Students, Fellows & Scholars

• 
  Postdoctoral Fellow
  Haiqing Bai
  
  • MentorDonald Ingber
  • Focus AreaBioinspired Therapeutics & Diagnostics
  • Research InterestsOrgan-on-chips, influenza infection, gene therapy, lung edema
  • EducationPh.D., Pathology, University of Rochester, 2018; B.S., Systems Biology, University of Science and Technology of China, 2012
• 
  Postdoctoral Fellow
  Amir Bein, Ph.D.
  
  • MentorDonald E. Ingber
  • Focus AreaBioinspired Therapeutics & Diagnostics
  • Research InterestsSmall intestine physiology, inflammatory bowel diseases, gut barrier function in health and disease, nutrients absorption and their effect on intestinal epithelial cells, biosensors, cryo-preservation of primary and stem cells.
  • EducationPh.D, Nutritional Sciences, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem Israel. R.D. Training in Nutrition, Kaplan Medical Center, Meuchedet Clinics & Ministry of Health Israel. B.Sc.Nutr (Honors). The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Israel
• 
  Gliklich Healthcare Innovation Postdoctoral Research Fellow
  Nicole Black
  
  • MentorsJennifer Lewis, Sc.D., Aaron Remenschneider, M.D., M.P.H., Elliott Kozin, M.D.
  • Focus Areas3D Organ Engineering, Immuno-Materials
  • Research InterestsMy broad interests are in additive manufacturing (3D printing), materials science, nanotechnology, and implantable devices. My current research investigates the relationship between structure and function at the micron-scale in living tissues. Specifically, I am developing novel 3D-printed biodegradable elastomeric grafts that can be remodeled into mechanically anisotropic tissues in vitro and in vivo. Currently, I am designing tympanic membrane (eardrum) grafts with tailored motion patterns in response to acoustic stimuli. Eventually, we hope that this technology will improve hearing outcomes following tympanoplasty surgery.
  • EducationB.S, Biomedical Engineering, Boston University, 2014; M.S., Engineering Sciences, Harvard University, 2016; Ph.D., Engineering Sciences: Bioengineering, Harvard University, 2020 (expected)
• 
  Postdoctoral Fellow
  Daniel Bojar
  
  • MentorsJames J. Collins & Diogo Camacho
  • Focus AreasBioinspired Therapeutics & Diagnostics, Synthetic Biology
  • Research Interests Synthetic Biology, Machine Learning, Protein Engineering
  • EducationPh.D., ETH Zurich, Synthetic Biology, 2019; M.Sc. ETH Zurich, Biophysics, 2016; B.Sc. University of Tuebingen, Biochemistry, 2014
• 
  Postdoctoral Fellow
  Yeongjae Choi
  
  • MentorPeng Yin
  • Focus AreasMolecular Robotics, Synthetic Biology
  • Research InterestsNucleic acid nanotechnology; Single-cell analysis
  • EducationPh.D., Electrical and Computer Engineering, Seoul National University, 2018; B.S., Electrical and Computer Engineering, Seoul National University, 2012
• 
  Postdoctoral Fellow
  John R. Clegg
  
  • MentorSamir Mitragotri
  • Focus AreasAdaptive Material Technologies, Bioinspired Therapeutics & Diagnostics, Immuno-Materials
  • Research InterestsBiomaterials, Drug Delivery, Polymer Synthesis, Bioconjugate Systems, Immunomodulation
  • EducationPh.D., Biomedical Engineering, University of Texas at Austin, 2019; M.A., STEM Education, University of Texas at Austin, 2018; M.S.E. Biomedical Engineering, University of Texas at Austin, 2016; B.S., Biomedical Engineering, University of South Carolina, Columbia, 2014
• 
  Postdoctoral Fellow
  Queeny Dasgupta
  
  • MentorDonald E. Ingber
  • Focus AreaBioinspired Therapeutics & Diagnostics, Living Cellular Devices
  • Research InterestsOrgan-on-chip devices, pulmonary fibrosis, epithelial-mesenchymal interactions, disease modeling
  • EducationPostdoc, Tufts University, USA, July 2018-Jan 2020; PhD Bioengineering, Indian Institute of Science, Bengaluru, India, 2018
• 
  Postdoctoral Fellow
  Irene de Lázaro
  
