Students, Fellows & Scholars

• 
  Postdoctoral Fellow
  Haiqing Bai
  
  • MentorDonald Ingber
  • Focus AreaBioinspired Therapeutics & Diagnostics
  • ProjectDevelopment of novel in vitro human Organ-on-chip microsystems technologies to study and model influenza infection and propagation
  • 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
  • ProjectModeling Environmental Enteric Dysfunction (EED) and establishing a robust tool for assessing nutrients absorption in a gut-on-a-chip microdivice.
  • 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
  • ProjectBiomimetic 3D-Printed Tympanic Membrane Grafts (PhonoGraft)
  • 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 in Bioengineering - Biostasis Team
  Berenice Charrez
  
  • MentorsDonald E. Ingber, Richard Novak
  • Focus Area3D Organ Engineering
  • ProjectBiostasis
  • Research InterestsOrgan on chips; regenerative medicine; preservation; diagnostics; drug development
  • EducationPhD in Biomedical engineering, University of California at Berkeley; MSc & BSc in life sciences and engineering, EPFL Switzerland
• 
  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
  • ProjectDeveloping a model for radiation-induced pulmonary fibrosis using the alveolus-on-chip platform
  • 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
• 
  Research Associate
  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
• 
  Postdoctoral Fellow
  Tal Gilboa
  
  • MentorDavid Walt
  • Focus AreaBioinspired Therapeutics & Diagnostics
  • ProjectDeveloping sensors for 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
  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
  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
  • ProjectOrgans-on-Chips
  • 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
  Ski Krieger
  
  • MentorGeorge Church
  • Focus AreaBioinspired Therapeutics & Diagnostics
  • ProjectMRBL Therapeutics Institute Project
  • Research InterestsCausal inference; population genetics; computational biology
  • EducationB.A. University of Chicago, Physics/Classics, 2009; M.S. Brown University, Applied Math, 2013; Ph.D, Brown University, Engineering, 2016
• 
  Postdoctoral Research Fellow
  Christos Kyprianou
  
  • MentorDon Ingber
  • ProjectBone Marrow-on-a-Chip
  • Research InterestsOrgans-on-a-chip, Synthetic Biology, Developmental Biology, Biophysics
  • EducationBSc, Genetics at the University of Leicester, UK
    MSc, Clinical Embryology at the University of Oxford, UK
    MRes, Developmental Biology at the University of Cambridge, UK
    PhD, Developmental Biology at the University of Cambridge, UK
• 
  Postdoctoral Fellow
  Dae-Young Lee
  
  • MentorsRobert Wood and David Clarke
  • Focus AreaBioinspired Soft Robotics
  • ProjectWearable Gestures Project
  • 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
• 
  Postdoctoral Fellow
  Ninning Liu, Ph.D.
  
  • MentorPeng Yin
  • PlatformMolecular Robotics, Synthetic Biology
  • ProjectDeveloping real-time, nanoscale labeling technology
  • 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
  • ProjectSingle cell encapsulation in microgels
  • 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
  • ProjectDNA nano-device for the sensing and quantification of biomolecules and their dynamic behaviors
  • 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
  • ProjectVaginal Microbiome Research
  • 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
  • ProjectLow-cost, ultrasensitive diagnostic platform for detecting nucleic acids and proteins
  • 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
  Alican Ozkan
  
  • MentorDonald E. Ingber
  • Focus Area3D Organ Engineering, Bioinspired Therapeutics & Diagnostics, Living Cellular Devices
  • ProjectCancer Research UK
  • 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
  Ana Raquel P. Santa Maria, Ph.D.
  
  • MentorDonald E. Ingber and James Gorman
  • Focus AreasBioinspired Therapeutics & Diagnostics,
    3D Organ Engineering
  • ProjectBrain Targeting Program
  • Research InterestsBlood-brain barrier (BBB), brain microvessels, endothelial cells, surface proteins, BBB targets for drug transport
  • EducationPh.D. in Biology, Szeged University, Hungary, 2021; M.S. in Biological Engineering, Algarve University, Portugal, 2015
• 
  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
• 
  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
  Sujay Ray
  
  • MentorWilliam Shih
  • Focus AreaMolecular Robotics, Synthetic Biology
  • ProjectMolecular Robotics
  • Research InterestsSingle molecule biophysics, DNA- RNA nano structures, force spectroscopy
  • EducationPh.D. in Physics , Kent State University, USA.(2014)
• 
  Postdoctoral Fellow
  Joanna Robaszewski
  
