Zhixun Dou, Ph.D.
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Principal Investigator
Dou joined MGH and Harvard in the fall of 2018. He earned his B.S. from Nankai University and his Ph.D. from Stony Brook University, followed by postdoctoral training with Shelley Berger at the University of Pennsylvania. His research centers on nuclear degeneration in aging and cancer.
Outside the lab, Dou is a husband and a father to two daughters (and a cat). He believes that healthy eating, regular exercise, quality sleep, and mental well-being are essential pillars of longevity.
Tara O'Brien
Lab Manager
Tara joined the Dou Lab at MGH and Harvard in June 2023. She received her B.A. in biology with a specialization in cell biology, molecular biology, and genetics from Boston University. At Boston University, she worked with Dr. Laura Lowery investigating microtubule dynamics during axon outgrowth.
Outside the lab, Tara enjoys spending time outdoors, going to see live music, and crocheting.
Yanxin Xu, Ph.D.
Post-doctoral research fellow
Yanxin joined Dou Laboratory at MGH and Harvard in the winter of 2021. He received his Ph.D. training at Tongji University, Shanghai, China, focusing on epigenetic regulation in embryonic stem cell neural and cardiac differentiation. Now Yanxin is working on the molecular biology of cellular senescence in the Dou lab.
Outside the lab, he enjoys watching Snooker games and listening to classical music. His favorite musician is Mozart, although he prefers The Well-Tempered Clavier from Bach.
Yu Wang, Ph.D.
Post-doctoral research fellow
Yu joined Dou Laboratory at MGH and Harvard in the fall of 2018. His Ph.D. was trained in the Junying Yuan lab at Harvard Medical School and Haoran Lin lab at Sun Yat-sen University, focusing on understanding the mechanisms of regulating cell survival and death. Now Yu is working on the roles of selective nuclear autophagy in cell signaling and disease mechanisms in Dou lab.
Outside the lab, he enjoys playing basketball and watching NBA games. Kyrie Irving is his favorite basketball player, and he is a big fan of the Boston Celtics. Yu also enjoys listening to Nordic music and believes a positive mindset is a key to a meaningful life.
Jun Bum Park
Post-doctoral research fellow
Jun joined the Dou Lab at MGH and Harvard in the summer of 2024. Though born in the United States, he is no stranger to international travel. His academic journey has taken him back and forth between South Korea and the U.S. He earned his B.S. from the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor (Go Blue!) and completed his Ph.D. at Seoul National University College of Medicine, where he focused on post-translational modifications, specifically on neddylation and its role in cancer.
Now at MGH, Jun is exploring how autophagic degradation contributes to cellular senescence.
Outside the lab, Jun enjoys rallying on the tennis court, catching up with friends, and cherishing quality time with his family. He firmly believes that good science and good company go hand in hand.
Ana Maria Cabral Burkard
Lab Manager
Ana joined the Dou Laboratory at MGH and Harvard in Fall 2024. She received her B.S. in Molecular, Cellular and Developmental Biology from the University of Washington-Seattle and her degree in Veterinary Medicine and Zootechny from the University of São Paulo, Brazil.
At the University of Washington, in the Nemhauser Lab, she examined the role of the essential gene SPT6 in transcriptional regulation in plants and in the Fuller Lab she worked on developing vaccines and antivirals. In the Dou Lab, Ana currently studies epigenetic and transcriptional changes that may lead to the expression of pro-inflammatory cytokines in macrophages.
Outside the lab, Ana volunteers in the community on behalf of vulnerable populations and individuals. She embraces a green and healthy lifestyle, including cooking vegan meals and participating in fitness activities. She also enjoys exploring diverse cultures and mastering new languages.
Ji-Won Lee, Ph.D.
Post-doctoral research fellow
Ji-Won joined Dou Laboratory at MGH and Harvard in the fall of 2023. He received Ph.D. from DGIST in Daegu, South Korea, and his M.S. from Dong-A University in Busan, South Korea. He focused on autophagy, immunology, programmed cell death, and neuroscience. Now he is investigating the roles of cytoplasmic DNA species and neurodegenerative proteins in cellular senescence.
Outside the lab, Ji-Won finds adventure in New England's natural beauty through hiking, skiing and backpacking.
Yang Yang, Ph.D.
Post-doctoral research fellow
Yang Yang joined the Dou Laboratory at Massachusetts General Hospital in the winter of 2024. She is deeply intrigued by the complex biological phenomena and mechanisms that govern life, which fuels her passion for biomedical research. She completed her undergraduate studies at the University of Wisconsin–Madison, majoring in Biochemistry and Linguistics. She received her graduate training in the College of Medicine at the University of Florida, working in the laboratory of Dr. Daohong Zhou. During her time there, she focused on identifying safe and effective senolytic agents to reduce cellular senescence in aging systems, aiming to delay the progression of age-related diseases by leveraging high-throughput screening platforms.
Outside the lab, Yang enjoys swimming, reading, and sightseeing. She loves hot, sunny, beautiful summers — though she’s not as fond of long, cold, snowy, depressing winters. One of her primary long-term goals is to discover an anti-aging therapy that comes as close as possible to a true “fountain of youth” — hopefully in time before shes grows old herself.
Sovannarith Korm, Ph.D.
Post-doctoral research fellow
Korm joined Dou Laboratory at MGH and Harvard in the spring of 2024. As graduate student in Dr. Joo-Yong Lee’s lab at Chungnam National University and later as a postdoctoral fellow in Dr. Hui Feng’s lab at Boston University School of Medicine, Korm’s research focused on autophagy and mitochondrial mechanisms in cancer using human cell line, zebrafish, and mouse model systems. Then, he transitioned his cancer research program to investigate maternal aging as a postdoctoral scientist in Dr. Kristin Gribble’s lab, while maintaining a focus on mitochondrial and metabolic mechanisms using Brachionus rotifers as an invertebrate model system. In Dou Lab, he is exploring the fundamental mechanisms underpinning cellular senescence, autophagy, and chronic inflammation in the context of aging and cancer development.
Outside of the lab, Korm enjoys spending quality time with his family and engaging in a variety of indoor and occasional outdoor activities.
Jake Ho, M.D., Ph.D.
Visiting Scholar
Chiakang (Jake) joined Dou Lab at MGH and Harvard in spring 2024. Born in Taipei, Taiwan, and having spent his early childhood in Japan. He received his M.D. training at Tongji Medical College of Huazhong University of Science and Technology, and his Ph.D. from Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine.
Currently, he's an Attending Surgeon at Shanghai Ninth People’s Hospital, specializing in Plastic & Reconstructive Surgery. In Dou Lab, Chiakang focuses on the molecular biology of skin senescence.
Outside the lab, he loves music and traveling, and he also indulges in coffee, tea, white wine, and beer.