Technology Advancement

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  Research Assistant III
  Jessica Adams
  
  • MentorGeorge Church
  • Focus AreasSynthetic Biology, 3D Organ Engineering
  • ProjectIn Vitro Oogenesis - GAMETO
  • Research InterestsIn-vitro oogenesis, development of 3D cell culture lines/organoids, induction of TFs in iPSCs, granulosa cell differentiation, oocyte differentiation, chromatin modification/epigenetics
  • EducationB.S. University of Connecticut, Molecular and Cell Biology, 2020
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  Research Assistant III
  Zack Chou
  
  • MentorsJennifer Lewis, Luba Perry
  • Focus Area3D Organ Engineering
  • ProjectBiomimetic PhonoGraft, Suturable Vascularized Functional Tissues
  • Research InterestsBioprinting & Biomaterials
  • EducationB.S. Bioengineering, UC Berkeley, 2019
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  Research Assistant II - Neurodegenerative and Infectious Disease Biomarkers
  Sydney D’Amaddio
  
  • MentorDavid Walt, Tyler Dougan, Adnan Shah, Maia Norman
  • PlatformDiagnostics Accelerator, Bioinspired Therapeutics & Diagnostics
  • ProjectTuberculosis Diagnostics, HIV Treatments, and Brain-Derived Extracellular Vesicles for Analysis of Treatment Resistant Major Depressive Disorder
  • Research InterestsPsychiatric and Infectious Disease Diagnostics/Treatment
  • EducationB.S. Biology; Health: Science, Society, and Policy; Brandeis University; 2022
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  Research Assistant IV
  Thomas Doyle
  
  • MentorDonald E. Ingber, Michael Super
  • Focus AreaBioinspired Therapeutics & Diagnostics
  • ProjectsDARPA Sepsis
  • Research InterestsFabrication of functional surfaces for biosensor and therapeutic applications, surface chemistry, bioconjugation, and product development
  • EducationM.A. University of Texas at Austin, Chemistry, 2007; B.S. University of Massachusetts, Chemistry, 2001
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  Research Assistant II - Brain Targeting Program
  Amy England
  
  • MentorsLiqun Wang, James Gorman
  • Focus AreaBioinspired Therapeutics & Diagnostics
  • ProjectBrain Targeting Program - Blood Brain Barrier
  • Research InterestNeuroscience
  • EducationB.S. Biomedical Sciences, Marquette University 2021
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  Research Associate
  Benjamin Freedman, Ph.D.
  
  • MentorDavid J. Mooney
  • Focus AreasImmuno-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
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  Research Assistant II - DNA Barcoding and Biomolecular Imaging
  Max Furman
  
  • MentorPeng Yin, Hanquan Su, Kuanwei Sheng
  • Focus AreaBioinspired Therapeutics & Diagnostics, Synthetic Biology, Molecular Robotics
  • ProjectDNA Barcoding and Biomolecular Imaging
  • Research InterestsSynthetic Biology, DNA Nanotechnology, Directed Evolution, Cell-Free Biological Systems
  • EducationB.Eng. Bioengineering, McGill University, 2022
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  Research Assistant III - Human Cerebral Organoids
  Mariana Garcia-Corral
  
  • MentorsGeorge Church and Jenny Tam
  • Focus Area 3D Organ Engineering
  • ProjectCircaVent
  • Research InterestsNeurodevelopment, Neurodegenerative diseases, Organoids, Microfluidics, Stem cell reseach
  • EducationM.Sc. Biomedical Engineering (Bioengineering technologies), University of Twente, NL, 2020;
    B. Sc. Biomedical Engineering, Tecnologico de Monterrey, MX, 2018
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  Research Assistant IV - Analytical-Immunology
  Hamza Ijaz
  
