Xiao Tian is an Assistant Professor in the Degenerative Diseases Program and the Cancer Genome and Epigenetics Program at Sanford Burnham Prebys Medical Discovery Institute. He opened the Tian lab in January 2024 to understand the fundamental biology of aging and its contribution to age-related diseases. He joined SBP after his postdoctoral research in Dr. David Sinclair’s lab at Harvard Medical School where he co-wrote the Information Theory of Aging. He obtained his B.S. from Shandong University and his Ph.D. from the University of Rochester where he worked with Dr. Vera Gorbunova to understand the molecular mechanisms underlying longevity and cancer resistance in long-lived species.

Amador completed his B.S in Biotechnology in University Pablo de Olavide in Seville (Spain) where he served as undergrad intern in the Genetics department. He moved to University of Granada (Spain) for obtaining his MSc in Genetics. During this year he joined a lab focused on the study of epigenetics, which was a revolution in his conception of biology. He obtained his Ph.D from the University of Granada where he studied diverse epigenetic mechanisms that regulate different biological processes such as metastasis or genome stability. He joined Xiao Tian lab in January 2025 to characterize the epigenetic mechanisms that drive cellular aging and age-related diseases. He enjoys spending his free time reading and playing several sports like soccer or kickboxing.

Mehran studied engineering for his BEng and MSc (UK), focusing on developing wireless chargers for pacemakers. His fascination with the health and aging process motivated him to study the mechanisms of aging for his Ph.D. at the University of Tennessee Chattanooga. Particularly, he focused on yeast cell aging and replicative lifespan prediction from time-lapse microfluidic images using machine learning. Recently at SBP in the Terskikh lab, he developed an automatic thermal-based automated platform for observing mouse biological behaviors. Mehran joined the Tian Lab in April 2024, where his research centers on the behavioral analysis of Alzheimer's mice and bioinformatic analysis. His interests extend to biological behavioral analysis for other age-related diseases and exploring the complexities of gene expression patterns and understanding how they vary under different conditions. Outside of academia, Mehran enjoys playing tennis, cycling, and camping.

Tsunghan completed his BSc and MSc at National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University in Taiwan. His passion for immunology led him to pursue a PhD at OIST in Japan. During this time, he developed an interest in bioinformatics, using computational tools to identify key genes regulated by specific transcription factors. To further enhance his bioinformatics skills, he conducted postdoctoral research at RIKEN IMS in Japan and Radboud University in the Netherlands, where he worked on various omics studies, including chromatin structure, DNA methylation, and DNA-DNA interactions, expanding his research to encompass aging and innate immunity. He also gained experience at a Dutch biotech company, where he developed large language models to extract insights from biomedical literature. Tsunghan joined the lab in August 2024.

Carolina got her B.S. in Cellular and Molecular Biology from SDSU in 2020. She first joined SBP as an undergrad CIRM intern in Peter Adams lab, where she investigated chromatin homeostasis and cellular senescence. Carolina later transitioned to the biotech industry at Rejuvenate Bio, where she was an Associate Scientist looking for novel therapeutic targets with age-reversal potential. She is now ready to join the Tian lab as a doctoral student, focusing on deciphering the mechanisms that long-lived species possess to deter age-related diseases. In her free time, Carolina enjoys cooking, traveling, and many beach activities with her dog Sandy.

Hello! My name is Erik and I recently graduated from the University of California, San Diego where I double majored in Human Biology and Global Health. I am particularly interested in understanding the biological mechanisms that govern aging and age-related disease. Furthermore, I wish to investigate how we may target and reverse these processes by utilizing cellular rejuvenation techniques. Most recently, I interned in the Zach Levine Lab at Altos Labs where I studied how nuclear morphology changes with age and the tissue specific properties of this phenomenon. I also have experience working at various industry labs throughout San Diego developing treatments for diseases such as cancer and ALS. I am a San Diego native and enjoy spending my free time outdoors, at the beach, and with my dog Shelby.

Hi! I am Zichen Gao, and I am a senior at the University of Science and Technology of China. It is a pleasure to come here as an intern student to learn and communicate. I am curious about what happens in the human brain, and I am passionate about solving the problems in those diseases that are currently difficult to be treated. I believe that after this trip, I can learn more about aging and the neurodegenerative disease Alzheimer's Disease and contribute to its future treatment.

I'm Jason, a rising senior in high school currently interning through the SPARK program. I joined the Tian lab due to my interest in how epigenetics plays a role in various phenomena ranging from cancer to aging. As a high school student, I also look to gain a head start with lab and wet-bench experience and to better understand the research process. Outside of academics, I enjoy painting and spending time with friends.

Hi! My name is Julia Roche and I am from San Francisco, Ca. I am a senior as San Diego State University pursing a B.S in Cellular and Molecular Biology. I have always been intrigued by cancer and the different innovative therapies that are currently being developed to treat it. I am looking forward to researching in the Tian lab and further understanding the role age plays in breast cancer. In my free time I love reading, hiking, and going to the beach!

Lindsay provides essential research admin support to Xiao and the whole team.