Our group includes graduate students, postdoctoral fellows, PharmD students, and undergraduates with diverse backgrounds. We work together to tackle significant biomedical challenges by integrating natural products chemistry, molecular biology, and pharmaceutical formulation.
Our Team
Hang Ma, Ph.D.
Principal Investigator
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Research Asistant Professor
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Tel: 401.874.2711
Email: hang_ma@uri.edu
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Office: 395A; Lab 440, Avedisian Hall
Hang Ma, Ph.D., is the Associate Director of Bioactive Botanical Research Laboratory (BBRL) in College of Pharmacy at the University of Rhode Island (URI). Dr. Ma received his bachelor’s degree in Pharmacy from Tianjin Medical University, China, in 2008, and his Master’s and Doctoral degrees in Pharmaceutical Sciences in 2011 and 2014 from URI, respectively. He has over 10 years of research experience in the field of natural products chemistry and his research interests include the phytochemical and biological investigations of natural products from medicinal plants and functional foods for therapeutical, nutraceutical, and cosmeceutical applications. Dr. Ma is currently the Secretary and Vice-Chair of the Division of Agricultural and Food Chemistry for the American Chemical Society, as well as a member of several scientific organizations including the Society of Cosmetic Chemists, the American Society of Pharmacognosy, and the American Society of Nutrition. He is also a member of the editorial board for the Cannabis and Cannabinoids Research Journal, Journal of Cannabis Research, and Journal of Future Foods.
Current members
Chang Liu, Ph.D.
Postdoctoral Fellow
Chang obtained his Ph.D. degree in Pharmaceutical Sciences from URI in 2021. His research focus on developing molecular biology based assays and evaluting the pharmacological effects of natural products.
Huifang Li, Ph.D.
Lab Manager
Huifang (Shelly) is from Wuyi University in Jiangmen, China. Shelly works on the biological evaluation of the skin protective effects of phytochemicals from functional foods. She received her PhD in 2025 from the University of Rhode Island.
Chalissa Dibya Iranisha
M.S. Candidate
Chalissa Dibya Iranisha is a Fulbright Graduate Scholar and Master’s student in Pharmaceutical Sciences at the University of Rhode Island, specializing in Medicinal Chemistry and Pharmacognosy. She earned her B.S. in Chemistry from the Bandung Institute of Technology (ITB), Indonesia. Her research focuses on investigating bioactive compounds from natural products for skin-related applications. At the Bioactive Botanical Research Laboratory, she works with plant and marine-derived materials, including peppermint (Mentha × piperita) and brown seaweed (Saccharina latissima), to investigate their skin-relevant bioactivities, including anti-inflammatory and anti-aging effects. Her work integrates natural product extraction, analytical techniques such as HPLC and LC-MS, and biochemical assays to support the identification of functional compounds.
Former members​​
Navindra P. Seeram, Ph.D.
Professor
Mentor of the Ma lab
Former Director of BBRL
Former Department Chair of BPS
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Navindra P. Seeram, Ph.D., is the former Director of BBRL, Professor, and Chair of the Department of Biomedical and Pharmaceutical Sciences at the University of Rhode Island College of Pharmacy.
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Shengli Niu, Ph.D., Visiting scholar from Shengyang Agricultural University, Shenyang China
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Xiaodan Tang, Visiting student from Wuyi University, Jiangmen, China
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Yongming Lu, Ph.D., Visiting Professor from Anhui University, Hefei, China
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Hao Guo, M.D., Dermatologist, Visiting scholar from The First Hospital of China Medical University, Shenyang, China
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Tess Puopolo, Ph.D.
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Kara Torrey, M.S
