Members
Principal Investigator
Zhimin Huang, PhD
Assistant Professor, Department of Neurological Surgery, University of Pittsburgh
Postdoctoral Fellowship, Rice University & University of Washington
Ph.D., Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University
Visiting Graduate Student, Structural Genomics Consortium, University of Toronto
B.Eng., Biomedical Engineering, Tianjin Medical University
huangz@pitt.edu
Profile on the department's website
Postdoctoral Fellows and Visiting Scholars
Vivian Li, MD, PhD
Visiting Scholar
Vivian is a physician-scientist specializing in the diagnosis and treatment of Parkinson's disease, with extensive clinical expertise and broad research interests in neurodegenerative disorders. She is developing noninvasive therapies to address these conditions. In her free time, she enjoys cooking, traveling, dancing, and singing.
Hongchao Zhao, MD, PhD
Visiting Scholar
Hongchao is a surgeon with expertise in gastrointestinal cancer, specializing in its diagnosis and treatment. His research interests include inflammatory bowel disease and gastrointestinal cancer metastasis. He is currently developing noninvasive therapies for brain disorders related to gut-brain interactions. Outside of work, he enjoys playing video games and basketball.
Yuchen Li, MD, PhD
Visiting Scholar
Yuchen is a neurosurgeon dedicated to diagnosing and treating cerebrovascular diseases through neurointerventional approaches. His research explores the pathogenesis and therapeutic strategies for hemorrhagic stroke. Recently, he has been investigating non-invasive ultrasound-assisted therapeutic delivery to improve cognitive dysfunction following hemorrhagic stroke. Outside of work, Yuchen enjoys traveling, hiking, and shopping.
Bowen Sun, MD, PhD Candidate
Visiting Scholar
Bowen is a neurological surgeon focused on diagnosing and treating ischemic and hemorrhagic cerebrovascular diseases. He has extensive experience in both clinical and basic research and is developing non-invasive therapies for these conditions. In his spare time, he enjoys watching live sports events.
Graduate and Undergraduate Students
Michael Edwards - Bioengineering Master’s Student
B.S., University of Maryland, College Park
Michael is an incoming Master’s student in Bioengineering (Research Track – Thesis) at the University of Pittsburgh. He earned his B.S. in Neuroscience with a minor in Computer Science from the University of Maryland, College Park, in 2025. His research will focus on developing a bioinformatics platform for focused ultrasound applications in brain therapies. Outside of academics, Michael enjoys drawing, playing the piano, and chess.
Sydney Lang
Merck Scholar Research Intern
Sydney is a senior at Washington & Jefferson College, majoring in Neuroscience with minors in Psychology and Chemistry. As a Merck Scholar Research Intern, she is integrating focused ultrasound with protein engineering to develop long-term, noninvasive, and site-specific therapeutic delivery strategies for treating brain disorders. Beyond her academic pursuits, Sydney enjoys reading, painting, drawing, and listening to music.
Lilly Ann Schultz
Summer Research Intern
Lilly is a junior majoring in Neuroscience with a minor in Biology at Washington & Jefferson College. She will be working on the development of novel site-specific therapeutics for the treatment of neurological disorders. Lilly enjoys spending her free time reading, skiing, and going to the gym.