CEMB Graduate Student Trainees
Ramin Basir
Ramin obtained his B.Sc. in Materials Science and Engineering (MSE) and M.Sc. in Physics before joining Prof. Shenoy’s lab in 2018. He is currently in the third year of his Ph.D. in MSE at the University of Pennsylvania, working under the supervision of Prof. Vivek Shenoy. His research interests center around the intersection of cell biology, physics, and data science. His current research focused on studying chromatin organization and condensation using models of polymer physics
Natasha Bilkey
I am a 4th year PhD candidate at Washington University in St. Louis. My work centers on how the microtubule cytoskeleton controls the morphology and morphogenesis of plant cells and organs, particularly the root. Specifically, I study microtubule-based ‘twisted’ mutants of Arabidopsis thaliana to better understand root mechanobiology and how root growth is directed. I am also interested in the origination of chirality in plants and its biological significance.
Ryan Calcutt
I am a 4th year PhD candidate at Washington University in St. Louis. My work centers on how the microtubule cytoskeleton controls the morphology and morphogenesis of plant cells and organs, particularly the root. Specifically, I study microtubule-based ‘twisted’ mutants of Arabidopsis thaliana to better understand root mechanobiology and how root growth is directed. I am also interested in the origination of chirality in plants and its biological significance.
Dongning Chen
I will study the interaction between collagen and large proteoglycans, especially versican, and the alteration of this interaction in fibrotic matrix. I will try to figure out how versican participate in the plasticity of compacted collagen fibrils and cellular and tissue mechanobiology such as cellular contractile force, tissue contraction and mechanosensing.
Ms. Chen currently works in the group of CEMB PI Dr. Rebecca Wells.
Xingyu Chen
Xingyu is a graduate student in the group of CEMB Director Dr. Vivek Shenoy.
Andy Clark
Andy is a graduate student in the group of CEMB PI Dr. May Cheng.
Nikolas Di Caprio
I am a very Italian, energetic person that gets deeply passionate about biomedical science and its communication to the general public. I started my biomedical research career with Dr. Evangelia Bellas and Dr. Karin Wang at Temple University as an undergraduate, trying to understand the elegant complexities of matrix mechanics and its influence on adipocyte function and application with cancer research. Invested in mechanobiology, I became a CEMB REU student in 2018 at the University of Pennsylvania, where I investigated the interplay between focal adhesion stability and viscoelastic biomaterials under Dr. Jason Burdick and Dr. Claudia Loebel. I fell in love with the culture at the University of Pennsylvania and now get to call it a home where I’m currently working towards my Ph.D. under Dr. Jason Burdick. Our current research focuses on using developmental and modular biomaterial-based approached to treat articular cartilage during osteoarthritis. When I’m not in the lab, you can find me on the mountains skiing, on the roads biking, and on the couch sleeping.
Emily Eastburn
I am interested in studying mechanotransduction of endochondral ossification in early limb development. Specifically, I am interested in how different cell types within endochondral ossification respond to mechanical loading in both in vitro and in vivo models and how this knowledge can be used for bone regeneration. My current research plans involve using cell condensations to mimic different stages of endochondral ossification in an in vivo large bone defect model.
Pennsylvania
Behnaz Eftekhari
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Melina Gyparaki
Melina is a Graduate Student in Dr. Melike Lakadamyali’s lab. Melina received her BSc in Molecular Genetics from the University of Edinburgh in Scotland. During her undergrad, she gained experience in exploring microtubule dynamics in plants and yeast using several imaging technologies. In the Lakadamyali lab, Melina uses super-resolution microscopy to study microtubule-associated protein, tau, and its early stages of aggregation in neurodegenerative diseases.
Yuan Hong
Yuan joined Genin’s lab in Washington University as a Ph.D student since 2019. Yuan researches the cytoskeleton-mediated roles of extracellular matrix on nuclear architecture and mechanics from two-dimensional and three-dimensional perspectives. And Yuan is also interested in the interactions between actin, microtubules and intermediate filaments and their impacts on the cell contractility, working with CEMB fellows Dr. Farid Alisafaei and Dr. Delaram Shakiba.
Shumeng Jiang
As a student that majors in mechanical engineering and used to major in biomedical engineering, I am mainly interested in mechanobiology and therapy, especially the influence of mechanical properties of the ECM proteins. My work recently focuses on the mechanical changes in the kidney glomerulus and their influence on podocytes, which is part of the filtration barrier to realize the selective filtration function of the kidney. We are trying to understand this process in both modeling and experimental ways that may help prevent chronic kidney disease in the future.
Emile Kraus
I am a PhD candidate in the labs of Dr. Paul Janmey and also Dr. Alison Sweeney. Broadly, I work in the fields of soft condensed matter and biophysics. More specifically, I study the rheology and mechanical properties of soft tissues. My dissertation will be on the interplay of marine sponge growth forms and their tissue mechanics.
Huiyong Morgan Li
After obtaining a master’s of science degree in chemical engineering at Cornell, I decide to pursue my PhD study at Washington University. As a member of the Bioproduct Engineering Laboratory, I conduct research on mechanochemical correlations in plant cell walls, synthesis of advanced model cell wall nanocomposites and engineered cellulose- protein nanocomposites, and tension wood formation with the tuning of ion channels on cell walls. Outside of academics, I would like to spend my time on watching movies, playing tennis and badminton, homemade potluck parties, playing board games with friends and hiking.
