Jiaxuan (Nicole) Kong
Ph.D. Student at UPitt 2026
I am Jiaxuan (Nicole) Kong, a PhD student in Biomedical Engineering at the University of Pittsburgh specializing in Molecular, Cellular, and Systems Engineering, advised by Prof. Guang Li.
My research focuses on developing in vivo-like, four-chambered heart organoids that incorporate every component of the heart. By utilizing hiPSCs derived from patients with heart diseases, I also investigate the underlying causes of cardiac abnormalities through patient-specific heart organoid models.
During my undergraduate studies at Pitt, I concentrated on Bioimaging and Signal Processing, gaining extensive experience in Optical Coherence Tomography (OCT), Ultrasound Elastography, and Orthopaedic Surgery research. My work integrates imaging technologies with computational and AI-driven approaches to enhance diagnostic accuracy and support translational applications.
I also bring hands-on experience in medical device design and regulatory compliance through a senior design project developing an ICU intravenous tubing management system.
Beyond research, I have served as Vice Chair of the Chinese Undergraduate Students Association at Pitt and represented the university as a competitive archer in national tournaments.
LABORATORY EXPERIENCE
I have extensive laboratory experience across human stem cell engineering, tissue and organoid engineering, molecular biology, and biomedical imaging.
My current work focuses on hiPSC culture and directed differentiation toward cardiac and vascular lineages to generate heart and vascular organoids, combined with CRISPR-Cas9 genome editing, RNAscope in situ hybridization, calcium imaging, and confocal microscopy. This builds on earlier experience with Optical Coherence Tomography (OCT), Ultrasound Elastography, and hydrogel phantom models for tissue characterization.
I am skilled in hiPSC culture and differentiation, organoid generation, immunofluorescence, CRISPR-Cas9, RNAscope, qPCR, Western blotting, and cryostat sectioning, with a strong focus on bridging experimental results to translational applications.