Group Members

Interested in joining us ?

Chuan Ku (顧銓)

Associate professor, Institute of Plant and Microbial Biology; Adjunct / jointly appointed faculty member, Institute of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology / Genome and Systems Biology Degree Program, National Taiwan University [CV][ResearchGate][Google Scholar]
email: <chuanku[at]as.edu.tw>

B.Sc., Life Science (minor in Geosciences), National Taiwan University, Taiwan
M.Sc., Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, National Taiwan University, Taiwan (with Jer-Ming Hu)
Research assistant, Institute of Plant and Microbial Biology, Taiwan (with Chih-Horng Kuo)
Dr. rer. nat., Biology, University of Düsseldorf, Germany (with Bill Martin) [DAAD scholarship]
Postdoc, Plant and Environmental Sciences, Weizmann Institute of Science, Israel (with Assaf Vardi) [EMBO fellowship]
Outstanding Teaching Award, National Taiwan University (2024); EMBO Global Investigator (2023); Outstanding Young Scholar Award, Taiwan Society of Plant Biologists (2022); Young Scholars’ Creativity Award, Foundation for the Advancement of Outstanding Scholarship, Taiwan (2021); Academia Sinica Career Development Award (2020)

Ming-Wei Lai (賴名威)

Lab manager (2020.07–)
email: <mwlai[at]as.edu.tw>

B.Sc., Life Science, Fu-Jen Catholic University
M.Sc., Plant Pathology and Microbiology, Natioanl Taiwan University, Taiwan
Ph.D., Plant Pathology and Microbiology, Natioanl Taiwan University, Taiwan (with Ruey-Fen Liou)
Research scientist, Industrial Technology Research Institute / Trade Wind Biotech, Taiwan

Yu-chi Liu (劉昱志)

Senior research associate (2022.11–)
email: <liuyuchi[at]as.edu.tw>

B.Sc., Biological Engineering, Tatung Institute of Technology, Taiwan
M.Sc., Life Science, National Central University, Taiwan

Chia-Ling Yang (楊佳陵)

Research associate (2019.04–)
email: <as0190267[at]as.edu.tw>

B.Sc., Science Education, National Taipei University of Education, Taiwan
M.Sc., Plant Biology, National Taiwan University, Taiwan (Chiu-Ping Cheng)

Syun-Wun Liang (梁薰文)

Research associate (2025.02–; labs of Meng-Chiao Ho and Todd Lowary, Institute of Biological Chemistry, AS)
email: <r01633020[at]ntu.edu.tw>

B.Sc., Life Science, National Cheng Kung University, Taiwan
M.Sc., Plant Pathology and Microbiology, National Taiwan University, Taiwan

Sara Spieler

Bioinformatician / Research associate (2025.10– )
email: <saraspieler13[at]gmail.com>

B.Sc., Life Sciences, University of Côte d’Azur, France
M.Sc., Computational Biology, University of Bordeaux, France

Hsin-Ying Chang (張心盈)

Ph.D. researcher, TIGP-Bioinformatics (2024.08–)
email: <d13947001[at]ntu.edu.tw>

B.Sc., Life Sciences, National Chung Hsing University, Taiwan
M.Sc., Plant Biology, National Taiwan University, Taiwan
Ph.D., Bioinformatics, Taiwan International Graduate Program, Institute of Plant and Microbial Biology, Academia Sinica & Graduate Institute of Biomedical Electronics and Bioinformatics, National Taiwan University, Taiwan

Varian Fahmi

Research associate (2025.05–2025.08); Ph.D. researcher (2025.08–)
email: <varianfahmi[at]as.edu.tw>

B.Sc., Mathematics and Natural Sciences, Brawijaya University, Indonesia
M.Sc., Mathematics and Natural Sciences, Bandung Institute of Technology, Indonesia

He-Ping Liu (劉禾萍)

M.Sc. student, National Taiwan University (2024.08–; co-advised with Li Chang)
email: <r13633007[at]ntu.edu.tw>

B.Sc., Plant Pathology, National Chung Hsing University, Taiwan
M.Sc., Plant Pathology and Microbiology, National Taiwan University, Taiwan (2024.08–)

Prathama Das

M.Sc. student, GSB (2025.03–)
email: <r13b48006[at]ntu.edu.tw>

B.Tech., Biotechnology, Shoolini University, Himachal Pradesh, India
M.Sc., Genome and Systems Biology Degree Program, National Taiwan University and Academia Sinica, Taiwan

