Directory

Undergraduate Research Assistant in the Cui Lab

Kaylei Wong is a senior Pre-Veterinary student at UMass. Kaylei first joined the lab as a 2024 CORE Summer intern and has continued her involvement in the Cui Lab for the past two semesters. Kaylei’s project is exploring the role of a ribonucleoprotein gene in mammalian oogenesis using a Cre/LoxP conditional knockout mouse model.

Outside the lab, Kaylei is a Peer Mentor here at UMass and works with freshmen in the Animal Science RAP. She enjoys crocheting, watching movies, and playing with her dog, Mango! She is excited to attend veterinary school this fall and is interested in the laboratory animal medicine specialty.

Undergraduate Research Assistant in the Cui Lab

Hsin Lee is a junior majoring in Animal Science, on the pre-vet track and she is also a member of the Commonwealth Honors College. On campus, Hsin is on the executive board of the Taiwanese and Chinese Students’ Association. She likes to spend her free time exploring nature and traveling to learn more about local cultures. She also enjoys photography with my film camera.

In the Cui Lab Hsin is performing immunofluorescence staining on germinal vesicle-stage oocytes using an oocyte-specific conditional knockout mouse model, with a focus on oocyte in vitro maturation and the detection of newly transcribed RNA.

Undergraduate Research Assistant in the Cui Lab

Vienna is an honors pre-med sophomore at UMass Amherst studying neuroscience. She is also part of the Community Scholars Program, working in the Reproductive Justice area through CESL. She joined the Cui Lab in the Fall 2024 and is currently investigating the role of RBBP4 in DNA damage repair during mammalian oogenesis using a conditional knockout mouse model.

Outside of the lab, Vienna is pursuing a career in medicine, specifically women’s health. On campus, she is on the e-board of Period@UMass, a Fitness Instructor at the RecWell, and a Bible study leader for the NSCA. Vienna also loves to hike, paint, and read.

Undergraduate Research Assistant in the Cui Lab

Oyku is a Junior Biochemistry and Molecular Biology major at UMass Amherst and a member of the Commonwealth Honors College. She is an E-board member of ACEing Autism and an MA-certified EMT working at UMEMS. She plans to attend medical school pursuing an MD/PhD after graduation, combining her passion for medicine and infertility research. 

Oyku joined the Cui Lab in the Fall of 2023 where she investigates the cellular and molecular mechanisms underlying mammalian oocyte meiosis, focusing on cell cycle-dependent protein gene knockout. She has experience in mice handling, antibody, EU, EdU, and DAPI staining, PCR, and gel electrophoresis.

Beyond her academic and research, Oyku has hands-on experience as an EMT at campus events and actively volunteers teaching tennis lessons for kids with autistic spectrum disorder. In her free time, she enjoys spending time with friends, playing tennis, reading, and traveling.

Undergraduate Research Assistant in the Cui Lab

Lilee is a Junior pursuing a degree in pre-veterinary science and minors in biology and natural resource conservation. She is a member of the Commonwealth Honors College, the UMass chapter of the Northeast Student Affiliate (NESA), and works at the UMass Equine Barn. After working in a mixed-animal hospital over the summer, she developed a passion for vertebrate reproduction, which directed her interest in joining Dr. Cui’s research lab focusing on mammalian oocyte development in the Winter of 2025. To date, Lilee has gained hands-on experience in mouse tissue lysis, PCR, and agarose gel electrophoresis. In her free time, she enjoys playing guitar and being with her dogs, Pepper & Pappy, and her cat, Cranberry.

Professor of Developmental Biology

Professor

Graduate Student - ABBS

PI: Janice C. Telfer

Professor Emeritus

Graduate Student - ABBS

PI: Kathleen F. Arcaro