Team

Shijie (SJ) Cao

Assistant Professor of Pharmaceutics at University of Washington

Postdoc, Molecular Engineering, University of Chicago

Ph.D., Bioengineering, University of Washington

B.S.Pharm., Pharmacy, Fudan University

Pronouns: he/him/his

Contact: sjcao@uw.edu; Box #357610 

Office: Health Science Building, Room H272F 

Brad Cleveland

Lab Manager & Research Scientist

Co-supervised by Dr. Shiu-Lok Hu and Dr. Shijie Cao

Biography:

Brad has been involved in academic research for approximately 20 years and brings with him broad scientific knowledge and work experience in virology, immunology, vaccinology, and molecular biology.  After graduating from the University of Washington in 2001 with a degree in biochemistry (B.Sc.), he joined the lab of Dr. Shiu-Lok Hu at the University of Washington.  In Dr. Hu’s lab, he worked on developing an effective HIV-1 vaccine and better non-human primate models for AIDS.  Traveling, exploring the outdoors, and experiencing and learning about other world cultures are leisure-time activities which Brad enjoys.  

Contact: cleveb@uw.edu

Lindsey Williams

Ph.D. Student, PSTP fellow, Department of Pharmaceutics

Biography:

Lindsey is a second-year Ph.D. student in the Department of Pharmaceutics. She graduated from UW in 2019 with a Bachelor of Science in Biochemistry, then moved on to a postbac at the Seattle VA Medical Center under the mentorship of Drs. Shelly Erickson and William Banks. There, she utilized a human iPSC-derived blood-brain barrier (BBB) model to study BBB physiology and mechanisms of Alzheimer’s disease-related BBB dysfunction. Her experience cultivated strong interests in neuroimmune interactions and therapeutic strategies to enhance drug delivery to the brain, which drove her to pursue a Ph.D. in Pharmaceutics. 

Contact: lmw99@uw.edu 

Elijah Jung

Ph.D. Student (in rotation), Department of Pharmaceutics

Biography:

Elijah is a first-year Ph.D. student in the Department of Pharmaceutics. He graduated from UW in 2019 with a Bachelors of Science focused on Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology, continuing his education as a Master Student in Environmental Toxicology under Dr. Julia Yue Cui. There, he utilized mice models to understand the effect of polychlorinated biphenyls on the microbiome and male reproductive organs. His prior focus on toxicological models cultivated a deep interest in the development of therapeutic approaches to mitigate environmental toxicants, leading him to pursue a Ph.D. in Pharmaceutics. 

Contact: ejung17@uw.edu 

Charlie Leng

Undergraduate researcher, Biochemistry

Biography:

Charlie is a senior undergraduate student at UW majoring in biochemistry. Passionate about many areas of STEM, he enjoys studying mathematics and learning Japanese in his spare time. He looks forward to broadening his horizons in biochemistry and learning from the experience of the other members of the Cao Lab.

Contact: qrt314@uw.edu 

Sudheshna Thirunahari

Undergraduate researcher, Biochemistry

Biography:

Sudheshna is a junior at the University of Washington pursuing a degree in biochemistry with a minor in data science. She joined the Cao lab because she is interested in the topics of pathophysiology and immunotherapies and how they appear in the healthcare field. In the future, she hopes to pursue a career in medicine. Her hobbies include being a dance captain of UW Junoon, exploring the city with friends, and getting boba (specifically at Sunright Tea Studio) 

Contact: sudheshna.t24@gmail.com