James Lo, MD, PhD

James trained as an immunologist during his PhD at the University of Chicago with Yang-Xin Fu. Afterwards he completed his residency in Internal Medicine at Massachusetts General Hospital and Cardiology fellowship at Brigham and Women’s Hospital. He did his postdoctoral fellowship with Bruce Spiegelman at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute where he developed his interest in molecular metabolism. After a short stint as an Instructor of Medicine at Brigham and Harvard Medical School, he established the Lo lab at Weill Cornell Medicine in 2015. James enjoys playing basketball and has taken up the challenge of figuring out how to ride a snowboard.

Lisa Stoll, PhD

Lisa completed a Bachelor of Science at the University of Saarland, Germany, a Master of Science at the University of Cádiz, Spain, and a PhD at the University of Lausanne, Switzerland, where she studied the role of circular RNAs in the control of β-cell functions. Lisa joined the Lo lab in 2018 as a postdoctoral researcher. She is currently investigating organ crosstalk and the link between obesity and atrial fibrillation with a focus on both coding and non-coding RNAs. In her spare time, Lisa enjoys pole dancing, travelling, and playing with her cats Chubby and Goaty.

Ankit Gilani, PhD

Ankit is a classically trained pharmacologist with a PhD in Pharmacology from New York Medical College, New York and a Master’s degree in Pharmacology and Toxicology from National Institute of Pharmaceutical Education and Research, India. During his doctoral research, he worked on novel mechanistic mediators of diet-induced obesity and insulin resistance. Ankit joined the Lo Lab as a postdoctoral associate in 2019 and is passionate about continuing his research endeavor on discovering novel treatments for obesity, Type-II diabetes and cardiovascular diseases. When not in the lab, he enjoys playing tennis, running and mentoring young STEM aspirants.

Renan Pereira de Lima, PhD

Renan obtained his MSci and PhD in Pharmacology from the Federal University of Ceara (Brazil), where he focused his studies on investigating the mechanisms of action of secondary metabolites present in the Brazilian flora in the treatment of T2DM and obesity. Renan joined the Lo lab in 2023 as a postdoctoral associate. His current work focuses on studying mechanisms of cardioprotection for brown fat and islet biology. When not in the lab, he enjoys cycling, watching anime, and reading manga.

Arsalan Aamir Khan, MBBS

Arsalan Aamir Khan graduated medical school with a Bachelor of Medicine, Bachelor of Surgery (MBBS) from Dow Medical College, Pakistan. Since then, Arsalan has gained valuable and diverse clinical experience across various healthcare settings in the United States, with a particular focus on internal medicine. During medical school, his research primarily focused on innovative cardiovascular treatment such as the development of polypills aimed at preventing cardiovascular disease in low and middle-income countries. Arsalan joined the Lo lab in 2024 as a postdoctoral researcher, where he is focused on the MED16 complex in adipose tissue as a therapeutic target for obesity and metabolic disorders, while also investigating ways to improve myocardium recovery after a heart attack. Outside the lab, Arsalan is passionate about both watching and playing cricket and he enjoys exploring various types of cinema.

Fanhui Kong, PhD

Fanhui received his MS and PhD in biology from the South China University of Technology (China), where he focused on the development of nanomedicines for tumor treatment, postoperative wound healing, as well as investigating mechanisms of cell death. Fanhui joined the Lo lab in 2024 as a postdoctoral associate. His current research focuses on investigating the mechanisms of diabetes mellitus with a focus on beta cell function and discovering novel treatment strategies for diabetes. When he is not in the lab, he enjoys playing badminton, watching movies, and reading.

Elizabeth Ha, MD, PhD

Elizabeth is a resident in the Internal Medicine Residency Program at NYP-Cornell who is training as a physician-scientist. She completed her PhD at Columbia University in the Bauer lab, where she studied the role of adipose-specific Tribbles-1 in the regulation of metabolic health. Afterwards, between medical school and starting residency, she worked briefly as a postdoctoral researcher at Columbia University in the Pajvani lab, where she studied non-coding RNAs in HCC development. She joined the Lo lab in 2024 and is currently exploring how inflammation contributes to atrial fibrillation using a mouse model of obesity-induced atrial fibrillation. She is excited to gain further experience in metabolism research, especially as it pertains to cardiovascular health. In her spare time, she enjoys spending time outdoors, learning musical instruments, and watching plants grow.

Iris Bibolli, BS

Iris earned her Bachelor of Science in Biomolecular Science from New York University’s Tandon School of Engineering, graduating in May 2025. During her undergraduate studies at NYU, Iris conducted research in neurogastroenterology, immunology, and stem cell engineering. Her work explored gut-brain signaling mechanisms, stem cell differentiation using CRISPR-based systems, and immune cell behavior in 3D culture models. She joined the Lo Lab in September 2025 as a Research Technician, where she is excited to gain further experience in metabolism and cardiovascular research, particularly at the intersection with immunology. Outside the lab, Iris enjoys traveling, reading, and staying active through fitness.

Zibei Gao, PhD

Zibei completed a PhD at the ShanghaiTech University (China), where she focused on investigating the cardiac development and strategies to alleviate cardiac fibrosis. She subsequently joined the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF), where she received specialized training in adipose tissue biology and metabolic regulation. She later continued her training at the University of Pittsburgh, focusing on cardiac development. Throughout her scientific career, she has maintained a strong passion and long-standing interest in cardiovascular research. In 2025, she joined the Lo Lab as a postdoctoral associate, where she currently focuses on investigating the mechanisms through which obesity contributes to atrial fibrillation. In her spare time, she enjoys traveling, exploring new cuisines, and spending time with her dog, Domi.