Lab website: https://fostonlab.wustl.edu/
Apurva Limaye
Apurva is a graduate student in the group of CEMBI PI Dr. Treena Arinzeh.
Ricardo Linares
Ricardo is a graduate student in the groups of CEMB PI Dr. Rajan Jain and Dr. Jonathan Epstein.
Erin Masucci
I am interested in how cytoskeletal geometries influence intracellular transport and mechanosignalling. I want to determine how the different cytoskeletal environments found in cells influence the movement of molecular motors and their associated cargoes and filament systems. My research focuses on engineering different cytoskeletal patterns and testing motor movement in a reconstituted in vitro system. With these minimalized environments, we can determine the cytoskeletal factors necessary for directing transport and signaling.
Ms. Masucci is currently working in the lab of Dr. E. Michael Ostap.
William McHargue
After graduating from the University of Missouri with a degree in biological engineering, Will began a career in plant science research. He is now studying in Ram Dixit’s lab where he works to develop and apply microfluidics technologies to elucidate plant response mechanisms to mechanical perturbations.
William McHargue
After graduating from the University of Missouri with a degree in biological engineering, Will began a career in plant science research. He is now studying in Ram Dixit’s lab where he works to develop and apply microfluidics technologies to elucidate plant response mechanisms to mechanical perturbations.
Sunghee Estelle Park
I apply biologically inspired design principles and engineering strategies to study dynamics during stem cell and organoid development. Currently, I am investigating how bioinspired cell culture systems affect organogenesis and how this may promote tissue maturation and function. Additionally, by developing living tissues with similar complexity and functionality to the in vivo organs, I am studying disease development, progression, as well as to test novel therapeutics for biomedical and pharmaceutical applications.
Chris Price
I am a PhD candidate in the Shenoy lab. My research has focused on designing and applying multiscale models to understand physics occurring at the interfaces of different materials, spanning biological and nanomaterial systems. Prior to graduate school, I was a data scientist in energy commodities, and my undergraduate background is in chemistry. I am interested in the intersection of physics-based modeling and data-driven modeling to understand sustainable materials for therapeutics and renewable energy.
Ghiska Ramahdita
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Jeongyun Seo
Jeongyun is a graduate student in the group of CEMB PI Dr. Dan Huh.
Cameron Thompson
I am a graduate student who is co-mentored by Drs. Mike Ostap and Erika Holzbaur. My work focuses on developing an in vitro model that can reconstruct the process of mitochondrial locomotion. The hope is that this model will allow us to study the mechanics and regulation of this important cellular process.
Tonia Tsinman
I’m interested in studying mechano-biologic response of cells of load bearing tissues, such as the meniscus, during development and aging. In particular, I would like to investigate the mechano-biologic influences that lead to the progressive development of tissue heterogeneities within dense fibrous tissues. To do so, I’m currently using in vitro nanofibrous polymer platforms to look at how local changes in strain transmission differentially impact resident cell populations, both in terms of early stage mechanoresponse as well as subsequent changes in gene expression and ECM protein deposition.
Ms. Tsinman is currently working in the group of CEMB PI Dr. Robert Mauck.
Gabriel Vega Bellido
My name is Gabriel Iván Vega Bellido, I was born and raised on the island of Puerto Rico. I am very fond of rivers, cats, reading, Star Trek, and interesting conversations. I graduated from a Chemical Engineering Bachelor’s degree at the University of Puerto Rico – Mayagüez in December of 2019. During my Bachelor’s degree I attended 5 REUs in an effort to pin down my academic interests and I settled on computational Materials Science. This conclusion came about during my wonderful stay with the Shenoy group during my 4th REU, hence I chose to pursue my PhD as part of that group. Currently I am working on understanding nuclear mechanotransduction, or the ways in which the cell nucleus responds to stress.
Richard Vincent
Richard is a graduate student in the group of CEMB PI Dr. Treena Arinzeh.
Ryan von Kleeck
Ryan von Kleeck started as a graduate student in 2015 in the Laboratory of Dr. Richard Assoian as part of the Pharmacology program. His research is focused on understanding the biomechanics and extracellular matrix of aging arteries. Recent work has focused on using pharmacological inhibitors in vivo to understand the role of matrix remodeling enzymes on arterial stiffening and understanding the key molecular players and signaling that contributes to matrix remodeling in the context of aging.
Hannah Zlotnick
Hannah is originally from Rochester, NY, and received her B.S. in Biological Engineering from MIT. Hannah is currently a fourth year Bioengineering PhD candidate in the Mauck Lab, and her thesis work focuses on improving the integration between engineered and native tissues in vivo. Her thesis work, in collaboration with CEMB members at Bryn Mawr, was featured on the front cover of Advanced Materials: https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/adma.202070356
Faculty from a diverse array of institutions and scientific backgrounds, all contributing to research in mechanobiology.
Staff support research, education, and diversity missions at the University of Pennsylvania and Washington University in St. Louis.
Postdoctoral fellows, graduate students, and undergraduates who have found success in many fields, including academia and industry.
