Teej 2023 celebration. From left to right: Abhishesh Bajracharya, Ranjeeta Odari, Anupa Wasti, Samada Timilsina, and Berry Dickey. 
ARISE@UM summer research program students and mentors. Photo by Srijita Chattopadhyay/ Ole Miss Digital Imaging Services 
From left to right: Dr. Yongjian Qiu, Rishi Nautiyal, Abhinav Naidu, Ranjeeta Odari, Anupa Wasti, Berry Dickey, Maianh Tran, Zachary Trest, Abhishesh Bajracharya; Summer 2023 
High School ARISE Scholars and graduate mentors, Summer 2022 
Abhishesh and Ta’Lacia, Summer 2022 
Anupa and McKelvie, Summer 2022 
Ranjeeta and Jaikyeron, Summer 2022 
Back Row (from left to right): Abhishesh Bajracharya, Dr. Yongjian Qiu, Matthew Swales, John Suares, Paul Horn, Julia Lott, Suzanne Crull, Anupa Wasti, Alyssa Stoner, Shaunna George, Lilla Reed; Front Row (from left to right): Gabriella Newton, Ranjeeta Odari, Savannah White; Spring 2022 
From left to right: Dr. Yongjian Qiu, Julia Lott, Karlie Grace, Caroline Clutton, Alyssa Stoner, Chloe Grant, Suzanne Crull, Abhishesh Bajracharya, Spring 2021 
From left to right: Karen Wong, Chloe Grant, Allen Saffold, Karlie Grace, Eden Bayer, Dr. Yongjian Qiu, Fall 2019 
Back (from left): Abhishesh, Ava, Haibo, Daniel, Paul, John; Middle (from left): Trent, Savannah, Alyssa, Berry, Yongjian; Front (from left): Anupa, Sampada, Ranjeeta
Yongjian Qiu (邱永剑), Ph.D.
Principal Investigator
Assistant Professor, Department of Biology, University of Mississippi (2019-)
Assistant Project Scientist, University of California-Riverside (2015-2019)
Postdoctoral Associate, Duke University (2011-2015)
Ph.D., Washington State University (2011)
B.S., University of Science & Technology of China (2006)
Contact: yqiu at olemiss.edu
Graduate Students
Anupa Wasti (अनुपा वस्ती)
Graduate Student (joined in January 2022)
Anupa completed her master’s degree in biology (Plant Biochemistry and Biotechnology) from Tribhuvan University, Nepal. Currently, she is interested in plant thermal response and its molecular mechanisms due to temperature variations.
Contact: awasti at go.olemiss.edu
Ranjeeta Odari
Graduate Student (joined in January 2022)
Ranjeeta completed her bachelor’s degree in Microbiology and master’s degree in Biotechnology from Tribhuvan University, Nepal. Molecular biology is her major field of interest and she aims to continue her research experience as a Ph.D. student in plant molecular biology.
Contact: rodari at go.olemiss.edu
Berry Dickey
Graduate Student (joined in July 2023)
Berry graduated in May 2023 with her Bachelor’s in Biotechnology from Arkansas State University. She joined the Qiu lab in July 2023 to pursue her Master’s degree in Biology at the University of Mississippi. Her future research will focus on plant molecular biology and thermomorphogenesis with Arabidopsis.
Contact: badickey at go.olemiss.edu
Sampada Timilsina (सम्पदा तिमिल्सिना)
Graduate Student (joined in August 2023)
Sampada completed her bachelor’s degree in Biotechnology from Kathmandu University, Nepal. One of her works during her undergraduate is “Seed priming with NaCl improves germination in maize under saline soil conditions,” where she evaluated the effect of seed priming and salinity stress on maize germination and growth. The other research, “Utilizing coffee pulp and mucilage for producing alcohol-based beverage,” involved fermenting coffee waste to create an alcoholic beverage. With both the theoretical and practical experiences she gained, she developed a strong passion for plant molecular biology. She aims to further her research experience in the Qiu lab by exploring the molecular mechanisms behind plant responses to environmental temperature variations.
Contact: stimilsi at go.olemiss.edu
Upasana Shrestha (उपासना श्रेष्ठ)
Graduate Student (joined in August 2024)
Upasana Shrestha earned her Bachelor’s degree in Agricultural Science from Tribhuvan University, Nepal. Her academic journey included researching Genetics and Plant Breeding, explicitly focusing on the “Evaluation of Performance and Genetic Parameters in Quality Protein Maize Genotypes.” With a strong foundation in plant molecular biology, Upasana is passionate about exploring advanced molecular approaches to enhance agricultural crop development.
