Yun "Claudia" Wei, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor
Department of Pediatrics | Hematology and Oncology
Harold C. Simmons Comprehensive Cancer Center
Dr. Wei's Academic Profile
Dr. Wei received her Bachelor of Science from the College of Life Sciences at Wuhan University. She worked as a technician at the Chinese Academy of Sciences under her advisor, Guohong Li, for one year, then transitioned to the U.S. to attend Emory University, where she earned her Ph.D. in cancer biology, studying medulloblastoma, under the advisorship of Anna M. Kenney. Afterwards, Dr. Wei moved to Boston and completed her postdoctoral studies on rhabdomyosarcoma, under her mentor, David M. Langenau, at Mass General Hospital and Harvard Medical School. She has broad interests in the new technologies of single-cell multiomics, especially the dynamics of cell state transitions, that is regulated by the interaction between TF and chromatin regulators, which could contribute to cancer cell plasticity. Dr. Wei is interested in less studied pediatric tumors, and sometimes the rarer forms, due to the lack of attention these tumors receive. For example, recurrent fusion genes were reported in young patients that normally associate with worse a prognosis, yet patient tumors were not modeled in the lab setting. Dr. Wei hopes to model these patient tumors either with 2D stem cell culture, 3D organoids, or even with transgenic zebrafish or mouse models. Comprehensive profiling and mechanism work will be performed to understand how these putative oncogenes contribute to malignant transformation. Proposed research topics were funded by the National Cancer Institute K99/R00 Transition Award, Texas CPRIT Award, and UT Southwestern Department of Pediatrics start-up money.
In her life outside of work, Dr. Wei likes to spend time with her two little ones, loves badminton, cycling, and hiking, and is really into Japanese animations, classic action movies, and horror books/TV shows.
Lab Members
Kyungho "Paul" Park, M.S.
Research Scientist/Lab Manager
Mr. Park has special interests in gene therapy, immunotherapy, and tumor biology. His previous research focused on the development and optimization of gene therapy delivery systems, including viral and non-viral vectors to treat genetic disorders and cancer. Mr. Park has worked extensively on CAR T-cell therapy, gene editing (e.g., CRISPR-Cas9), and pre-clinical studies of tumor biology, particularly in the context of PTEN-related tumors such as glioblastoma and neuroblastoma. His ultimate goal is to improve the safety and efficacy of gene therapy and immunotherapy strategies for cancer treatment. Mr. Park was an active participant in several professional societies related to gene therapy, oncology, and immunology. He has contributed to the scientific community through his research and involvement in academic and clinical collaborations.
In his free time, Mr. Park plays tennis and bowls. He also enjoys watching science fiction movies and reading novels.
Ying Gao, Ph.D.
Research Scientist
Dr. Gao is a biophysicist and molecular biologist with research experience in the United States, China, and Japan. She earned her Ph.D. in biochemistry and biophysics from the Graduate University for Advanced Studies in Japan, where she trained under the guidance of Dr. Teizo Kitagawa, a pioneer in vibrational spectroscopy and protein structure. Her work brings together biology and physics, with a focus on gene expression, biomolecular mechanisms, and translational biomedical research. Dr. Gao has experience with single-cell and spatial transcriptomics, multiplexed tissue imaging, and optical instrumentation.
Outside the lab, she enjoys playing tennis with her kids, gardening, watercolor painting, and exploring new places through travel.
Celeste Romero, Ph.D.
Postdoctoral Researcher
Dr. Romero received her Bachelor of Science in cellular and molecular biology from San Diego State University. She then worked as a Research Assistant at Sanford Burnham Prebys Medical Discovery Institute in La Jolla, California, where she worked on developing novel molecular assays to test the efficacy of small molecule inhibitors of the SHP2 protein in acute myeloid leukemia. Dr. Romero then moved to Dallas, Texas and received her Ph.D. from UT Southwestern Medical Center in biomedical sciences under the mentorship of Stephen X. Skapek. Her Ph.D. work focused on studying the role of epigenetic modifiers, particularly histone methyltransferases, in muscle cell differentiation and the pediatric cancer rhabdomyosarcoma. Dr. Romero has a broad interest in pediatric sarcoma research with enhanced interest in understanding how epigenetic alterations can drive tumorigenesis. Her ultimate goal is to identify and develop novel therapeutic strategies for the treatment of childhood cancers.
In her free time, Dr. Romero loves cooking, golfing, hiking, and traveling. She also loves visiting national parks and hopes to one day visit every national park in the U.S.
Haijie Li, M.D., Ph.D.
Senior Research Assistant
Dr. Li earned his Ph.D. from Huazhong University of Science and Technology in China, where his research was primarily focused on tumor epigenetic regulation, non-histone protein methylation, and metabolic reprogramming in cancer. During this time, he developed a strong interest in understanding how epigenetic and metabolic pathways interact to influence tumor development and progression.
Currently, Dr. Li is engaged in postdoctoral research with a focus on pediatric oncology. His work explores the molecular mechanisms and functional consequences of fusion genes in pediatric solid tumors, with the aim of identifying novel therapeutic targets. In parallel, Dr. Li is also involved in the development of immunotherapeutic strategies for pediatric sarcomas, seeking to improve outcomes for young patients through translational research.
Outside the lab, he enjoys hiking, which helps him stay connected with nature, and listening to music, which he finds both relaxing and inspiring.
Hina Gaur, M.S.
Computational Biologist I
Ms. Gaur holds a Master of Science in bioinformatics from the Georgia Institute of Technology. During her graduate studies, she worked as a Graduate Research Assistant at Duke University in the lab of Dr. Kamaleswaran and completed a data science–pharmacokinetics co-op, where she explored the immunogenicity of protein-based biologics.
Ms. Gaur earned her undergraduate degree in biotechnology from Gautam Buddha University, India. Prior to her graduate education, she served as a Genomics Data Scientist at Theomics, a start-up based in India.
Ms. Gaur is passionate about translational research and harnessing advanced multi-omics approaches to identify novel drug targets for life-threatening diseases.
When not immersed in research, she is an adrenaline enthusiast who loves adventurous activities like zip lining, river rafting, and paragliding.
Lab Alumni
Cheng Hao Liu, B.S.
Research Technician II
