Zitao Ma (“Z”) is a second-year PhD student in the Department of Molecular Pharmaceutics at the University of Utah. He earned his BS in Pharmacy from Xinhua College of Sun Yat-Sen University. Subsequently, he completed a thesis-based MSc in Pharmacology and Toxicology at Long Island University–Brooklyn, where he received formal wet-lab training in experimental pharmaceutical sciences.

Zitao’s doctoral research focuses on the design and application of RNA-delivering lipid nanoparticles (RNA-LNPs) to modulate immune responses, with the long-term objective of enabling effective, repeatable AAV gene therapy. In the Mei Lab, his work centers on the chemical synthesis, formulation, and optimization of RNA-LNP systems for immunoengineering applications, integrating delivery chemistry with mechanistic immunology.

Outside the laboratory, Zitao enjoys exploring new environments and expressing creativity through painting.