  • MentorDave Mooney
  • Focus AreaImmuno-Materials
  • Research InterestsNanomaterials, tissue regeneration, immunomodulation
  • EducationPh.D, Regenerative Medicine, University College London, 2015; MSc, Drug Delivery, School of Pharmacy, University of London, 2011; MPharm, Pharmacy, Alcalá University, Madrid, 2009
• 
  Postdoctoral Fellow
  Benjamin Freedman, Ph.D.
  
  • MentorDavid J. Mooney
  • Focus AreasAdaptive Material Technologies, Bioinspired Therapeutics & Diagnostics, Immuno-Materials
  • Research InterestsBiomaterials, drug delivery, biomechanics, orthopedics, tendon/ligament, tissue engineering, structure-function relationships
  • EducationPh.D., Bioengineering, University of Pennsylvania, 2017;
    B.S., Biomedical Engineering, University of Rochester, 2011
• 
  Graduate Student
  Alexander Garruss, Ph.D.
  
  • MentorGeorge Church
  • Focus AreaSynthetic Biology
  • Research InterestsDesign and engineering of biomolecules and microbes to expand sustainable options for world energy production, commodity chemical synthesis, and environmental remediation
  • EducationPh.D. Candidate, Bioinformatics and Integrative Genomics, Harvard University; M.S., Computer Science, University of Kansas; B.S., Kansas State University
• 
  Postdoctoral Fellow
  Tal Gilboa
  
  • MentorDavid Walt
  • Focus AreaBioinspired Therapeutics & Diagnostics
  • Research Interests Point-of-care diagnostics, Nanotechnology, Single molecule sensing
  • EducationPh.D., Biomedical Engineering, Technion - Israel Institute of Technology, 2018; B.Sc., Biomedical Engineering, Technion, 2012
• 
  Postdoctoral Fellow
  Vaskar Gnyawali
  
  • MentorDonald E. Ingber
  • Focus AreaBioinspired Therapeutics & Diagnostics
  • Research InterestsMicrofluidics, Biomedical devices, Drug delivery, Diagnostics
  • EducationPh.D., Mechanical Engineering, Ryerson University, Toronto, Canada, 2018; M.Sc., Microsystems Engineering, University of Freiburg, Freiburg im Breisgau, Germany, 2013; B.E., Computer Engineering, Pulchowk Campus, Tribhuvan University, Nepal, 2009
• 
  Postdoctoral Fellow
  Nikhil Gopalkrishnan, Ph.D.
  
  • MentorPeng Yin
  • Focus AreaMolecular Robotics, Synthetic Biology
  • Research Interests
  • EducationPh.D., Computer Science and Engineering, 2012; B.Tech, Computer Science and Engineering, 2006
• 
  Postdoctoral Fellow
  Jennifer Grant
  
  • MentorDonald Ingber
  • Focus AreaBioinspired Therapeutics & Diagnostics
  • Research Interests Organ-on-chips, analytical technique integration, mass spectrometry, microfluidics, metabolism
  • Education Ph.D., Chemistry, Northwestern University, 2018; B.S. Biomedical Engineering, Washington University in St. Louis, 2013; B.S. Applied Chemical Engineering, Washington University in St. Louis, 2013
• 
  Postdoctoral Fellow
  Joshua Micah Grolman
  
  • MentorProf. David Mooney
  • Focus AreasAdaptive Material Technologies, 3D Organ Engineering, Immuno-Materials
  • Research InterestsPolymer networks, mechanotransduction, tissue engineering
  • EducationPhD., Materials Science and Engineering, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign;
    B.S., University of Massachusetts at Amherst
• 
  Postdoctoral Fellow
  Fan Hong
  
  • MentorPeng Yin
  • Focus AreasMolecular Robotics, Synthetic Biology
  • Research InterestsMolecular Programing, System/Synthetic Biology, Bioinformatics
  • EducationPh.D. Arizona State University,2019; B.S. Huazhong University of Science and Technology
• 
  Postdoctoral Fellow
  Zohreh Izadifar, Ph.D.
  
