Principal Investigator
Kimberly O. O’Brien, Ph.D.
Professor, Cornell University, Division of Nutritional Sciences
Adjunct Professor, University of Rochester School of Medicine, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Rochester, NY
Postdoctoral Associate
Yiqin Wang
Yiqin did his undergraduate studies in Biology and received training in Bioinformatics in Shanghai, China. He completed his PhD in Molecular Nutrition at Cornell University in late 2019 with dissertation research focused on the human mitochondrial genome and its roles in development and aging. After graduation, he continued as a postdoc at Cornell University. He is currently a member of the FeGenes team, working with Dr. Kimberly O’Brien and Dr. Andrew Clark to understand the differences in iron homeostasis between East Asians and Europeans. He has a broad interest in studying human diseases, particularly identifying maternal, fetal, and placental determinants of child development and diseases across the life course.
Lab Manager
Yaqin Xu
Dr. Xu graduated as MD from TongJi Medical College, and received her Ph.D. in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology from Peking Union Medical College. She had her postdoctoral training and became an Instructor at Weill Cornell Medical College. Dr. Xu joined Professor O'Brien's lab in November 2021 as the Lab Manager overseeing laboratory operations and instructing students. Dr. Xu likes hiking, running, boating, and cooking. She is also active in Boy Scouts of Troop 55 as an assistant scoutmaster.
Human Subject Research Coordinator
Sara Bird
Degrees: B.S., Health Science and Sociology; M.P.H., Public Health
Background: Sara completed her bachelor's degree at SUNY Brockport in 2016. She then went on to complete her master's in public health at the University of Rochester and recently graduated in 2021. Sara has been working at the University of Rochester since 2017. She recently joined the O'Brien Lab as a team member studying ethnic differences in iron absorption.
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