Lab Culture
We are committed to conducting open, rigorous, and exciting science, driven by curiosity and a focus on addressing the most important questions. Our work is deeply collaborative, grounded in mutual respect and shared purpose. We also strive to foster an inclusive and welcoming environment where all individuals—regardless of background—feel valued, supported, and empowered to contribute!
Principal Investigator
Zhiliang Bai, Ph.D.
Zhiliang is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Biological Engineering and an intramural member of the Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research at MIT. He obtained a B.E. in Measuring and Control Technology in 2015 and a Ph.D. in Instrument Science and Technology in 2021, both from Tianjin University. As a visiting graduate student in Dr. Rong Fan’s laboratory at Yale University, he developed microfluidic devices for active single-cell sequencing and established single-cell pipelines to characterize CAR T cells. He subsequently continued as a postdoctoral scholar in the same lab, co-advised by Dr. Mina Xu in Yale Pathology, where he investigated the mechanistic basis of durable cancer immunotherapy and led the development of multiple spatial omics technologies. His lab integrates spatial multi-omics innovation with RNA biology, digital pathology, and AI to advance cancer and aging research.
Position
2026- Assistant Professor, Department of Biological Engineering, MIT
2026- Intramural Member, Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research at MIT
2021-2025 Postdoc Associate, Department of Biomedical Engineering, Yale University
Honors and Awards
2025 Arthur and Sandra Irving Cancer Immunology Young Scientists
2025 Society for Immunotherapy of Cancer (SITC) Sparkathon Class of 2025 Emerging Leaders
2024 Federation of Clinical Immunology Societies (FOCIS) Clinical Immunology Award
2024 Tom and Joan Steitz RNA Fellow
2023 American Society of Hematology (ASH) Abstract Achievement Award
2023 SITC Young Investigator Award
2023 Biomedical Engineering Society (BMES)-CMBE Postdoc Researcher Award
2021 Outstanding Graduate of Tianjin University
2020 Shenghua Ye Scholarship in Instrument Science and Technology (10 nationwide)
2018 National “Person of the Year” Nominee for Chinese University Students (30 nationwide)
2017 Kechang Wang Scholarship (10 nationwide, ranking 1st)
2017 Ten-Best Exceptional Students of Tianjin University & Presidential Scholarship (Ranking 1st)
2017 National Scholarship of China
2016 Committee of 100 Leadership Scholarship