Yu-Chen Cheng (鄭宇辰)

M.Sc. student, NCU (2025.08–)
email: <cheng0022[at]as.edu.tw>

B.Sc., Food Science and Biotechnology, National Chung Hsing University, Taiwan
M.Sc., Life Science, National Central University, Taiwan (2025.08–)

Devita Mayanda Heerlie

B.Sc. student researcher (2024.09–2025.06); M.Sc. student (2026.02–)
email: <devita.heerlie[at]student.i3l.ac.id>

B.Sc., Bioinformatics, Indonesia International Institute for Life-Sciences, Indonesia

Sofia Magno

Research associate (2025.11– )
email: <kylasofiams[at]as.edu.tw>

B.Sc., Life Sciences & English Language and Literature, Ewha Womans University, South Korea

Leandro Ravael

B.Sc. student researcher (2025.08–2026.06)
email: <leandro.ravael[at]student.i3l.ac.id>

B.Sc., Biotechnology, Indonesia International Institute for Life-Sciences, Indonesia

Alumni

Tzu-Tong Kao (高資棟)

2020.02–2024.01
Role: Postdoctoral researcher

B.Sc., Life Science, National Taiwan University, Taiwan; M.Sc., Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Natioanl Taiwan University, Taiwan; Research assistant, Taiwan Forestry Research Institute, Taiwan; Ph.D., Biology, Duke University, USA; NSTC Research Award for Postdoctoral Fellows (2023)

Hwee Sze Tee (郑妃斯)

2023.03–2024.02
Role: Postdoctoral researcher

B.Sc., Genetics and Molecular Biology, University of Malaya, Malaysia; Ph.D., Biology, University of Auckland, New Zealand (with Kim M. Handley)

Bo-Wei Wang (王柏崴)

2019.01–2019.12
Role: Lab manager / research associate

B.Sc. & M.Sc., Environmental Biology and Fisheries Science, National Taiwan Ocean University (with Kuo-Ping Chiang)

Tzu-Haw Wang (王姿皓)

2019.09–2025.09
Role: Bioinformatician / research associate

B.Sc., Bioscience and Biotechnology, National Taiwan Ocean University, Taiwan; M.Sc., Oceanography, National Taiwan University, Taiwan (with Sen-Lin Tang)

Hsin-Tung Lai (賴欣彤)

2022.02–2025.05
Role: Research associate (2024.08–2025.05); M.Sc. student (2022.08–2024.08); undergrad researcher (2022.02–2022.07)

B.Sc., Life Science, National Taiwan University, Taiwan; M.Sc., Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, National Taiwan University, Taiwan (2022.08–2024.08); Second place in MiTalk7 flash talk competition (2023); Ph.D., University of Duisburg-Essen (2025.05–)

Ni-Chiao Tsai (蔡妮樵)

2023.11–2025.10
Role: Research associate

B.Sc., Biochemical Science and Technology, National Taiwan University, Taiwan; M.Sc., Plant Biology, National Taiwan University, Taiwan (Chin-Mei Lee)

Tsu-Wang Sun (孫祖望)

2019.07–2021.02
Role: M.Sc. student (2020.09–2021.02); undergrad researcher (2019.07–2020.02)

B.Sc., Plant Pathology, National Chung Hsing University; Undergraduate research grant from Ministry of Science and Technology (2019.07–2020.02); M.Sc., Genome and Systems Biology, National Taiwan University (2020.09–2022.12); Poster Prize in NTU-AS Genome and Systems Biology Degree Program retreat (2020)

Maxime Allioux (馬克辛阿立兀)

2022.10–2023.11
Role: Postdoctoral researcher

B.Sc., Biology, Université Paris-Sud, France; M.Sc., Biology, Université de Versailles Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines, France; Ph.D., Marine Microbiology, Université de Bretagne Occidentale, France (with Karine Alain)

Alyzza Calayag

2021.10–2022.06
Role: PhD researcher (TIGP-MBAS rotation)

B.Sc., Biology, University of the Philippines Diliman, Philippines; M.Sc., Microbiology, University of the Philippines Diliman, Philippines

Justyna Kowalczyk

2023.02–2023.06
Role: Visiting Ph.D. researcher

B.Sc., Biotechnology, Jagiellonian University, Poland; M.Sc., Molecular Biotechnology, Jagiellonian University, Poland; Ph.D., Molecular Biology, Jagiellonian University, Poland (2021–)

