Leadership

Dr. James (Hong-Long) Ji

James (Hong-Long) Ji, MD, PhD

Professor of Surgery | Principal Investigator

Dr. Ji leads a multidisciplinary research team focused on understanding the molecular mechanisms of pulmonary diseases, with particular emphasis on acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS), COVID-19, and sarcoidosis. His research employs cutting-edge approaches including multi-omics analysis, humanized mouse models, and iPSC-derived organoids to identify new therapeutic targets and biomarkers.

Education:

  • MD, Xinxiang Medical University
  • PhD, Molecular Medicine, University of Kent
  • Postdoctoral Fellowship, University of Alabama at Birmingham

Research Interests:

  • AI-driven discovery of endotypes, biomarker, predictive models
  • Lung injury and repair mechanisms in cohort
  • Epithelial sodium channels (ENaC) in pulmonary edema
  • Surfactant protein regulation of alveolar epithelial cell fate
  • Host-pathogen interactions in respiratory diseases

Hobbies: Gardening, Hiking, Travel, Photography, Exercise, Tumbling

ningshan

Ningshan Li

Research Assistant Professor

Li's academic background and research interests lie at the intersection of data science and biomedicine, with a focus on developing novel algorithms and tools to leverage heterogeneous biomedical data to address complex biological and clinical challenges, ultimately improving patient care and clinical practice.

Research Team

Graduate Students

Arslan Bisharat

Arslan Bisharat

PhD Student - Computer Science

PhD student in Computer Science working on interdisciplinary projects with positive impact. Enjoys reading, hiking, and discovering great restaurants.

Education: Loyola University Chicago

Angelos Vasilopoulos

Angelos Vasilopoulos

MD - 3rd Year

Medical student at Stritch School of Medicine. Research interests include machine learning for clinical decision-making, computational omics, and pharmacoeconomics.

Education: Loyola University Chicago

Kathryn Cantrell

Kathryn Cantrell

MS Data Science

Master of Data Science student with BS in Applied Mathematics. Research interests at the intersection of data science and computational biology for medical decision-making and predictive modeling.

Education: Loyola University Chicago

Rediat Tilahun

Rediat Tilahun

MD - 1st Year

First-year medical student at Stritch School of Medicine. Graduated from University of Minnesota-Rochester with BS in Pre-Medicine.

Education: Loyola University Chicago

Muhammad Mubeen

Muhammad Mubeen

MS Research in Computer and Systems Engineering

Graduate student in Computer and Systems Engineering focusing on Biomedical Data Science. Applies computational methods to biological and medical problems through interdisciplinary research.

Education: Technische Universität Ilmenau

Summer Students

Dee Zhang

Dee Zhang

Summer Research Student

Computer Science undergraduate participating in summer research program, contributing to data analysis and computational projects.

Education: Rutgers University - New Brunswick, NJ (Bachelor's anticipated: May 2028)

Administrative Staff

Runzhen Zhao

Runzhen Zhao

Lab Manager

Education: MD, PhD

Alumni

Dr. Krishan G. Jain, Ph.D.

Postdoctoral Fellow / Research Assistant Professor

3.5 years with Ji Lab

Currently Research Scientist at Indiana University School of Medicine

Email

Dr. Hongguang Nie, M.D, Ph.D.

Postdoctoral Fellow

1 year with Ji Lab

Currently Professor at China Medical University

Email

Deepa Bhattarai, M.S.

Graduate Assistant

2 years with Ji Lab (Aug 2009-August 2011)

Currently Laboratory Outreach Manager at UTHealth Houston

Email

Dr. Ali Gibran, Ph.D.

Postdoctoral Research Associate

2 years with Ji Lab (2016-2018)

Currently Research Assistant Professor at Mayo Clinic

Email

Dr. Mo Zhang, Ph.D.

Visiting Scholar

1 years with Ji Lab

Currently lecturer at Xinxiang Medical University

Email

Join Our Team

We are always looking for talented and motivated individuals to join our research team. We currently have openings for:

  • Assistant Professor
  • Post-Doctoral Fellows
  • Graduate Students
  • Undergraduate Research Assistants
  • Research Technicians/Scholars

If you are interested in joining our lab, please send your CV and a brief statement of research interests to: hji@luc.edu