Chengeng Yang is a current Ph.D. student at the University of Connecticut studying Biomedical Engineering, but also holds a master’s degree in Pharmaceutical Sciences from Northeastern University. In the Choi lab, she is working on the development of novel tissue-specific contrast agents, specifically focusing on heptamethine skeleton based dyes. Since she joined the Choi lab, her projects have involved organic chemistry to optimize synthetic routes, in vitro molecular assays, and in vivo evaluations using various kinds of mouse models. She further enhanced her techniques in UV-VIS spectroscopy, LC-MS, and column chromatography. She also obtained skills in performing biodistribution studies, blood half-life studies, and Flare imaging. In addition, Chengeng also took the responsibility for database maintenance of contrast agents in the Choi lab. Being so attracted by the applications of computation in life sciences, she decided to devote herself to computational biology for her future career. So far, Chengeng has already published a review paper in the Choi lab, and is currently working on a research paper on the topic of novel tissue-specific contrast agents.