Cheng has a BSE in Biomedical Engineering from Case Western Reserve University and an MPhil in Genetics from University of Cambridge. During his undergraduate studies,  Cheng was a part-time researcher for two and half years, working on nanoparticle-aided gene therapy for macular degeneration. Cheng's MPhil project involved a mutagenesis screen on mutations causing abnormal morphology of endoplasmic reticulum morphology. Cheng plays tennis in his spare time and enjoys skiing.