PI
Xiaofei Bai Ph.D.
Assistant Professor
Email: baixiaofei@ufl.edu
Phone: 352-294-8447
Office: Cancer & Genetics Research Complex, Room 438
Ph.D. – Department of Biochemistry Cellular and Molecular Biology,
University of Tennessee, Knoxville (2013-2018)
Postdoctoral fellow – NIDDK/NIH, Bethesda, MD (2018-2023)
Mentor: Dr. Andy Golden
Assistant Professor – University of Florida (2023-Current)
Graduate Students
Ellie Brill
I attended Butler University (Indianapolis, IN), where I received my B.S. in Biology with a minor in Spanish. During my undergraduate years, I did independent research on the ethnobotanical uses of plant species native to the Midwest. My specific research interests focus on neurodegenerative diseases and cancer cell biology. In the Bai Lab, I will analyze the protein seipin and its role in regulating lipid droplet formation.
Milagros (Mila) Rincon Paz
Born and raised in Venezuela; I received my B.S. in Biology from the University of Central Florida. As an undergrad, I examined disease dynamics between fungal and viral pathogens in amphibian hosts using gene amplification and genomic data analysis. Joining the Bai Lab in 2024, I will investigate the impacts of specific pathogenic mutations on signaling and metabolic pathways, in order to better understand the molecular and cellular mechanisms of disease-associated genes.
Ziqi (Kyra) Zheng
I received my B.S. in Biology from the University of Washington, Seattle. During my undergraduate years, I worked as a research assistant under a lab studying mitochondrial dysfunction related to neuromuscular diseases. My research interest lies in cell biology and disease genetics. Joining the Bai lab, I will apply CRISPR/Cas9 technique to identify genetic suppressor of rare disease-specific alleles, especially those related to the mechanosensor PIEZO.
Undergraduate
Emaan Ahmed
Emaan is a sophomore at the University of Florida majoring in Biology and is on the pre-med track. She is passionate about research and genome editing, as well as furthering her knowledge on different diseases and finding cures for them.
Caitlyn Garcia
Caitlyn is a sophomore at the University of Florida studying Biotechnology. Her research interests include using technologies such as CRISPR/Cas9 to help treat genetic disorders. She hopes to get a PhD in the future in order to further pursue these interests. She loves donuts.
Alexis Koch
I am a sophomore at the University of Florida majoring in biology on the pre-medicine track. I’m passionate about research focusing on the applications of CRISPR, specifically that which leads to the development of genetic therapeutics, along with understanding specific molecular causes of genetic disorders.
Sophia Monsalve
Sophia is a third-year student studying biotechnology. With a strong foundation in biomedical sciences, her research interests include molecular biology, CRISPR/Cas9 genome editing, and the development of targeted therapies for genetic disorders. She is particularly focused on understanding disease mechanisms at the cellular level and using gene-editing tools to explore novel approaches to treatment.
Publications in the Bai Lab:
Chao-Wen Wang, Phebe Chiu , Sophia mONSALVE#, RICARDO ROURE# , xiaofei bai, Jia-Jin Law , Yu- Ching Wu , Yet-Ran Chen , You-Liang Cheng , Rey-Huei Chen and Yi-Chun Wu. High-glucose diets modulate phosphatidylcholine metabolism to varying Caenorhabditis elegans fecundity. Frontier in Cell and Developmental Biology 2025. Volume 13 – 2025 | doi: 10.3389/fcell.2025.1622695.
Anushka Patil
Anushka is a third-year undergraduate student at the University of Florida, pursuing a majoring in Health Sciences and a minor in Health Disparities. She is interested in rare disease genetics and is currently investigating genetic suppressors of the air-2(or207) allele in the context of breast cancer. Her focus is to help advance more targeted and effective treatments for individuals with rare or often overlooked conditions.
Christy Shao
Christy is a junior at the University of Florida, pursuing a major in Microbiology & Cell Science and a minor in Nutritional Sciences. With aspirations of attending medical school, she is passionate about research that enhances patient care and drives innovation in healthcare. Her current research centers around finding genetic suppressors for the temperature-sensitive sqv-8 mutant which models a rare connective tissue disease (Larsen-like Syndrome).
Honors and Awards:
2025 Recipient of UF University Scholars Program
Crystal Shao
Crystal is a senior at the University of Florida majoring in Biotechnology. She plans to pursue a Ph.D. in molecular genetics, with research interests in cell biology and genetics. Her current work focuses on identifying genetic suppressors of a temperature-sensitive tbb-2 mutant that models a microtubule-associated congenital fibrosis disorder.
Honors and Awards:
2025 Recipient of McNair Scholars Program.
Elva Shao
Elva is a sophomore at the University of Florida, majoring in Biology on a pre-med track. Her research interests lie in areas of genetic disease and reproductive health, with a strong emphasis on advanced technologies like CRISPR/Cas9. She is passionate about using these techniques to investigate rare genetic diseases and contribute to the advancement of treatments that improve health outcomes and shape the future of medicine.
Yooseong Wang
Yooseong is a junior at University of Florida, and majoring in Biochemistry. His research interests are cancer therapy and CRISPR/Cas9 gene editing. Yooseong works on identifying genetic suppressors of the pathogenic variants in the fatty acid synthase gene fasn-1.
Honors and Awards:
2024, 2025 Recipient of UF University Scholars Program
2024 Recipient of UF GIAR Grant
2024 Recipient of UF Emerging Scholarship
Alumni
Graduate Students
Cameron Vanhorn, , UF Graduate (2024).
Current: Teaching Biology at high school.
Undergraduate Students
Jason Sadiqi, UF Undergraduate (2023).
Kavin L. Kovachik, UF Undergraduate (2023-2024).
Isabela Tagala, UF Undergraduate (2023-2024).
Lucy Lopate, UF Undergraduate (2024).
Carly Serlenga, UF Undergraduate (2023-2024).
Kate Campbell, UF Undergraduate (2024-2025).
Ricardo Roure, UF Undergraduate (2023-2025).
Current: Graduate Student at UCLA Systems Biology program. Honors and Awards: 2024 Recipient of McNair Scholars Program; 2024 Recipient of NSF REU