Publications
MRI-based Multi-organ Clocks for Healthy Aging and Disease Assessment
H. Cao*, Z. Song*, M.R. Duggan, G. Erus, D.
Srinivasan, Y.E. Tian, W. Bai, et al.
Nature Medicine, 2025 |
doi: 10.1038/s41591-025-03999-8
Read Abstract
We developed 7 organ-specific MRI-based biological age gaps (MRIBAGs) for brain, heart, liver, adipose tissue, spleen, kidney, and pancreas. Leveraging imaging, genetic, proteomic, and metabolomic data from 313,645 individuals, we linked these MRIBAGs to 2,923 plasma proteins, 327 metabolites, and 6.5M genetic variants. GWAS identified 53 significant locus pairs, and we prioritized 9 druggable genes as potential anti-aging targets. The MRIBAGs demonstrated clinical relevance in predicting disease endpoints, mortality, and cognitive decline trajectories.
Sleep Chart of Biological Aging Clocks Across Organs and Omics
C.K. O'Toole, Z. Song, F. Anagnostakis, Z.
Yang, Y.E. Tian, M.R. Duggan, et al.
Submitted to Nature, 2025
|
medRxiv preprint
Read Abstract
We propose a Sleep Chart assessing the relationship between sleep duration and 23 biological aging clocks across 17 organ systems and 3 omics types. A systemic U-shaped pattern shows both short (<6h) and long (>8h) sleep linked to elevated biological age gaps, with optimal sleep varying by organ and sex (6.4-7.8 hours). Abnormal sleep duration is consistently linked to increased risk of systemic diseases and mortality. Short and long sleep affect late-life depression via distinct pathways. Our findings suggest the U-shaped relationship is driven by modifiable sleep disturbances, highlighting sleep optimization potential for healthy aging.
Professional Experience
Full-Stack Engineer @ Loop Interview
Apr 2025 - July 2025- Developed and launched a paid AI interview platform with customizable sessions and real-time feedback.
- Built the AI engine using Gemini API and prompt engineering to enable multi-turn, multi-role, tone-adaptive interviews.
- Created personalized interview generation by extracting key info from resumes and JD using regex and LLMs.
- Integrated ElevenLabs for voice synthesis and Three.js for visual interviewer presentation.
- TECH: Next.js · TypeScript · Flask · Firebase · Docker · GCP
Web Developer Intern @ Columbia University (Lab of AI & BioMed)
Dec 2024 - July 2025- Co-authored two papers (Nature & Nature Medicine) for contributions to research platform development.
- Refactored lab website architecture and built analytics charts with D3.js, handling 200+ pages.
- Boosted platform traffic by 5,000+ visits post-launch.
Tech Lead & Full-Stack Developer @ 3CCA Church
Jan 2025 - June 2025- Led the development of a new online platform using the MERN stack (MongoDB, Express.js, React, Node.js).
- Built the admin system and core modules (events, audio, articles) to support non-technical staff operations.
- Designed system architecture and flexible MongoDB schemas to enable scalable content management.
Featured Projects
A flexible and highly customizable personal website template system for job seekers and researchers. Features interactive onboarding, skills showcase, education timeline, and easy Vercel deployment. 100+ downloads with 95% deployment success rate.
Technical Proficiency
Languages
- JavaScript / TypeScript
- Python
- Java
- C / C++
- SQL
Frontend
- React.js / Next.js
- Tailwind CSS
- Redux
- D3.js
Backend & Ops
- Node.js / Express
- Flask
- MongoDB / PostgreSQL
- Docker / Google Cloud
AI & Tools
- Gemini / OpenAI API
- Prompt Engineering
- ElevenLabs
- Git / GitHub Actions