  • MentorDavid Mooney
  • Focus AreaImmuno-Materials
  • ProjectDrug Release, Analytical Method Development, Autoimmune immunotherapy involving T cells expansion, generating T cells using scaffolds that mimic the way that antigen-presenting cells (APCs) activate T cells in the body.
  • Research InterestsTargeted Drug Delivery, Immunotherapy, Hydrogels and Material Science
  • EducationM.S. Organic Chemistry, University of Massachusetts Dartmouth, 2016; B.S. Biochemistry, University of Massachusetts Dartmouth, 2015
    
    
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  Research Assistant, Materials Characterization
  Christopher Johnson
  
  • MentorEd Doherty
  • Focus AreaImmuno-Materials
  • ProjectsClick Alginate Injectable Gels, Ultrasound-Mediated Drug Delivery, and PNM Analytical Method Development
  • Research InterestsMaterial Science and Engineering of Drug Delivery and Manufacturing Processes, Analytical Method Development, and Mass Spectroscopy and Chromatography
  • EducationB.S. SUNY Environmental School of Science and Forestry/ Syracuse University Syracuse, Chemistry, 2004
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  Materials Characterization Core Manager
  Michael Lewandowski
  
  • MentorRushdy Ahmad
  • Focus AreaAdaptive Material Technologies, Bioinspired Therapeutics & Diagnostics, Immuno-Materials, Synthetic Biology
  • ProjectMaterials Characterization
  • Research InterestsMass Spectrometry, Chromatography, Drug Metabolism, Environmental Toxicology
  • EducationB.S. Environmental Science, University of Vermont, 2002
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  Research Assistant III - Biology/Hematology
  Shanda Lightbown
  
  • MentorDonald E. Ingber, Michael Super
  • Focus AreaBioinspired Therapeutics & Diagnostics
  • ProjectsDARPA Sepsis, DARPA THoR
  • Research InterestsLarge animal focused in-vivo study design, biocompatibility, hemocompatibility, infectious diseases, anesthesia and surgical support
  • EducationB.A. Mount Holyoke College, Biology, 2015
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  Machine Shop Technician
  Paul Machado
  
  • Focus AreaAdaptive Material Technologies, Bioinspired Soft Robotics, Bioinspired Therapeutics & Diagnostics, Living Cellular Devices, Molecular Robotics, Synthetic Biology
  • EducationSomerville High Machine Shop Trade School, Computer Programmer at Bunker Hill College
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  Research Assistant IV
  Ramsés Martínez
  
  • MentorsDon Ingber, Richard Novak
  • Focus AreaBioinspired Therapeutics & Diagnostics
  • ProjectsCogniXense, AquaPulse
  • Research InterestsMicrofluidics, MEMS, Mechanobiology, Microfabrication
  • EducationB.Eng. Mechanical Engineering, Universidad Veracruzana, 2016.
    M.S. Micro and Nanosystems, Universidad Veracruzana, 2019.
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  Research Assistant IV - Epithelial-Microbiome Modeling
  Gwenn Merry
  
  • MentorGirija Goyal
  • Focus AreaBioinspired Therapeutics & Diagnostics
  • ProjectColon and Airway Models
  • Research InterestsAssay Development, Disease Diagnostics and Research, In Vitro Models
  • EducationM.S. Aquaculture & Fisheries, Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, LA; B.S. Franklin & Marshall College, Lancaster, PA
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  Materials Characterization Technologies Manager
  Alexander Pauer
  
  • MentorRobert Rasmussen
  • Focus AreasBioinspired Therapeutics & Diagnostics, Immuno-Materials, Synthetic Biology
  • ProjectMaterials Characterization Core management, analytical chemistry support
  • Research InterestsBrain drug targeting, nanoparticle-based cancer immunotherapeutics, infectious disease vaccine development
  • EducationM.S. Chemical Engineering, Northeastern University, 2021; B.S. Materials Engineering, California Polytechnic State University--San Luis Obispo, 2018
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  Research Assistant III - Senior Tissue Culture Technician
  Juan Mauricio Pérez
  
