About me

Hi! I’m Zumin :))

I will be an incoming Ph.D. student in the BBSP (Biological and Biomedical Program) at the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill (UNC-CH), focusing on the Neuroscience track. During my first year at BBSP, I will rotate through 3 different labs before choosing my dissertation lab :)

Generally, I’m interested in understanding typical and atypical neural and behavioral developments in children, and how environmental and contextual factors influence children’s development. I’m excited to apply multimodal MRI (magnetic resonance imaging) techniques with behavioral, cognitive, environmental, and other phenotyping measurements to tackle my research questions! I have worked with infants, toddlers, and school-aged children in research settings, conducting MRI and behavioral assessment visits.

I was born in Nanning, a small city in southern China. Growing up as the youngest of five siblings in a country where most of my friends were the only children was quite a unique experience. I’m grateful for this part of my identity, as having older siblings—whether they looked out for me or not lol! —shaped my perspective in unexpected ways. This dynamic sparked my curiosity about the differences in people’s behaviors and minds. I’ve come to believe that to truly understand human behavior and mind, we must first understand brain development.

At 17, I came to the United States alone as an international student to attend high school in Charlottesville, VA. Afterward, I enrolled at Boston College before transferring to the University of Virginia (UVA) to complete my undergraduate studies. It was through my academic and research experiences at UVA that I became certain of my passion for understanding neurodevelopment in children. This led me to pursue a master’s degree in Human Development and Education at the Harvard Graduate School of Education, where I received excellent training in educational neuroscience through both coursework and research. After my Master’s, I was a study coordinator and a lab manager for two years in the Shen lab, leading a NIH-funded longitudinal study at the Carolina Institute for Developmental Disabilities.

Outside of the lab, I really enjoy making mixed beverages, including different milk tea, coffee, or cocktails. I am also a huge foodie as food is always my priority when I travel! I like oil painting (Bob Ross! Am I right?). Also, I like boxing as a way to exercise though not great at it : )