Magar Sharayu Narayan

2025.04–2025.10
Role: Visiting Ph.D. researcher, TIGP-X

B.Tech., MES Abasaheb Garware College, Pune, Maharashtra, India; M.Sc., Genomics, Madurai Kamaraj University, Tamil Nadu, India; Ph.D., Biological Sciences, SRM University AP, Andhra Pradesh, India

Ryan Calicaran

2024.08–2025.01
Role: Ph.D. researcher (TIGP-MBAS rotation)

B.Sc., Microbiology, University of Santo Tomas, Philippines; M.Sc., Microbiology, University of the Philippines Diliman, Philippines

Nang Yee Mon Htoo

2024.08–2025.01
Role: Ph.D. researcher (TIGP-MBAS rotation)

B.Sc., Zoology, University of Mandalay, Myanmar; M.Sc., Applied Microbiology, Chiang Mai University, Thailand

Serge Ryndov

2021.04–2021.09
Role: Research associate

B.Eng., Environmental Engineering, South-Eastern Finland University of Applied Sciences, Finland (2013-2017); M.Sc., Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Jyväskylä, Finland (2018-2021)

Ho-Lin Chung

2022.07–2022.09
Role: IPMB undergrad summer research intern

B.Sc., Plant Pathology and Microbiology, National Taiwan University, Taiwan (2021.08–)

Siwat Chang

2020.09–2022.08
Role: Research associate (2020.09–2022.08); research intern (2020.02–2020.04)

B.Sc., Biochemistry, Imperial College London, UK

Sheng Kao

2021.10–2022.07
Role: Research associate

B.A., Biology with Computer Science minor, Oberlin College, USA

Chi-Yun Chang

2023.09–2024.01
Role: PhD researcher (TIGP-Biodiversity rotation)

B.Sc., Department of Life Science, Tunghai University, Taiwan; M.Sc., Department of Life Science, Tunghai University, Taiwan; Ph.D., Taiwan International Graduate Program Biodiversity, Tunghai University and Academia Sinica, Taiwan (2023.08–)

Vi Lê

2020.02–2020.05
Role: Research intern

B.Sc., Biotechnology, Vietnamese National University, Vietnam (2017-2021)

Shang-Hong Lin (林上泓)

2020.07–2020.12
Role: Research intern

B.Sc., Biology, National Changhua University of Education (2017–2021)

Elias Miguel Barreira

2020.09–2020.12
Role: Visiting master’s student

M.Sc., Computer Science, University of Lisbon, Portugal (2011-2015); M.Sc., Bioinformatics, University of Lisbon, Portugal (2018-)

Iris Wu

2021.01–2021.05
Role: Research intern

B.S., Molecular Environmental Biology, University of California, Berkley, USA (2017.08–)

Tong Jyun (Tom) Ho

2020.06–2021.05
Role: Research intern

B.A., Biological Sciences, Cornell University, USA (2017.08–)

Kim Henri Alonzo

2023.05–2023.07
Role: TIGP research intern

B.Sc., Fisheries, University of the Philippines Visayas, Philippines; M.Sc., Marine Science (Biotechnology track), University of the Philippines Diliman, Philippines (2018-)

Anton Roi Collado

2024.06–2024.07
Role: TIGP research intern

B.Sc., Biology, De La Salle University, Philippines

Clark Vincent Tahud

2025.07–2025.09
Role: IIPP research intern

B.Sc., Biology, University of the Philippines Cebu, Philippines; M.Sc., Environmental Science, University of the Philippines Cebu, Philippines

Michael Angelou L. Nada

2025.06–2025.08
Role: TIGP research intern

B.Sc., Biology, Southern Luzon State University, Philippines; M.Sc., Marine Science, University of the Philippines Diliman, Philippines; Technical specialist, Industrial Technology Development Institute, Department of Science and Technology, Philippines

Laura Menke

2023.07–2023.08
Role: DAAD RISE Worldwide intern

B.Sc., Aquatic Biology, University of Duisburg-Essen, Germany

Louis Muxfeldt

2024.08–2024.09
Role: M.Sc. student research intern

B.Sc., Biology, Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich, Germany; M.Sc., Molecular and Cellular Biology, Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich, Germany

Nina Gooss

2024.09–2024.11
Role: B.Sc. student research intern

B.Sc., Biology, Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich, Germany

Arved Senff

2025.08–2025.10
Role: DAAD RISE Worldwide intern

B.Sc., Biology, University of Bremen, Germany