People | Yuan Laboratory: Genetics, Development, and Evolution

Current lab members

Tianyu Cui Graduate Student tianyu.cui at uconn.edu	Tianyu joined the lab as a Master student in Fall 2024 after completing her undergraduate studies at Peking University, China. Her research focuses on the evolution of pollination syndromes and the genetic basis of morphological diversity. As a naturalist, she has a keen interest in photographing and identifying flowering plants, butterflies, birds and atmospheric optical phenomena. She also enjoys reading, painting, and listening to classical music.
Laurel Eddins Postbac RaMP Scholar wmx25001 at uconn.edu	Laurel earned her BS in Biology at UMass Amherst in May 2025 where she gained a keen interest in evo-devo and the genetic basis of phenotypic plasticity. She joined the lab in August 2025 as a RaMP Scholar and is currently working on creating CRISPR-Cas9 constructs for promoter editing in Mimulus. Outside the lab she enjoys knitting, puzzle games, and hanging out with her cat.
Julia Johnson Undergraduate Student julia.m.2.johnson at uconn.edu	Julia is an undergraduate majoring in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology with a minor in Wildlife Conservation. She joined the lab in Fall 2024 and works on the genetic basis of pollination syndrome evolution with Camryn and Tianyu. In her free time she likes to read, take her dog on walks, and workout with friends.
Amy LaFountain Assistant Research Professor amy.lafountain at uconn.edu	Amy first joined the lab in August 2016 as a Ph.D student. She initiated the project on the genetics, development, and evolution of a novel phenotype in Mimulus verbenaceus, and defended her dissertation in August 2021. She stays in the lab to continue working on the phenotypic novelty project as well as several other projects, first as postdoc and then as Assistant Research Professor. Before joining us, Amy worked as a research technician in the UConn Chemistry department and was an expert on chemical analysis of carotenoids. In her spare time, Amy enjoys running, hiking, and watching sitcoms.
Weijun Liang Graduate Student weijun.liang at uconn.edu	Weijun joined the lab as a PhD student in Fall 2023 after completing his master's degree at the City College of the City University of New York, where he studied insect diversity, biogeography, and evolution. As he was fascinated by insect-plant interaction and coevolution, he became interested in the evolution of floral pollination syndromes. His research now focuses on the molecular genetics of floral trait variation. Outside of the lab, Weijun enjoys reading, board games, watching YouTube, and museum visits.
Rong-Chien Lin Postdoctoral Fellow rong-chien.lin at uconn.edu	Rong-Chien joined the lab in January 2023. She did her Ph.D on genetics and evolution of floral color variation in Clarkia and Erythronium with Dr. Mark Rausher at Duke University. She then worked with Dr. Ko-Hsuan Chen in Biodiversity Research Center, Academia Sinica, Taiwan to understand the relationships between floral microbes and floral traits. At UConn, she works on the regulatory mechanisms of anthocyanin-based pigmentation patterning in Mimulus. In her spare time, she enjoys birdwatching and hiking.
Chang Liu Part-time technician cliu706 at gmail.com	Chang did her undergraduate studies at Sichuan University, China, and obtained her Masters degree in Plant Systematics from Idaho State University. She worked as a research technician at University of Georgia and has been working in the lab as a part-time technician since 2013. Outside of the lab, Chang enjoys baking, hiking, and spending time with her kids.
Keera Patel Undergraduate Student keera.patel at uconn.edu	Keera is an undergraduate majoring in Chemistry. She is keen to applying her chemistry expertise in biology. She currently works on how nutrient deficiency affects foliar anthocyanin patterning in Mimulus verbenaceus and M. parishii.
Wenjin Yan Graduate Student oyy24001 at uconn.edu	Wenjin joined the lab as a Ph.D student in Fall 2024. She obtained her Masters degree from Shanghai Jiao Tong University, where her main research project focused on the functional study of chloroplast-associated proteins in tomatoes. Currently, her research is centered on the molecular mechanisms of anthocyanin spot patterning in Mimulus. In her spare time, she enjoys painting, swimming, traveling, and crafting.
Yaowu Yuan Professor PBB 305A Phone: 860-486-4059 yaowu.yuan at uconn.edu	Yaowu obtained his B.S. in Biology (2004) from Sichuan University, China, and Ph.D in Plant Systematics (2008) from University of Washington (Seattle). He then received postdoc training at University of Georgia (2009-2010) on plant genomics and transposable elements, and at University of Washington (2011-2013) on the genetics of plant adaptation and speciation. He has been fascinated by the diversity of flower color and form since undergraduate days. He moved to UConn and set up the lab in 2013 to study exactly that. Outside of the lab, Yaowu enjoys reading the history of science, watching sitcoms, and hiking and fishing with his kids.

Lab Alumni

Postdocs

Ya Min (10/2021-03/2025), currently Assistant Professor at University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign.

