Welcome to my homepage! I am Hui Ji (姬卉), an AHA postdoctoral fellow in Prof. Liqun Luo's lab at Stanford. My research interests lie in the fundamental question of how neural circuits are precisely wired. In 2022, I got my Ph.D. degree in the graduate field of Genetics, Genomics, and Development (GGD) at Cornell University. I conducted my graduate study in the lab of Prof. Chun Han at the Weill Institute for Cell and Molecular Biology.
For my dissertation work, I investigated how phagocytes, the cells that eat neuronal debris, contribute to neurodegeneration. My first study demonstrated that phagocytes recognize an “eat-me” signal called phosphatidylserine (PS) that is specifically exposed on degenerating neurons. In a follow-up study, my colleagues and I discovered a surprising role of phagocytes in driving the degeneration of injured neuronal branches. My third and very recent study reveals the first secreted PS-bridging molecule in Drosophila. In addition, I have developed “LarvaSPA”, the first method that allows continuous long-term time-lapse live imaging of Drosophila larvae.
Email: huiji [at] stanford [dot] edu