Principal Investigator

Miao (she/her/hers) received her B.S. and M.S. in Biology from Nanjing University in China, where her studies focused on insect taxonomy and the Evo-Devo of a peculiar marine species called amphioxus. She went on to pursue her Ph.D. at the California Institute of Technology in the laboratory of Dr. Eric Davidson studying sea urchin embryogenesis. During this time, she developed a profound interest in the logical principles governing developmental processes, particularly through gene regulatory networks. Her postdoctoral training, focusing on neonatal heart regeneration, was carried out in Dr. Eric Olson's laboratory at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center and was awarded for a NIH K99/R00 (NHLBI) career transition grant.  Beyond her scientific pursuits, Miao finds joy in expressing her creativity through various forms of painting. You can explore her artwork here: https://miao-cui.com/art-gallery/