  • MentorDonald E. Ingber
  • Focus AreaBioinspired Therapeutics & Diagnostics, 3D Organ Engineering
  • Research InterestsBiomimetic tissue engineering, regenerative medicine, 3D bioprinting, advanced biomedical imaging
  • EducationPh.D., Biomedical Engineering, University of Saskatchewan, 2015; M.Sc. Civil and Geological Engineering-Hydroinformatics, University of Saskatchewan, 2010
• 
  Postdoctoral Fellow
  Mike Jin
  
  • MentorPeng Yin
  • Focus AreaSynthetic Biology
  • Research InterestsMolecular and cellular computation, biomolecules as programmable information carriers and sensors, theoretical limits for biocomputation
  • EducationB.S., Computer Science and Mathematics, Yale University, 2013; B.S., Molecular Biophysics and Biochemistry, Yale University, 2013
• 
  Postdoctoral Fellow
  Youngeun Kim, Ph.D.
  
  • MentorPeng Yin
  • Focus AreaMolecular Robotics, Synthetic Biology
  • Research InterestsDNA Nanotechnology, Programmable Nanomaterials, DNA-Mediated Nanoparticle Assembly, Synthetic Biology, Dynamic DNA Systems
  • EducationPh.D., Materials Science and Engineering, Northwestern University, 2016; B.S. Materials Science and Engineering, double major in Biomedical Engineering, Carnegie Mellon University, 2011
• 
  Postdoctoral Fellow
  Seongmin Kim
  
  • MentorDonald E. Ingber
  • Focus AreasBioinspired Therapeutics & Diagnostics, Living Cellular Devices
  • Research InterestsOrgan-on-chips, Tissue engineering, Human microbiome, Gut-brain axis, Personalized medicine, Pluripotent stem cells
  • EducationPh.D., Bioengineering, The University of Tokyo, 2019
• 
  Postdoctoral Fellow
  Jina Ko
  
  • MentorsRalph Weissleder, David Weitz
  • Focus AreaBioinspired Therapeutics & Diagnostics
  • Research InterestsMicrofluidics, Diagnostics, Extracellular Vesicles, Immunotherapy
  • EducationPh.D., Bioengineering, University of Pennsylvania, 2018; B.A. French Studies, B.S. Bioengineering, Rice University, 2013
• 
  Postdoctoral Fellow
  Dae-Young Lee
  
  • MentorsRobert Wood and David Clarke
  • Focus AreaBioinspired Soft Robotics
  • Research InterestsSoft robotics, Origami engineering, Bio-inspired mechanism
  • EducationPh.D., Mechanical Engineering, Seoul National University, Korea, 2017
    M.S., Mechanical Engineering, Seoul National University, Korea, 2013
    B.S., Mechanical Engineering, Pohang University of Science and Technology, 2011
• 
  Research Associate in Genetics
  Henry H. Lee
  
  • MentorGeorge Church
  • Focus AreaSynthetic Biology
  • Research InterestsEnzymatic nucleic acid synthesis; non-canonical genomes.
  • EducationPhD, Collins Lab, Boston University 2012; BS Electrical Engineering, University of Washington 2004
• 
  Postdoctoral Fellow
  Li Li
  
  • MentorGeorge Church
  • Focus AreasBioinspired Therapeutics & Diagnostics, Immuno-Materials, Synthetic Biology
  • Research InterestsMachine learning, network studies, clinical informatics, and next generation sequencing
  • EducationUniversity of Cologne and ETH, 2013-2015
• 
  Postdoctoral Fellow
  Ninning Liu, Ph.D.
  