Erin Patterson (02/2024-01/2025), currently research scientist at Solvita, Mount Vernon, Maine

Mei Liang (11/2019-12/2022), currently Professor at Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, China.

Baoqing Ding (10/2014-02/2021), currently Professor at Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing, China.

Graduate Students

Steven Jarsen (08/2021-12/2023), Master student, currently Research Scientist at Inari, The SEEDesign™ Company.

Sarita Muñoz-Gómez (08/2021-05/2023), Master student (co-advised with Dr. Cindi Jones), currently Ph.D student at Clemson University.

Vandana Gurung (08/2016-03/2023), Ph.D student (co-advised with Dr. Pam Diggle), currently postdoc at Clemson University.

Hongfei Chen (01/2019-08/2022), Ph.D student, currently postdoc at Yale University.

Qiaoshan Lin (08/2016-08/2022), Ph.D student (co-advised with Dr. Jill Wegrzyn), currently bioinformatician at University of Chicago.

Amy LaFountain (08/2016-08/2021), Ph.D student, currently Assistant Research Professor at UConn.

Hayley McMahon (08/2018-08/2020), Master student (co-advised with Dr. Jeff Seemann), currently Research Scientist at AssayQuant Technologies.

Lauren Stanley (08/2014-05/2020), Ph.D student, currently Assistant Professor at Central Michigan University.

Technicians

Bianca Ferreira (01/2023-06/2025), Technician/Lab manager, currently Ph.D student at University of Edinburgh.

Janelle Sagawa (08/2013-08/2014), founding member of the lab, currently lab coordinator at College of Eastern Idaho.

Visiting Students/Scholars

Vijay Veerappan (01/2024-04/2024), Visiting Professor, Department of Biology, Eastern Connecticut State University, CT.

Zheng Xiao (03/2019-04/2020), Visiting Professor, Institute of Horticulture, Jiangsu Academy of Agricultural Sciences, China

Chen Feng (09/2017-09/2018), Visiting Graduate Student, South China Botanical Garden, CAS

Jingjian Li (07/2017-07/2018), Visiting Graduate Student, South China Agricultural University, China

Arielle Cooley (02/2017-03/2017), Visiting Professor, Whitman College, WA

Xuemei Sun (01/2017-06/2017), Visiting Graduate Student, Qinghai University, China

Wenjie Chen (11/2015-11/2016), Visiting Professor, Northwest Institute of Plateau Biology, CAS

Fengjuan Mou (08/2015-08/2016), Visiting Professor, Southwest Forestry University, China

Postbac Students

Ethan Ni (08/2024-08/2025): RaMP Scholar, currently Ph.D student at Boston College

Sam Pring (08/2023-08/2024): RaMP Scholar, currently Ph.D student at UIUC

Samuel Hilliman (08/2023-08/2024): RaMP Scholar

Undergraduate Researchers

Grace Galarneau (01/2024-05/2025): Ph.D program at UConn MCB

Kathleen Houlihan (08/2022-05/2024): Dental School at Boston University

Reese Nguyen (08/2022-05/2024): Medical School at UConn Health

Olivia Ritchie (03/2023-12/2023): Genetic Counseling Assistant at Massachusetts General Hospital

Saige Sevigny (10/2022-12/2023): Emergency Department Technician at Middlesex Hospital

Nathan Schaumburger (05/2021-08/2022): Ph.D program at Harvard University

Lisa Olsen (02/2018-05/2020): Genetic Counseling Graduate Program at University of Arizona

Caitlin Foster (01/2018-05/2020): Medical School at UConn Health

Maussi Arrunategui (09/2017-05/2019): Ph.D program at the Department of PSLA at UConn

Griffin Struyk (08/2014-05/2017): EM Resident at Regions Hospital, St. Paul, MN

Connor Hill (05/2015-06/2016): Ph.D program and then Postdoc at University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine

Henry Guo (06/2014-05/2016): Resident physician in the Middlesex Health Family Medicine Residency Program, Middletown, CT

Sean Reilly (01/2014-05/2016): Physician of Internal Medicine in Philadelphia, PA

Alex Dykas (01/2014-12/2014): Software Engineer in Boston, MA

Matthew Strobel (08/2013-05/2015): Ph.D program in Genetics at University of New Hampshire, then Research Fellow at Harvard Medical School

Dominika Bajguz (08/2013-05/2015): Genetic Counselor at Versiti Inc.

High School Students

Diana Zepeda (summer of 2024, YSSS scholar)

Matt Nunez (summer of 2022, YSSS scholar)

Alicia Mazzura (summer of 2019, YSSS scholar)

Alexandra Kwiecien (summer of 2018, YSSS scholar)

Kiara Monahan (summers of 2016, 2017, 2018, volunteer)