VitalZ Capstone
Team Members

Dr. Kun Zhang received his Ph.D. in Immunology with distinction from Peking Union Medical College, Tsinghua University. He is currently an Assistant Professor at Virginia Commonwealth University, where he brings extensive expertise in molecular biology, virology, and cancer research. His past work has uncovered key host restriction factors that regulate the EBV life cycle and provided insights into therapeutic targets for EBV-associated cancers. Dr. Zhang now focuses on MYCN-amplified neuroblastoma, studying how host gene regulates ferroptosis and exploring novel combination therapies. With his strong background and hands-on experience in molecular biology and virology, Dr. Zhang is well-qualified to lead and teach advanced coursework in this field.

Dr. Yunash Maharjan earned his Ph.D. from the Gwangju Institute of Science and Technology (GIST), where he specialized in intracellular organelle biology, with a focus on peroxisomes and the primary cilium. He is currently a scientist at the University of Pittsburgh, following a postdoctoral fellowship at the same institution. Dr. Maharjan’s research explores the role of peroxisomes in host-pathogen interactions and the pathobiology of herpesviruses, and he has published extensively in high-impact journals. His strong background in confocal microscopy, molecular biology, and independent, creative scientific investigation makes him exceptionally well-qualified to teach and lead advanced courses in cellular and molecular biology.

Febri Gunawan Sugiokto is currently a Ph.D. student at the University of Pittsburgh, with a strong academic background, having earned a B.S. in Indonesia with a GPA of 3.93/4.00 and a perfect 4.00/4.00 GPA in his M.S. in Microbiology and Immunology from Tzu Chi University, Taiwan. His research focuses on how host cellular factors regulate Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) replication and how the virus counteracts these defenses to ensure efficient replication. Febri has solid expertise in molecular virology, along with additional training in bioinformatics and protein structure modeling. His strong academic performance and hands-on research experience make him highly capable of supporting and teaching coursework in virology, molecular biology, and host-pathogen interactions.

Dr. Konstantinos V. Floros is an Assistant Professor at Virginia Commonwealth University and holds a Ph.D. in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology from the University of Athens, Greece. His research focuses on developing novel targeted therapies for solid tumors by investigating the molecular mechanisms that enable cancer cells to evade programmed cell death triggered by conventional treatments. He employs cutting-edge cancer biology models, including invitro systems and both cell line-derived and patient-derived xenografts, to identify new therapeutic strategies. Dr. Floros’s deep expertise in cancer biology, molecular signaling, and therapeutic development makes him exceptionally well-equipped to teach advanced courses in molecular biology, cancer biology, and translational research.

Duncan Hesler works in History & Literature at Harvard, where he

teaches nineteenth and twentieth century European and American

literature. He was educated at the universities of Cambridge, London and

Oxford in the United Kingdom, worked for eight years as a national

newspaper journalist, and is currently writing a book about writers in the

Cold War (a translation of which will be published in China by CITIC in 2019).

Tim White With a Master of Education from Harvard University, an MBA from Tsinghua University, and a J.D. from Indiana University, Tim brings a strong academic background to her work. Specializing in education and study abroad applications, he has helped hundreds of students improve their profiles, craft standout essays, and secure admission to top U.S. universities.

A long-time advocate for global education—had co-founded schools and programs across U.S. Canada, UK, Australia, Singapore and China, helping hundreds of students guide their activities and gain admission to top universities worldwide, from the Ivy League to the G5.

Jessi Du manages company taxes, financial reporting, and risk management to support business growth and success.

Dr. Jing Li, Ph.D. supervisor and Associate Research Fellow, has been engaged in research on virus–host cell interactions, molecular evolution of animal viruses, novel immunopotentiators, and antiviral drug development for more than a decade. She has led and participated in multiple major research projects and has published over 80 scientific publishments and demonstrating extensive expertise in both research and graduate mentorship.