Welcome to my homepage! I am Hui Ji (姬卉), a sixth-year Ph.D. student in the graduate field of Genetics, Genomics, and Development (GGD) at Cornell University. I conduct my graduate study in the lab of Prof. Chun Han at the Weill Institute for Cell and Molecular Biology, with Prof. Scott Emr and Prof. Kelly Liu on my thesis committee.
My research interests lie in the fundamental question of how neurons degenerate. For my dissertation work, I investigated how phagocytes, the cells that eat neuronal debris, contribute to neurodegeneration. My first study demonstrated that phagocytes recognize an “eat-me” signal called phosphatidylserine (PS) that is specifically exposed on degenerating neurons. In a follow-up study, my colleagues and I discovered a surprising role of phagocytes in driving the degeneration of injured neuronal branches. My third and very recent study reveals the first secreted PS-bridging molecule in Drosophila. In addition, I have developed “LarvaSPA”, the first method that allows continuous long-term time-lapse live imaging of Drosophila larvae.
Email: hj377 [at] cornell [dot] edu