Contact: ushresth at go.olemiss.edu
Chami Ruwanthika (චාමි රුවන්තිකා)
Graduate Student (joined in August 2024)
Chami graduated in 2022 with a Bachelor’s degree in Agriculture Technology and Management from the University of Peradeniya in Sri Lanka, where she majored in Molecular Biology and Biotechnology. Her academic and research interests are deeply rooted in understanding how plants respond to various environmental factors, focusing on responses to gravity, temperature, and other stress conditions. In 2024, Chami joined the Qiu lab at the University of Mississippi to pursue her PhD in Biology. Her goal is to further explore these plant-environment interactions at the molecular level, contributing to advancements in agricultural technology and sustainable farming practices.
Contact: crabeyko at go.olemiss.edu
Shaunna George
Graduate Student (joined in August 2024)
Shaunna graduated from the University of Mississippi in 2024 with a B.A. in Biological Sciences and minors in Chemistry and Military Science. The same year, Shaunna joined the Qiu lab to pursue her non-thesis master’s degree in Biology.
Contact: sngeorge at go.olemiss.edu
Yang Di (邸阳)
Graduate Student (joined in August 2025)
Yang Di obtained her B.S in Biological Science and a minor in Chemistry from the University of Mississippi. In 2025, Yang joined the Qiu lab to pursue her PhD in Biology. She will focus on understanding the Gene Regulatory Network in plant thermomorphogenesis.
Postdoctoral Associate
Haibo Xiong (熊海波), Ph.D.
Postdoctoral Associate (joined in October 2023)
Ph.D., University of Chinese Academy of Sciences (2017-2023)
M.S., Shanghai Normal University (2014-2017)
B.S., Henan University of Science & Technology (2009-2013)
Contact: hxiong2 at go.olemiss.edu
Undergraduate Students
Madison Cerra
Undergraduate Research Assistant (joined in August 2024)
Madison is a junior at the University of Mississippi pursuing a B.S. in Biological Sciences with a minor in Spanish. She hopes to attend medical school after graduating.
Mary Delaney Dumas
Undergraduate Research Assistant (joined in September 2024)
Mary is a sophomore at the University of Mississippi pursuing a degree in Biological Sciences with minors in Chemistry and Spanish. After earning her degree, she plans to attend Medical School.
Morgan Culbertson
Undergraduate Research Assistant (joined in September 2024)
Morgan is a junior at the University of Mississippi pursuing a B.S. in Biological Sciences with a minor in Chemistry. After completing her degree, Morgan hopes to attend medical school.
Bess Ketner
Undergraduate Research Assistant (joined in November 2024)
Bess is a freshman at the University of Mississippi pursuing a B.A. in Biological Sciences. After completing her undergraduate degree, she plans to attend medical school with an interest in Dermatology.
Sam Booth
Undergraduate Research Assistant (joined in August 2025)
Sam is a Sophomore at the University of Mississippi pursuing a B.B.A. in Finance with minors in Chemistry and Biological Sciences. After earning his undergraduate degree, he aims to attend medical school.
Anand Patel
Undergraduate Research Assistant (joined in August 2025)
Anand is a Sophomore from Jackson, MS. A few of his interests include Biology, Anatomy, and the economy. In his spare time, he enjoys trying new foods, watching sports, being active, and spending time with his friends.
William Senf
Undergraduate Research Assistant (joined in August 2025)
Will is a junior at the University of Mississippi, pursuing a B.A. in biology with a minor in chemistry. He plans to attend medical school after graduating.
Caleb Le
Undergraduate Research Assistant (joined in August 2025)
Caleb is a sophomore at the University of Mississippi pursuing a B.A in Biological Sciences. He plans to go to medical school with an interest in cardiology.
Zion Cooper
Undergraduate Research Assistant (joined in August 2025)
Zion is a junior at the University of Mississippi pursuing a Bachelor of Arts in Biological Sciences with a minor in Chemistry. Before transferring to the university, he earned an Associate of Arts degree from Jones College in 2025. After completing his undergraduate studies, Zion plans to attend medical school.
Qiu Laboratory at Ole Miss 