PEOPLE
Meet the Principal Investigator
Guan-Yu Xiao, Ph.D.
Guan-Yu Xiao obtained his Ph.D. in cell biology in the laboratories of Drs. Shinn-Chih Wu and I-Hsuan Liu at National Taiwan University in 2016. As a budding cell biologist with an interest in cancer biology, he was intrigued by what was known and not known about the mechanisms of membrane trafficking pathways that control distinct properties of metastatic cancer cells. Thus, he continued his training as a postdoctoral fellow in membrane traffic with Dr. Sandra Schmid at UT Southwestern in 2017 and then transited to the lab of Dr. Jonathan Kurie at UT MD Anderson Cancer Center in 2020 to deepen his expertise as a cancer biologist. In his postdoctoral work, he discovered a pro-metastatic secretory program in lung adenocarcinomas. This work was recognized and awarded by UT MD Anderson Cancer Center and American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) and also earned a Pathway to Independence Award (K99/R00) from the NCI in 2021.
In 2023, Dr. Xiao began his independent career at the University of Kentucky, College of Medicine, in the Department of Toxicology & Cancer Biology and Markey Cancer Center.
His current work is to investigate how membrane trafficking is dysregulated in cancers and endeavors to translate the discoveries into novel therapeutic strategies for the prevention of cancer metastasis.
Current Lab Members
Lab Manager
Carol Swiderski
Carol Swiderski has worked in several labs at the University of Kentucky, starting out as a lab technician and progressing over time to Research Analyst and, presently, Lab Manager.
The labs in which she has worked studied Breast and Ovarian Cancer, Cardiac Cell Growth, Leukemia and Aging, and Hematopoietic Stem Cells. Her current position is Lab Manager for Dr. Guan-Yu Xiao, whose research will focus on Lung Cancer and membrane trafficking pathways.
She especially enjoys seeing graduate students go through the learning process and mature into Postdocs. She is looking forward to playing an integral part in helping Guan-Yu’s new lab establish itself at UK.
Research Associate
Ye Zhou
Ye Zhou interests in biology and healthcare began with her nursing training in China. After working as a pediatric nurse, she pursued a Master’s degree in Nursing at Mie University in Japan, where she became interested in scientific research. This experience inspired her to continue working in biomedical research after moving to the United States.
Over the past several years, she has worked as a research technician at the University of Kentucky. She has experience with mouse husbandry, genotyping, cell culture, molecular biology techniques, and tissue collection. Ye Zhou enjoys supporting research projects by learning new techniques and helping maintain an organized and efficient laboratory environment. Currently, she is a research associate in Dr. Guan-Yu Xiao’s laboratory, where she studies membrane trafficking and lung cancer using molecular biology and mouse models.
Outside the laboratory, she enjoys spending time outdoors. She likes kayaking, hiking, and doing small gardening projects around her house. She also enjoys being around animals and has always loved caring for them. These hobbies help her relax and keep a good balance between work and life.
Postdoctoral Researcher
Hanling Gong
Dr. Hanling Gong received her medical degree and completed clinical training in the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology in China. She later transitioned from clinical medicine to biomedical research and received her Ph.D. in Cell and Molecular Biology from the University of Texas at Dallas in 2026. During her research training, she gained experience in both cancer biology and microbiology.
Dr. Hanling Gong joined the Xiao Lab at the University of Kentucky as a postdoctoral researcher in fall 2026. Her current research focuses on how membrane trafficking regulates lung cancer progression and metastasis.
Outside of the lab, Hanling enjoys watching movies, reading, getting her hands dirty with yard work, and traveling to experience new cultures—and, of course, good food along the way.
Alumni
Kevin Fulp (Ph.D. student, 2023-2026. Now, Post-doc @ University of Louisville)
Oluwafunminiyi Obaleye (Ph.D. student, 2023-2026. Now, Post-doc @ University of Florida)
Students