2026

Destiny Llanos joins the Yang Lab for summer research through Brandeis MRSEC

We are pleased to welcome Destiny Llanos, a Chemical Engineering student from Hampton University, who will be joining the Yang Lab this summer through the Brandeis Materials Research Science and Engineering Center undergraduate research program. During her time in the lab, Destiny will contribute to research at the interface of peptide and protein design, chemical biology, and materials science. This summer experience will provide opportunities for hands-on research, mentorship, and participation in the broader Brandeis MRSEC undergraduate research community.

2026

Forrest Veilleux receives prestigious DoD NDSEG Fellowship

We are thrilled to share that Forrest Veilleux has been selected to receive the 2026 National Defense Science and Engineering Graduate Fellowship, one of the nation’s most prestigious graduate fellowships in science and engineering. This major national recognition supports Forrest’s work at the interface of chemical biology, peptide discovery, and machine learning, where he is developing new strategies to combat antibiotic-resistant bacteria. His research aims to discover macrocyclic peptides that bind essential building blocks of bacteria, with the long-term goal of enabling new approaches to broad-spectrum antibiotic development. Please join us in congratulating Forrest on this tremendous accomplishment!

2026

Alicia Wexler defends undergraduate thesis and heads to Tufts

We are delighted to celebrate Alicia Wexler, an undergraduate student in the lab, who recently defended her undergraduate thesis. Alicia’s thesis work explored the landscape of peptidomimetics containing unnatural amino acids using molecular dynamics simulations and diffusion model training to enable prediction of peptide folding. We are also excited to share that Alicia will be heading to Tufts for the next stage of her academic journey. Please join us in congratulating Alicia on these wonderful accomplishments and wishing her continued success at Tufts!

2026

Winston Qiu receives a School of Science, Engineering and Technology Summer Research Fellowship

We are pleased to share that Winston Qiu has been awarded a School of Science, Engineering and Technology Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship through Brandeis’ Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship (SURF) program. SURF supports undergraduates conducting full-time, hands-on research over the summer by providing mentorship, training, and opportunities to contribute meaningfully to ongoing projects. This fellowship will allow Winston to build his research skills and pursue new directions in his work this summer.

2026

Yang wins a poster award at the GRC Frontotemporal Dementia

Yang received a poster award at the 2026 Gordon Research Conference on Frontotemporal Dementia and Related Rare Dementias for the poster titled “Spatially resolved transcriptome–metabolome integration reveals region-specific glial lipid dysregulation associated with Alzheimer’s pathology.” In this presentation, Yang introduced iMIST, an integrated platform that combines MALDI-based metabolite imaging, histology, and spatial transcriptomics within a single tissue section, enabling direct in situ links between pathology, gene expression programs, and lipid metabolism.

2025

Keshav Sundar Receives SMURF Fellowship

We are pleased to share that Keshav Sundar has been awarded a Summer Materials Undergraduate Research Fellowship (SMURF) through the Brandeis Materials Research Science and Engineering Center (MRSEC). The SMURF program supports undergraduate students as they engage in hands-on research in materials science, providing mentorship, training, and opportunities to contribute to ongoing projects. This fellowship offers Keshav the chance to further develop his skills and explore new directions in research during the summer.

2025

Anton Davydenko Selected for NSF-Funded CompBio Asia Workshop in Computational Biology

We are delighted to share that Anton Davydenko has been selected to participate in CompBio Asia 2025, a two-week international workshop in Bangkok that brings together leading researchers and trainees in computational biology. Supported by the U.S. National Science Foundation, the program combines lectures, hands-on training, and collaborative projects across areas such as genomics, structural biology, and AI.

2025

Yang Lab Commences at Brandeis University

The Yang Lab begins its journey at Brandeis University in the Department of Biochemistry. We are excited to open our doors, build a vibrant team, and embark on new scientific adventures together.