Our Members
The Lu laboratory aims to gather unique individuals passionate about RNA processing in hematopoiesis, immunity, and cancer.
Michal Sekrecki
Postdoctoral Research Scholar
Michal is a medical biotechnologist with a PhD in biological sciences, who is fascinated by the world of ncRNAs and animal models. Michal earned his PhD in Krzysztof Sobczak’s Lab at Adam Mickiewicz University in Poznan, Poland. His doctoral project focused on miR-21 biogenesis and the connection between splicing and polyadenylation in this process. He is enthusiastic about facing new scientific challenges and addressing novel questions. Michal believes that the effort of all team members, side by side, will lead to great success. In his free time, Michal competes in triathlons and enjoys playing board games.
In Sydney Lu’s laboratory, Michal will look for a direct connection between splicing and polyadenylation events and how they affect processes like hematopoiesis, immune function, carcinogenesis, and anti-cancer immunity.
"Doing science is almost like doing a triathlon: there is reading, pipetting, and writing! It is an extreme and exciting sport.”
Contact: sekrecki[at]stanford[dot]edu
Agata Sekrecka
Postdoctoral Research Scholar
Agata has a longstanding interest in dissecting the molecular mechanisms of hematopoiesis and immunity. For her MSc, she elucidated the impact of glucocorticoids (GC) on human hematopoietic stem and progenitor cells. For her PhD, she studied the role of intracellular pathways downstream of type I and II interferons, dissecting roles of the critical GAF, ISGF3 and IRF1 complexes in time-dependent IFNalpha- and gamma-activated transcriptional responses to understand target genes and modules, as well as both convergent and distinct roles of type I and II interferons.
During her postdoctoral studies, she is applying her strengths in the biochemistry of intracellular signaling, RNAseq and computational analyses to clinically important questions regarding the pathobiology of recurrently mutated RNA splicing genes.
In her free time, she enjoys birdwatching, swimming, cycling and playing board and video games.
Contact: a.sekrecka[at]stanford[dot]edu
Xunhong Cao
Postdoctoral Research Scholar
Xunhong Cao obtained her PhD (Clinical Medicine-Hematology) degree from Peking University in 2024. During her doctoral studies, she was mentored by Professor Xiaojun Huang in the Hematology Department at Peking University People's Hospital. Her research focused on the role of virus-specific T cells in combating CMV and EBV infections, while maintaining a keen interest in the regulation and clinical applications of NK cell functions. Xunhong has consistently maintained a high level of enthusiasm for scientific research and hopes to integrate basic research questions with clinical translation in the future to make meaningful contributions.
In Sydney Lu’s lab, Xunhong will focus on the mechanisms and translational research of RNA metabolism, including RNA splicing and polyadenylation, in hematological diseases.
In her free time, Xunhong enjoys hiking, playing badminton, playing the piano, and spending time with her family.
Contact: xunhong[at]stanford[dot]edu