  • MentorPeng Yin
  • PlatformMolecular Robotics, Synthetic Biology
  • Research InterestsDNA nanotechnology, Super-resolution imaging using DNA probes, Programmed protein assembly
  • EducationPh.D., Molecular and Cell Biology, University of California - Berkeley, 2013; B.S., Biochemisty, B.A., Chemistry University of Washington, 2007
• 
  Postdoctoral Fellow
  Junzhe Lou
  
  • MentorDavid Mooney
  • Focus AreasAdaptive Material Technologies, Bioinspired Therapeutics & Diagnostics
  • Research InterestsBiomaterials, Microgel, Mechanobiology
  • EducationPh.D., Materials Science and Engineering, Stanford University, 2019;
    M.S., Materials Science and Engineering, Stanford University, 2016;
    B.E., Polymer Science and Engineering, Zhejiang University, 2013
• 
  Postdoctoral Fellow
  Xiaokang Lun
  
  • MentorPeng Yin
  • Focus AreaBioinspired Therapeutics & Diagnostics Molecular Robotics
  • Research InterestsDNA molecular robotics; Systems biology; Single-cell analysis; Cell signaling
  • EducationPh.D. Molecular Life Sciences, University of Zurich, 2018;
    M.S. Biomedical Sciences, University of Amsterdam, 2013;
    B.S. Biology, Wuhan University, 2011
• 
  Postdoctoral Fellow
  Gautam Mahajan
  
  • MentorDonald E. Ingber
  • Focus Area3D Organ Engineering; Bioinspired Therapeutics & Diagnostics
  • Research InterestsOrgan-on-a-chip, Biomimetic tissue engineering, regenerative medicine, Mechanobiology
  • EducationPh.D., Applied Biomedical Engineering, Cleveland State University, 2019; B.E., Biotechnology Engineering, Panjab University, 2013
• 
  Postdoctoral Fellow
  Dionis Minev
  
  • MentorWilliam Shih
  • Focus AreasMolecular Robotics, Synthetic Biology
  • Research InterestsDNA nanotechnology, ultrasensitive diagnostics, synthetic biology
  • EducationPh.D., Engineering Sciences, Harvard University, 2020; M.Sc., Medical Technology and Engineering, Technical University of Munich, 2015; B.Sc., Mechanical Engineering, Karlsruhe Institute of Technology, 2012
• 
  Research Associate in Biological Chemistry and Molecular Pharmacology
  Bhavik Nathwani, Ph.D.
  
  • MentorWilliam Shih
  • Focus AreaMolecular Robotics
  • Research InterestsMolecular biophysics, ultra-high resolution imaging, synthetic biology
  • EducationPh.D., Mechanical Engineering, Columbia University
• 
  Postdoctoral Fellow
  Alana F Ogata
  
  • MentorDavid Walt
  • Focus AreaBioinspired Therapeutics & Diagnostics
  • Research InterestsElectronic single-molecule sensing, point-of-care diagnostics, ultrasensitive protein detection
  • EducationPhD, Chemistry, UC Irvine 2018 ; B.S. Chemistry, College of William & Mary 2014
• 
  Associate in Bioengineering
  Berna Özkale Edelmann, Ph.D.
  
  • MentorDavid J. Mooney
  • Focus AreasBioinspired Therapeutics & Diagnostics, Immuno-Materials
  • Research InterestsProgrammable nanostructures, biomaterials, cancer research
  • EducationPh.D., Material Science at the Institute of Robotics and Intelligent Systems, ETH Zurich, 2016; M.S., Biomedical Engineering, ETH Zurich, 2011; B.S., Chemical Engineering, Istanbul Technical University, 2009
• 
  Postdoctoral Fellow
  Alican Ozkan
  
  • MentorDonald E. Ingber
  • Focus Area3D Organ Engineering, Bioinspired Therapeutics & Diagnostics, Living Cellular Devices
  • Research InterestsMicrofluidics, Organ-on-a-chips, Biomimetic Tissue Engineering, Hepatology, Gastroenterology
  • Education Ph.D., Mechanical Engineering, The University of Texas at Austin, 2020; M.Sc., Mechanical Engineering, Bilkent University, 2015; B.Sc., Mechanical Engineering, METU - NCC, 2013
• 
  Postdoctoral Fellow
  Luba Perry
  
