Yuan Ma
Department of Chemistry – Rice University
Email :
ym62@rice.edu
Office :
BioScience Research Collaborative 315, 6500 Main St, Houston, TX 77030
Twitter :
@Yuan_Ma_
Teaching :
CHEM340, Biochemistry and chemical biology, Fall semester
Yuan Ma joined the Chemistry faculty at Rice in 2024 as Kenneth S. Pitzer-Schlumberger Junior Faculty Chair and Norman Hackerman-Welch Young Investigator. Before this appointment, Yuan’s postdoctoral research was conducted at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and the University of Texas at Austin in the Department of Chemistry, under the guidance of Professor Yi Lu. Her postdoctoral research focused on developing bioimaging techniques to study glycoRNAs and metabolites, screening novel nucleic acid aptamers, and designing biosensors for on-site detection. Yuan completed her Ph.D. at Shanghai Jiao Tong University, co-advised by Professors Deyue Yan, Xinyuan Zhu, and Chuan Zhang. Her doctoral research was centered on developing innovative nanomedicine technologies for biomedical applications, and DNA nanotechnology. Yuan received her B.A. in Materials Physics from Nanjing University in 2012. She has been selected as Provost Early Career Fellow at the University of Texas at Austin and the Leading Edge Fellow. Her research interests are designing novel chemical biology tools to advance RNA biology, disclosing their relationship with disease, and developing new analytical methods for disease early detection.
Honors and Awards :
2023 Leading Edge Fellow
2023 Provost Early Career Fellow, the University of Texas at Austin
Current Group Members
Xinming Zhang
Postdoc
Email: xz123@rice.edu
Xinming Zhang was born in Shandong Province, China. He earned his Ph.D. in Organic Chemistry from Paris-Saclay University in Paris, France, where he specialized in the total synthesis of natural products. After completing his doctorate, he returned to China to work as a research associate at Shenzhen University in Shenzhen, China, where his research focused on in vivo chemistry for cancer theranostics, with a particular emphasis on molecular imaging and chemical biology. Currently, he worked with Prof. Ma at Rice University as a postdoctoral fellow. His current research focuses on chemical biology centering on glycoRNA.
Haoyue Dong
Graduate Student
Email: hd63@rice.edu
Haoyue Dong is a graduate student in the Department of Chemistry. She earned her B.S in XIamen University where she joined Mei Lab focusing on representation and identification of Extracellular Nanoparticles. She is now interested in glycoRNAs related research. In her free time, she likes to hang out, visit interesting places and enjoy trips with friends.
Yingying Zhu
Graduate Student
Email: yz257@rice.edu
Yingying got her master’s degree in Peking Union Medical College, China, where she majored in medicinal chemistry and natural product chemistry. She joined Dr. Ma in 2024 as a first year Chemistry Ph.D. student. Her current research focuses on disease early detection. In her spare time, she enjoys reading and exploring delicious restaurants.
Eva Qiao
Undergraduate student
Email: eq5@rice.edu
Eva Qiao is a freshman at Rice University pursuing a B.S. in Chemistry with a specialization in Biological and Medicinal Chemistry. In her free time, she enjoys baking, crocheting, and playing badminton.
Seokhyun (Alex) Kim
Undergraduate student
Email: ak205@rice.edu
Alex Kim is a sophomore at Rice University, pursuing a B.A. in Cognitive Sciences with a specialization in Neuroscience. His academic focus lies in exploring the intricate connections between the mind, brain function, and cognitive processes, with a growing interest in how these areas relate to disease and medical applications.
Alex is involved in several campus organizations, including the Rice PreMed Society and the Omega Psi Cognitive Science Honors Society. He also holds leadership roles as Vice President and Director of Operations for Rice SPLASH, an educational outreach initiative that engages young learners.
Outside of academics and research, Alex volunteers with Music MDs, performs for hospital patients and nursing home residents, and participates in the Alzheimer’s Buddies program. He is also passionate about global health, and he will be interning in Guatemala next summer through Rice’s VAW Medical Program to gain hands-on experience in patient care.
Michiel Noe
Master student
Email: mrn3@rice.edu
Michiel Noe is a graduate student at Rice University pursuing a Master’s degree in Applied Chemical Sciences. He is also currently pursuing his B.A. in Chemistry at Rice University. Outside of academics, he works as an InCharge and Education Lieutenant for Rice University Emergency Medical Services. In his free time, he likes to cook, read and watch movies.
Joseph Pham
Undergraduate student
Email: jhp11@rice.edu
Jessie Lee
Undergraduate student
Email: jl516@rice.edu
Rebecca Tang
Undergraduate student
Email: rt66@rice.edu
Anathea Carrigan
Undergraduate student
Email: amc53@rice.edu
Anathea Carrigan is a junior at Rice University and is pursuing a B.S. in Chemistry with a specialization in Organic Chemistry and minors in Medical Humanities and Biochemistry and Cell Biology. Outside of academics, she enjoys cooking, traveling and taking long walks outdoors.
