Lu obtained her Ph.D. from Columbia University, working with Prof. Wei Min. Too fascinated by the stimulated Raman scattering microscopy, she decided to stay at Columbia, continuing her postdoctoral work on developing new nonlinear vibrational imaging techniques. Lu joined the faculty at Caltech in 2018. Lu has recently been recognized by the 2017 ACS PHYS Division Young Investigator Award, the 2018 Blavatnik Regional Awards for Young Scientists, the 2019 Amgen Early Innovator Award, the 2020 NIH Director's New Innovator Award, and the 2022 Sloan Research Fellowship. Lu is also a Heritage Medical Research Institute (HMRI) investigator at Caltech.

Microscopy Development Exploiting spectroscopy principles (e.g. vibrational spectroscopy)and implementing them for new bioimaging techniques Probe Engineering ​Exploring new imaging roles with existing molecules and Engineering new functional imaging probes Biological Investigations Understanding the dynamical and complex biological processes in space and time.

Alkyne-Tagged Raman Probes for Local Environmental Sensing by Hydrogen–Deuterium Exchange, X. Bi†, K. Miao† & L. Wei*, J. Am. Chem. Soc. (2022). Multicolor Photoactivatable Raman Probes for Subcellular Imaging and Tracking by Cyclopropenone Caging, J. Du & L. Wei*, J. Am. Chem. Soc. (2021). doi.org/10.1021/jacs.1c09689 Super-Resolution Label-free Volumetric Vibrational Imaging, C. Qian†, K. Miao†, L. Lin, X. Chen, J. Du, L. Wei*, Nature Communications, 3648 (2021). High spatial-resolution imaging of label-free in vivo protein aggregates by VISTA, L. Lin, K. Miao, C. Qian, L. Wei*, Analyst, 146, 4135-4145 (2021) Toward Photoswitchable Pre-resonance Stimulated Raman Probes, D. Lee, C. Qian, H. Wang, L. Lei, K. Miao, J. Du, D. M. Shcherbakova, V. V. Verkhusha, L.V. Wang, and L. Wei*, Journal of Chemical Physics, 154, 135102, (2021) Visualizing Subcellular Enrichment of Glycogen in Live Cancer Cells by Stimulated Raman Scattering. D. Lee, J. Du, R. Yu, Y. Su, J. Heath, and L. Wei*, Analytical Chemistry, 92, 13182, (2020) Raman-guided Subcellular Pharmaco-Metabolomics for Metastatic Melanoma Cells. J. Du†, Y. Su†, C. Qian, D. Yuan, K. Miao, D. Lee, A. Ng, R. Wijker, A. Ribas, R. Levine, J. Heath*, and L. Wei*, Nature Communications, 11, 4830, (2020) Live-Cell Imaging and Quantification of PolyQ Aggregates by Stimulated Raman Scattering of Selective Deuterium Labeling. K. Miao and L. Wei*, ACS Cent. Sci, 4, 478, (2020). Stimulated Raman excited fluorescence spectroscopy and imaging. H. Xiong†, L. Shi†, L. Wei, Y. Shen, R. Long, Z. Zhao and W. Min, Nat. Photonics, 13, 412 (2019). Volumetric Chemical Imaging by Clearing-Enhanced Stimulated Raman Scattering Microscopy. M. Wei†, L. Shi†, Y. Shen, Z. Zhao, A. Guzman, L. J. Kaufman, L. Wei* and Wei Min*, Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA, 116, 6608, (2019). *Co-corresponding. Electronic Resonant Stimulated Raman Scattering Micro-Spectroscopy. L. Shi, H. Xiong, Y. Shen, R. Long, L. Wei and W. Min. J. Phys. Chem. B, DOI: 10.1021/acs.jpcb.8b07037, (2018). Electronic pre-resonance stimulated Raman scattering microscopy, L. Wei and W. Min, J. Phys. Chem. Lett. 9, 4294 (2018). Cover. Operando, three dimensional, and simultaneous visualization of ion depletion and lithium growth by stimulated Raman scattering microscopy. Q. Cheng†, L. Wei†, Z. Liu, N. Ni, Z. Sang, B. Zhu, W. Xu, L.-Q.Chen, W. Min and Y. Yang, Nat. Commun., 9, 2942 (2018). †Equal contribution. Supermultiplexed optical imaging and barcoding with engineered polyynes. F. Hu, C. Zeng, R. Long, Y. Miao, L. Wei, Q. Xu and W. Min, Nat. Methods, 15, 194(2018). Super-multiplex vibrational imaging, L. Wei, Z. Chen, L. Shi, R. Long, A. V. Anzalone, L. Zhang, F. Hu, R. Yuste, V. W. Cornish and W. Min, Nature, 544, 465 (2017). Live-cell bioorthogonal chemical imaging: stimulated Raman scattering microscopy of vibrational probes, L. Wei, F. Hu, Z. Chen, Y. Shen, L. Zhang and W. Min, Acc. Chem. Res.,49,1494 (2016). Bioorthogonal chemical imaging of metabolic activities in live mammalian hippocampal tissues with stimulated Raman scattering, F. Hu, M. Lamprecht, L. Wei, B. Morrison and W. Min, Sci. Rep.,6, 39660 (2016). Imaging complex protein metabolism in live organisms by stimulated Raman scattering microscopy with isotope labeling, L. Wei, Y. Shen, F. Xu, F. Hu, J. K. Harrington, K. L. Targoff and W. Min. ACS Chem. Bio.10, 901 (2015). Cover. Vibrational imaging of glucose uptake activity in live cells and tissues by stimulated Raman scattering, F. Hu, Z. Chen, L. Zhang, Y. Shen, L. Wei and W. Min. Angew. Chem. Int. Ed. 54, 9821 (2015). ​