  • MentorChristopher Chen
  • Focus Area3D Organ Engineering
  • Research Interests3D tissue and organ engineering, vascular biology, regenerative medicine
  • EducationPh.D., Stem Cell and Tissue Engineering Laboratory, Technion-Israel Institute of Technology, 2017; M.Sc., Medical Sciences, Technion, 2010; B.Sc., Biology, Technion, 2008
• 
  Graduate Student
  Pichet (Bom) Praveschotinunt
  
  • MentorNeel Joshi
  • Focus AreaLiving Cellular Devices
  • Research InterestsBiofilm engineering, protein engineering, genetic engineering
  • EducationM.S., Harvard University, Engineering Sciences, 2015; B.S.E. Duke University, Biomedical Engineering, 2013
• 
  Postdoctoral Fellow
  Sukanya Punthambaker
  
  • MentorGeorge Church
  • Focus AreaSynthetic Biology
  • Research InterestsNanopore sequencing, in situ sequencing, synthetic biology, protein engineering
  • EducationPh.D., Molecular Biology, University of Michigan; M.Sc., Biotechnology, University of Mysore
• 
  Postdoctoral Fellow
  Sanlin Sky Robinson
  
  • MentorJennifer Lewis
  • Focus Area3D Organ Engineering
  • Research InterestsMechanical design, materials, manufacturing, scale-up, translational engineering, 3D bioprinting, tissue engineering
  • EducationPh.D., Organic Robotics Lab, Cornell University, 2017; B.S., Chemistry, University of the Virgin Islands, 2011
• 
  Postdoctoral Fellow
  Sinem Saka, Ph.D.
  
  • MentorPeng Yin
  • Focus AreaMolecular Robotics, Synthetic Biology
  • Research InterestsNucleic acid nanotechnology, super-resolution imaging, cell biology
  • EducationB.Sc. in Molecular Biology and Genetics, Middle East Technical University, Turkey, 2008; M.Sc. in Molecular Biology, University of Goettingen, Germany, 2010; Ph.D. in Molecular Biology, University of Goettingen/International Max Planck Research School, Germany, 2013
• 
  Postdoctoral Fellow
  Andres Sanz Garcia, Ph.D.
  
  • MentorChristopher Chen
  • Focus AreasBioinspired Therapeutics & Diagnostics, 3D Organ Engineering
  • Research Interests3D organ engineering, organs-on-chip
  • EducationPh.D. Mechanical Engineering, University La Rioja (2013); M.S. in Industrial Engineering, University La Rioja; B.S. in Electrical Engineering, University La Rioja; B.S. in Electronics, University La Rioja, Spain
• 
  Postdoctoral Fellow
  Hiroshi Sasaki, Ph.D.
  
  • MentorPeng Yin
  • Focus AreaMolecular Robotics, Synthetic Biology
  • Research InterestsChromosome biology, RNA biology, single-molecule biophysics, super-resolution imaging, systems biology
  • EducationPh.D., Structural Biology, The University of Tokyo, 2011; M.S., Biophysics and Biochemistry, The University of Tokyo, 2007; B.S. Biophysics and Biochemistry, The University of Tokyo, 2005
• 
  Postdoctoral Fellow
  Sanjay Sharma Timilsina
  
  • MentorDonald E. Ingber
  • Focus AreaBioinspired Therapeutics & Diagnostics
  • Research InterestsDevelopment, Validation, & Quality control of Immunoassay, Microfluidic Medical Devices for Low Cost Diagnosis
  • EducationPh.D., Chemistry & Biochemistry, University of Texas at El Paso, 2018; M.Sc., Biotechnology, Bangalore University, 2012; B.Sc., Biotechnology, Bangalore University, 2010.
• 
  Postdoctoral Fellow
  Jie Shen, Ph.D.
  
