Meet Our Dedicated Research Team
We are a passionate group of scientists exploring the role of primary cilia in islet cell function and their impact on endocrine communication and diabetes.


Hughes Lab
Update July 2025: the lab has moved to Yale. Come visit us in New Haven!
Current Members
Mavericks and misfits, us all, united by our love for cilia
Jeong Hun is a Research Scientist from South Korea. In his rare moments outside of lab, he likes to swim and watch movies.
Scientist


jeonghun.jo@yale.edu
Jing is a physician-scientist trained in immunology, cell biology, and endocrinology. She likes solving biological questions using microscopes.


Lab head
jing.hughes@yale.edu
Jeong Hun Jo, PhD
Jing Hughes, MD PhD
Shannon is a postdoctoral scholar studying paracrine signaling in islet cells.
Postdoc


shannon.townsend@yale.edu
Shannon Townsend, PhD
Bella Melena


Bella is an MSTP student who wants to understand how GLP-1 works in beta cells.
MSTP Student
i.l.melena@wustl.edu
Lab Alumni
Lifei was a postdoctoral fellow from 2020-2022 and is now a resident in Radiation Oncology at Montefiore/Albert Einstein.
Resident, Rad Onc, Montefiore Medical Center, Albert Einstein College of Medicine


lifeizhu@wustl.edu
Lifei Zhu, MD PhD
Eun Young Lee, MD PhD
Eun Young was a visiting scholar from 2021-2023. She is currently focusing on clinical and stem cell diabetes research in South Korea.
Associate Professor, The Catholic University of Korea, Seoul St Mary's Hospital


leyme@catholic.ac.kr
Henry was our undergraduate student from 2019-2021 and now a 4th year MD-PhD student at UT Southwestern.
MSTP, UT Southwestern Medical School


henry.roseman@utsouthwestern.edu

jing.hughes@wustl.edu
Henry Roseman
Alex Li
Alex was our WashU undergraduate student from 2019-2023. He is now an MSTP student at WashU jointly mentored with Remedi and Urano Labs.
MSTP, Washington University


alex.li@wustl.edu
Hannah Conway
Hannah was our research assistant from 2019-2020. She helped start our lab and is now working independently.


conway@luc.edu
Self-employed
We are so proud of where everyone has gone
Xinhang was our Biongineering masters student from 2023-2025. She pioneered expansion microscopy techniques for the lab.
PhD Student, UCLA


xinhangd@ucla.edu
Xinhang Dong
Samantha Adamson, MD PhD
Samantha is a K-funded physician-scientist now heading her own lab to study beta cell calcium signaling.


sadamson@wustl.edu
Assistant Professor, Washington University School of Medicine
Rotation & summer students
Jon Beirne, rotation student (Aug-Nov 2023) - currently PhD candidate in Sergej Djuranovic Lab, WashU Cell Biology & Physiology
Michelle Phan, rotation student (Jan-Apr 2024) - currently PhD candidate in Fumi Urano Lab, WashU Endocrinology
Harshita Jain, MD, NIDDK summer student (May-Aug 2019) - currently Internal Medicine Resident, Emory University
Taylor Gemperline, MD, NIDDK summer student (Jun-Aug 2018) - currently Ophthalmology Resident, University of Virginia
Angie Zhang, high school student (May-Aug 2024) - undergraduate, Cornell University
Contact Us
Reach out to our team for collaboration and inquiries.