  • MentorPeng Yin
  • Focus AreasBioinspired Therapeutics & Diagnostics, Molecular Robotics, Synthetic Biology
  • ProjectsDNA bionanotechology, advanced tissue imaging, rapid diagnostics
  • Research InterestsDNA nanotechnology, advanced bioimaging, reliable rapid diagnostics, programmable biomaterials
  • EducationPh.D., Physics, Brandeis University, 2021; M.S., Physics, Brandeis University 2015; B.S., Physics, California Institute of Technology, 2013
• 
  Postdoctoral Fellow
  Justin Rolando
  
  • MentorDavid Walt
  • Focus AreaBioinspired Therapeutics & Diagnostics
  • ProjectsPoint-of-Care Tuberculosis Diagnostics, Bio-Inspired Single-molecule Diagnostics
  • Research InterestsUsing single-molecule detection to improve the quality of medical diagnostics, longitudinal studies of human health, and increasing access to the health-care system via Point-of-Care diagnostics.
  • EducationPh.D., Caltech with Rustem Ismagilov (Chemistry, 2019); Double BA, Univ Colorado - Boulder with Bruce Eaton (BioChem, MCD-Bio, Minor Chem, 2009). Fashion Director - Center For Kids Who Can't Read Good (2001).
• 
  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
  • ProjecteRapid
  • 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
  Woojung Shin
  
  • MentorsJames J. Collins; Donald E. Ingber
  • Focus AreasSynthetic Biology; 3D Organ Engineering
  • ProjectInvestigation of the carcinogenic effects of bactericidal antibiotics in the gut
  • Research InterestsSynthetic biology, Host-microbiome interaction, Organ-on-a-chip
  • EducationPh.D., The University of Texas at Austin, Biomedical Engineering, 2020; M.S., Sungkyunkwan University, Chemical Engineering, 2015; B.S., Sungkyunkwan University, Chemical Engineering, 2014
• 
  Postdoctoral Fellow
  Luis R. Soenksen
  
  • MentorJames J. Collins
  • Focus AreasLiving Cellular Devices, Synthetic Biology, 3D Organ Engineering
  • ProjectsWearable Synthetic Biology, Medical Devices, CRISPR-Electronics, Novel Sensors
  • 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
  • ProjectBiostasis
  • 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
  Anna Stejskalová
  
  • MentorDonald Ingber
  • Focus Areas3D Organ Engineering, Bioinspired Therapeutics & Diagnostics
  • ProjectCervix-on-a-chip
  • Research InterestsOrgan-on-a-chip, Women's health, Mechanobiology
  • EducationPh.D., Bioengineering, Imperial College London, 2019; MSc, Trinity College Dublin & University of Groningen, 2014
• 
  Postdoctoral Research Fellow
  Hanquan Su
  
  • MentorPeng Yin
  • Focus AreasLiving Cellular Devices, Molecular Robotics, Synthetic Biology
  • ProjectHighly multiplexed, DNA-based super-resolution imaging
  • Research InterestsDNA nanotechnology, DNA-based bioimaging, Super-resolution imaging
  • EducationPh.D. in Chemistry, Emory University, 2020;
    B.S. in Chemistry, University of Science and Technology of China, 2014
• 
  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
  Gina Wang
  
  • MentorDavid Walt
  • Focus AreaBioinspired Therapeutics & Diagnostics
  • ProjectDiagnostics and biomarkers development
  • Research InterestDiagnostics
  • EducationJohns Hopkins University, Biophysics, 2018
• 
  Postdoctoral Fellow
  Jiuhai Wang
  
  • MentorDonald Ingber
  • Focus AreaBioinspired Therapeutics and Diagnostics
  • ProjectAlzheimer's Disease-on-Chip, Brain Targeting Program
  • Research InterestsBlood-brain barrier (BBB)-on-Chip, Alzheimer's disease models, BBB function in brain diseases, BBB shuttles for brain transport.
  • Education Ph.D., Biomedical Engineering, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, 2020
• 
  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
• 
  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
  • ProjecteRapid: Multiplexed electrochemical sensors for fast, accurate, portable diagnostics
  • Research InterestsPoint-of-Care Testing, Microfluidics and Biosensing
  • EducationPhD, University of British Columbia, 2017; MSc and BSc, Cairo University, Mechanical Engineering, 2011 and 2009