  • MentorMichael Carr
  • ProjectCell Culture Lab Instructor
  • InterestsDirectly support researchers’ experiments that involve cell culture by maintaining cell lines, culturing primary cells and performing related assays
  • EducationBiothechnician, Middlesex Community College, 2009
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  Research Assistant II – Biosensors and Diagnostics
  Shaunak Potdar
  
  • MentorDonald E. Ingber , Adama M. Sesay
  • Focus AreaBioinspired Therapeutics & Diagnostics
  • ProjectGut organ on-a-chip model, Biostasis
  • Research InterestsPrototyping, drug delivery, organ-on-a-chip, microfabrication
  • EducationM.S. Bioengineering, Northeastern University, 2021; B.E.(Hons) Biotechnology Engineering, BITS Pilani Dubai Campus, 2019
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  Technician
  Pranav Prabhala
  
  • MentorsDonald E. Ingber, M.D., Ph.D., Girija Goyal, Ph.D.
  • Focus AreaBioinspired Therapeutics & Diagnostics
  • ProjectImmune system Organs-on-Chip
  • Research InterestsBiological modeling using Organ Chips
  • EducationB.S. in Cell and Molecular Biology, Northeastern University, 2021
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  Research Assistant IV
  Melissa Rodas
  
  • MentorDonald E. Ingber
  • Focus AreaBioinspired Therapeutics & Diagnostics
  • ProjectsDARPA Sepsis/DLT
  • Research InterestsProtein Expression & Purification, Process Development (Upstream/Downstream), Assay Development
  • EducationB.S. University of Rhode Island, Microbiology
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  Research Associate IV
  Justin Scott
  
  • MentorMike Super
  • PlatformBioinspired Therapeutics & Diagnostics
  • ProjectAntifungal and Lectin Microbiome Capture
  • Research InterestsMy primary research interests are to utilize bioengineering and synthetic biology to transform organisms and natural systems into either therapeutic production systems or climate change mitigation hubs.
  • EducationB.S., Biochemistry, University of Massachusetts Boston, 2013
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  Research Assistant IV - Microengineering
  Kostyantyn Shcherbina
  
  • MentorsRichard Novak, Donald Ingber
  • Focus AreaBioinspired Therapeutics & Diagnostics
  • ProjectDARPA ThoR
  • Research InterestsBiomedical image processing, Non-invasive therapeutics and diagnostics
  • EducationB.S., Bioengineering, George Mason University, 2017
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  Research Assistant II - Microfluidic Cell Based Assays
  Katherine Sheehan
  
  • MentorsMichael Super, Shanda Lightbown
  • Focus AreaBioinspired Therapeutics & Diagnostics
  • ProjectDARPA Biostasis
  • Research InterestsDrug discovery and design, assay development, cell culture
  • EducationB.S. Biological Sciences, University of Vermont, 2021
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  Research Assistant III
  Tania To
  
  • MentorSasha Stafford
  • Focus AreaImmuno-Materials
  • ProjectBone Marrow Cryogel
  • Research InterestsOrgans-on-Chips, Tissue Engineering, Biomimetics
  • EducationM.Eng. Applied Bioengineering, University of Washington, 2020; B.S. Biomedical Engineering, Boston University, 2017
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  Research Assistant III - Immunological Cellular Engineering
  Sarah Vernovsky
  
  • MentorGeorge Church, Soufiane Aboulhouda, Oliver Dodd
  • PlatformSynthetic Biology, Bioinspired Therapeutics & Diagnostics, Living Cellular Devices
  • ProjectSomaCode – Immune Cell Engineering
  • Research InterestsSynthetic biology, bioethics, behavioral biology, evolution, immunotherapy, cognitive science
  • EducationB.S., Biology and B.S., Health: Science, Society, and Policy, Brandeis University, 2021
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  Research Assistant III
  Sara Whiteman
  
  • MentorsDavid Walt, Dima Ter-Ovanesyan, Tal Gilboa
  • Focus AreaDiagnostics Accelerator
  • ProjectsMolecular diagnostics/ exosomes
  • Research InterestsBiology and applications of exosomes
  • EducationB.A. Concordia College, Neuroscience, 2018