Our Research Group
Our laboratory explores the genetic, epigenetic, and immune mechanisms and processes involved in the development of urothelial carcinoma.
In better understanding these mechanisms, we can focus on providing the most effective clinical treatments for those who are affected by bladder cancer.
Qingfeng (Charlie) Fu
Qingfeng is an M.D. and received his Ph.D. from Tianjin Medical University. He is currently in the second year of his postdoctoral training. His research in the lab focuses on uncovering the mechanisms by which specific genes influence bladder cancer initiation and progression using genetically modified mouse models.
Sujit Kashyap
Sujit is a Research Associate at Northwestern, where his work bridges the gap between epigenetic regulation and clinical oncology. Currently, he is investigating the efficacy of an epigenetic regulator in patients with bladder cancer.
Prior to joining Northwestern, Sujit completed a postdoctoral fellowship at the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF). He utilized advanced genomic tools—including single-cell RNAseq, Bulk RNAseq, and CUT&TAG—to study T cell exhaustion and epigenetic regulation in infection and cancer models. Sujit earned my Ph.D. in Human Genetics from the University of Delhi, where he focused on the functional characterization of susceptibility genes in rheumatoid arthritis. He has authored numerous publications in journals such as Science Immunology and The Journal of Immunology, and my research has been recognized with awards from the American Association of Immunologists and the Indian Council of Medical Research.
Andrew Houston
Andrew grew up in Omaha, Nebraska, and earned a bachelor’s degree in Biology from Saint Louis University. Andrew is a 2nd- year PhD student in the Driskill Graduate Program in Life Sciences. His project in the lab focuses on the immune contribution to tumor initiation in our bladder cancer mouse model.
Yanni Yu
Yanni graduated from Harbin Medical School, and her major field is public health. She did about 10 years in toxicology research, about 10 years for breast cancer and lung disease research, and has been working in bladder cancer research for 11 years. Besides research work, she also likes literature, movies, music, singing, and cooking.
Jun Qian
Joshua Meeks, MD, PhD Associate Professor of Urology, Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics
Feinberg and Biochemistry highlighted our laboratory.
The video is dated, but the mission is evergreen.
Meeks Laboratory 