  • MentorPeng Yin
  • Focus AreaMolecular Robotics, Synthetic Biology
  • Research InterestsDNA architecture based bottom-up nanofabrication of optical and electronic devices
  • EducationPh.D., Chemistry, Peking University, 2010; B.S., Chemistry, Peking University, 2005
• 
  Postdoctoral Fellow
  Elee Shimshoni
  
  • MentorDonald Ingber
  • Focus Areas3D Organ Engineering, Bioinspired Therapeutics & Diagnostics
  • Research InterestsOrgan chips, cancer, inflammation, extracellular matrix
  • EducationPhD, Life Sciences, Weizmann Institute of Science, 2019; M.Sc., Life Sciences, Weizmann Institute of Science, 2014; B.Sc., Biology and Psychology, Hebrew University of Jerusalem, 2011
• 
  Postdoctoral Fellow
  Luis R. Soenksen
  
  • MentorJames J. Collins
  • Focus AreasLiving Cellular Devices, Synthetic Biology, 3D Organ Engineering
  • Research InterestsWearables, Synthetic Biology, Medical Devices, Electronic sensors, Organs-on-chips, Microfluidics
  • EducationMassachusetts Institute of Technology, Ph.D. Candidate Mechanical Engineering, 2020; Johns Hopkins University
    MSE Graduate - Bioengineering Innovation and Design, 2012; Monterrey Institute of Technology (ITESM)
    B.S. Biomedical Engineering, 2010
• 
  Postdoctoral Fellow
  Megan Sperry
  
  • MentorsMichael Levin & Richard Novak
  • Focus AreaBioinspired Therapeutics & Diagnostics
  • Research InterestsComplex systems, cognition, adaptive plasticity of the brain & other tissues, learning & memory
  • EducationPh.D., Bioengineering, University of Pennsylvania, 2019; M.Phil., Structural Biomechanics, Imperial College London, 2014; B.S., Biomedical Engineering, Boston University, 2012
• 
  Postdoctoral Fellow
  Toma Tomov, Ph.D.
  
  • MentorWilliam Shih, Wesley Wong
  • Focus AreaMolecular Robotics, Synthetic Biology
  • Research InterestsDNA nanotechnology, single molecule biophysics, single molecule fluorescence microscopy, force spectroscopy, microfluidics
  • EducationPh.D in Chemistry and Nanoscience, Ben Gurion University of the Negev, 2016; M.Sc. (2012) and B.Sc. (2009) in Chemistry, Ben Gurion University of the Negev
• 
  Graduate Student
  Yu Wang
  
  • MentorGeorge Church; Peng Yin
  • Focus AreaMolecular Robotics, Synthetic Biology
  • Research InterestsSynthetic biology, super-resolution imaging, neuroscience
  • EducationB.S. Nanjing University, China and University of Southampton, United Kingdom
• 
  Postdoctoral Fellow
  Sungwook Woo, Ph.D.
  
  • MentorPeng Yin
  • Focus AreaMolecular Robotics, Synthetic Biology
  • Research InterestsStructural and dynamic DNA nanotechnology, Synthetic biology
  • EducationPh.D., Bioengineering, California Institute of Technology; M.S. Chemistry, Pohang University of Science and Technology; B.S. Materials Science and Engineering, Pohang University of Science and Technology
• 
  Postdoctoral Fellow
  Liangxia Xie
  
  • MentorDavid Walt
  • Focus AreaBioinspired Therapeutics & Diagnostics
  • Research InterestsInfectious disease diagnostics, Single molecule sensing, Point-of-care diagnostics
  • EducationPh.D., Analytical Chemistry, Nanjing University; B.S., Nanjing University, Chemistry
• 
  Graduate Student
  Weidong Xu
  
  • MentorPeng Yin
  • PlatformMolecular Robotics, Synthetic Biology
  • Research InterestsSynthetic biology, super-resolution imaging
  • EducationB.S. Tsinghua University, China
• 
  Postdoctoral Fellow
  Mohamed Yafia
  
  • MentorDonald Ingber
  • Focus AreaAdaptive Material Technologies, Bioinspired Therapeutics & Diagnostics, Immuno-Materials
  • Research InterestsPoint-of-Care Testing, Microfluidics and Biosensing
  • EducationPhD, University of British Columbia, 2017; MSc and BSc, Cairo University, Mechanical Engineering, 2011 and 2009