thomas Jefferson University Sidney Kimmel Medical College in 2024 and focuses on translational research about NSD2 mutation in lymphoid malignancies. 

Brianna Gipson
MD Student

Brianna received her Bachelor of Science in Biological Sciences (High Honors) at Lehigh University in 2021. She then had 3 years of research experience at the Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center. Brianna joined Thomas Jefferson University Sidney Kimmel Medical College in July 2024 and focuses on T-cell immunity in acute lymphoblastic leukemia.

Seung Hyen Eun
Postbaccalaureate

Seung received his bachelor’s degree in Operations Research and Information Engineering at Cornell University. He is a Postbaccalaureate Pre-Professional Program (P4) student at Jefferson College of Life Sciences. He analyzes the multi-omics sequencing data created in our lab.

Kayla Hammond
PhD Student (Rotation)

Kayla is a dedicated researcher with a strong foundation in molecular and cellular biology after receiving her Master's degree in Biological Sciences from the University of Delaware. Kayla is currently pursuing a doctorate degree in cancer biology here at Thomas Jefferson University. During her time in Dr. Li's lab, she is studying the role of the NSD2 mutation in T cell development and leukemogenesis.

Julia Harris
Research Assistant

Julia is a student in the BS/MD program between Pennsylvania State University and Thomas Jefferson University Sidney Kimmel Medical College. She joined the lab in January 2026 for a gap semester before medical school. She is interested in studying the role of NSD2 mutations in acute lymphoblastic leukemia.