People

Principal Investigator:

Hai-Bin Ruan, Ph.D. (Email)
Associate Professor
Land Grant Professor of Metabolism
Department of Integrative Biology & Physiology (IBP)
Center for Immunology (CFI)

IBP profile >

Current Members:

Zahra Moazzami, BS (Email)
Nutrition graduate student; AHA predoctoral fellow; Start date: July 2020.
Zahra received her B.S. degree in Nutrition with Honors from South Dakota State University and is pursuing her PhD degree in Nutrition at the U. During her time as an undergraduate student, Zahra was involved in clinical research and served as the coordinator of a clinical study. Zahra is interested in molecular nutrition and metabolism as she believes nutrition-related problems can be tracked more precisely if the underlying contributing factors are studied at the molecular and biochemical levels. Her thesis project focuses on metabolic basis of adaptive thermogenesis in BAT.

Chenxin Gu, MS (Email)
Researcher 2; Start date: Mar 2022.
Chenxin got his BS in Veterinary Medicine from Shanxi Agricultural University in 2017 and then his MS in Clinical Veterinary Medicine from Northwest A&F University in 2021. His current research focus is aging-associated brown adipose tissue dysfunction and bone-BM remodeling.   

Xuechun (Sherry) Chang, BMed, MS (Email)
Nutrition graduate student; Start date: Jan 2023.
Sherry received her Bachelor's Degree in Medicine (M.D. equivalent) from Xi’an Jiaotong University and her Master’s Degree in Neurology from Fudan University. During master's study, her research focused on the immunopathogenesis of neuromyelitis optica. Sherry is currently a PhD student in Nutrition Program and working on metabolic crosstalk between intestinal epithelial cells and immune cells in inflammatory bowel disease.

Yuan Zhang, PhD (Email)
Postdoctoral Associate; Start date: May 2023.
Yuan received her PhD degree in Food Science and Engineering from Southwest University in 2022. During PhD her study, she investigated the intervention of carbohydrates on antibiotic-induced gut microbiota disorders and resilience. Currently she is exploring the role of natural microbial exposure on host metabolism and immunity. Yuan is a cat person, outside the lab, she enjoys staying with her cat, cooking, hiking, and traveling.

Ifrah Aden (Email)
Undergraduate Researcher; Start date: Spring 2022.
Dean's First-Year Research and Creative Scholar; INPUT scholar

Zihao (Ricky) Wang, BA (Email)
Researcher 1; Start date: September 2024.
Ricky graduated from UMN in 2024 majored in Human Physiology. He was in the Dean’s list and volunteered in the Ruan during the 2023-24 academic year. As a R1, Rick's directed research focuses on bone marrow niche regulation and adaptation. 

Veronica Torres, BS (Email)
IBP graduate student; Fulbright Scholar; Start date: August 2024.
Veronica earned her bachelor's degree in Biochemistry from the University of Chile, where her thesis focused on the crosstalk between mast cells and the intestinal mucosa in irritable bowel syndrome. Her research explored how mast cell activation contributes to increased intestinal permeability, utilizing both in vitro and human samples. Currently, Veronica is pursuing a PhD in the Integrative Biology and Physiology program, with a focus on the immunometabolic regulation of intestinal function. Outside of her academic work, she enjoys spending time with her family, staying active, and advocating for a healthy lifestyle.

Jiawen (Jasmine) Ma, MS (Email)
Researcher 1; Start date: September 2024.
Jasmine got her Bachelor's Degree in Medicine in 2021 and Master's Degree in Forensic Science in 2024, both from Xinxiang Medical University. Her Master research focused on the homeostasis regulation of intestinal mucosa. Currently, Jasmine participates in projects related to mucosal immunity and adipose biology.