People

Hualiang Pi, PhD, is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Microbial Pathogenesis and a member of the Microbial Sciences Institute. She received her doctoral training in Microbiology at Cornell University and completed her postdoctoral fellowship at Vanderbilit University Medical Center. Dr. Pi's research focuses on elucidating microbial stress defense mechanisms important for bacterial infection. Her work has been recognized through multiple competitive awards, including the NIH Pathway to Independence Award (K99/R00), the NIH Director’s New Innovator Award (DP2), and selection as a 2025 Searle Scholar.

Kristina graduated from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute with a B.S. in Biochemistry & Biophysics. After earning her bachelor's degree, she worked in the laboratory of Dr. Deborah Hung at Massachusetts General Hospital where she studied the pathogen Pseudomonas aeruginosa. She is currently a graduate student in the Pi Lab and is investigating the formation of ferrosomes in Clostridioides difficile.

Yuanyuan Ji, PhD, is a Postdoctoral Associate at Yale School of Medicine. She earned her Ph.D. in Microbiology from China Agricultural University. At Yale, her research focuses on investigating bacterial functions using high-throughput transposon sequencing (Tn-Seq) assays and the roles of two-component systems (TCSs) in Clostridioides difficile. Outside of the lab, Yuanyuan enjoys photography and staying active through fitness.

Yixuan Liu is a postgraduate associate at the Yale School of Medicine, working in the Department of Microbial Pathogenesis and the Yale Microbial Sciences Institute. Originally from Inner Mongolia, China, she earned her bachelor's degree from Jilin University in 2019. She then pursued her master’s degree under the mentorship of Dr. Fang Peng, focusing on the metabolism and functional roles of environmental microorganisms, and completed her Master's degree in 2022. She then joined Dr. Zhenfeng Liu’s lab at the Chinese Academy of Sciences, where she focused on protein purification and FIB-milling. Currently, in the Pi Lab at Yale, her research centers on understanding the formation of ferrosomes in Clostridioides difficile and their role in maintaining iron homeostasis, using tools such as structural biology and genome editing. Curious and creative by nature, Yixuan loves traveling, photography, exploring new foods, and baking in her spare time.

Tianyi Wei is currently a senior student at Shanghai Jiao Tong University, majoring in Environmental Science and Engineering. As a Research Assistant in the laboratory of Prof. Tao Yuan at SJTU, Tianyi investigates the ecological and physiological impacts of emerging aquatic pollutants on microorganisms, focusing on cellular stress responses and metabolic changes. Tianyi is now a visiting student in Dr. Hualiang Pi 's Lab at Yale, where he will be conducting research for a period of time.

Dongmei Wu, PhD, is a Postdoctoral Associate in the Yale School of Medicine Department of Microbial Pathogenesis and Yale Microbial Sciences Institute. Originally from Wuhu, China, she earned her B.S. in Food and Nutrition Science from Nanchang University in 2018. She completed her Ph.D. under the mentorship of Dr. Shiguo Chen at Zhejiang University, where her research focused on elucidating the structure-function relationship of dietary fiber in modulating the gut microbiota during intestinal inflammation. In the Pi Lab at Yale, Dr. Wu is exploring the role of ferrosomes in mediating interactions between Clostridium difficile and gut commensal bacteria under conditions of iron imbalance. Outside the lab, she enjoys playing board games, singing karaoke, traveling, and discovering new cuisines.

Michelle was born and raised in Seoul, South Korea before she moved to New York City to attend high school. She received her bachelor’s degree from Princeton University, where she majored in molecular biology. At Princeton, she conducted research in Dr. Bonnie Bassler’s lab and wrote her senior thesis on quorum sensing-regulated gene expression patterns in bacterial biofilms. After graduating in 2023, she worked as a post-baccalaureate research associate in Dr. Bree Aldridge’s lab at Tufts University, where she characterized phenotypic responses to antibiotic combinations in Mycobacterium tuberculosis clinical isolates. She is currently a PhD student in Dr. Hualiang Pi’s lab at Yale, where she studies the biogenesis and functional diversification of bacterial ferrosome organelles using molecular, computational, and advanced imaging approaches. Outside of research, Michelle enjoys cooking, running, backpacking, and spending quality time with her cat Bronx.