Lealia Xiong
About Lealia Xiong
Lealia Xiong is a Senior Applications Engineer with extensive experience in synthetic biology and software development. She has contributed to significant projects, including the development of an API for a cloud lab and a multi-year collaboration on engineered living materials.
Work at MantleBio
Lealia Xiong currently serves as a Senior Applications Engineer at MantleBio, a position she has held since 2024. In this role, she is involved in building and expanding features in the company's core software product. She is part of a cross-functional team that focuses on enhancing the functionality and accessibility of MantleBio's offerings.
Education and Expertise
Lealia Xiong holds a Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) in Medical Engineering from Caltech. She also earned a Bachelor of Science (B.S.) in Physics from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Her educational background provides a strong foundation in both engineering and scientific principles, which she applies in her current role and previous positions.
Background in Synthetic Biology
Xiong has a significant background in synthetic biology, having worked as a Synthetic Biologist at Caltech from 2016 to 2022. During this time, she focused on thermoregulating bacteria for engineered living materials. Her experience includes mentoring a diverse group of individuals in scientific mindset development, writing, and presentation skills.
Professional Experience in Scientific Software Development
Before joining MantleBio, Lealia Xiong worked as a Scientific Software Developer at Emerald Cloud Lab for 10 months in 2023. Her role involved remote laboratory experimentation, where she contributed to the development of an API that enabled nationwide access to laboratory instruments through code. This experience enhanced her skills in software development within scientific contexts.
Research Experience at Prestigious Institutions
Lealia Xiong has held research positions at several prestigious institutions. She was an Undergraduate Researcher at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, where she worked in synthetic biology and neuroscience from 2012 to 2014. Additionally, she conducted research at Harvard Medical School in systems biology for two months in 2014. These roles contributed to her comprehensive understanding of various scientific disciplines.