Home Lab Members
Lab Members

Lab Members

Can Cenik

Can Cenik

Principal Investigator

Can enjoys playing the piano and chess for fun. He likes to listen to music and spend time with his wife who is also a faculty member at UT. Here is more information about her research.

  • 2012 - 2018, Stanford University, School of Medicine
    Postdoctoral Fellow, Genetics.
    Advisor: Dr. Michael P. Snyder
  • 2008-2011, Harvard Medical School
    PhD, Genetics
    Thesis advisor: Dr. Frederick P. Roth
  • 2004-2008, Harvard College
    BA, magna cum laude, highest honors, Applied Mathematics.
    Thesis Advisor: Dr. John Wakeley
Shilpa Rao

Shilpa Rao

Research Scientist

Shilpa is interested in understanding different aspects of translation regulation. Outside the lab she enjoys cooking, biking and travelling.

  • 2009 - 2015, Pune University, Pune, Maharashtra, India
    PhD Scholar
  • 2007 - 2009, Hislop College, Nagpur, Maharashtra, India
    M.S. Biotechnology
  • 2004 - 2007, Hislop College, Nagpur, Maharashtra, India
    B.S.
Vighnesh Ghatpande

Vighnesh Ghatpande

Postdoctoral Fellow

Vighnesh is interested in studying the cellular mechanisms of protein translation, particularly in the brain and early development. Outside lab, he enjoys hiking, swimming, and playing board games. He also loves to explore new places and cuisines.

  • 2015 - 2022, National Centre for Cell Science, Pune, India PhD
  • 2012 - 2014, Pondicherry University, India M.S. Biotechnology
  • 2009 - 2012, Fergusson College, Pune, India B.S. Biotechnology
Dayea Park

Dayea Park

Graduate Student

Dayea is interested in the subjects of genomics, genetics, and epigenetics. She is working on translational regulatory mechanisms in development and its connection to epigenetics. Outside of research, she has an outgoing personality and loves physical activities including traveling, playing tennis, and swimming.

  • 2016, Gachon University, South Korea,
    B.S. Biology
  • 2018, Seoul National University, South Korea,
    M.S. Crop Genetics
Bingting (Grace) He

Bingting (Grace) He

Graduate Student

Grace is interested in molecular mechanism research, particularly in non-canonical translational events in human cells. Outside the lab, she enjoys watching movies, going to concerts and playing table tennis.

  • 2023, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, United States,
    B.S. Integrative Biology
Uma Paul

Uma Paul

Undergraduate Research Assistant

Uma is a biomedical engineering major who is interested in utilizing computational biology to study genetics and translation. In her spare time, she enjoys baking, hiking, and reading.

Logan Persyn

Logan Persyn

Undergraduate Research Assistant

Logan is a computer science major in the integrated B.S./M.S. program. He is interested in machine learning and its applications in bioinformatics. His goal is to bridge these two fields of research. In his free time, he enjoys cooking and running.

Aden Le

Aden Le

Undergraduate Research Assistant

Aden’s passion lies in the realms of computational biology and genomics. Beyond the the lab, he finds fulfillment in giving back to his community through volunteering, spending time with friends, and embracing the challenge of the gym.

Kangsheng (

Kangsheng ("Hurley") Qi

Undergraduate Research Assistant

Hurley is a computer science and mathematics student. He is passionate about applying computational methods to the fields of biology and medicine. Hurley is a big fan of Star Wars and The Lord of the Rings. In his free time, he enjoys reading mystery novels and watching professional chess and tennis.