People
![/images/DippyAnimation7.gif](../../images/DippyAnimation7.gif)
Our Team
![](../../images/people_Rebecca_Taylor.jpg)
Rebecca Taylor, Ph.D.
Director (curriculum vitae)
ANSYS Career Development Associate Professor in Mechanical Engineering and, by courtesy, Biomedical Engineering and Electrical and Computer Engineering
![](../../images/people_Aleyamma_Alexander.jpg)
Aleyamma Alexander, Ph.D.
Postdoctoral Research Associate
Analyzing DNA nanostructures for targeted delivery
![](../../images/people_Weitao_Wang.jpg)
Weitao Wang, Ph.D.
Postdoctoral Researcher in Mechanical Engineering - formerly Ph.D. student co-advised with Xi (Charlie) Ren (BME)
DNA nanostructures interfacing with cellular membranes; computational tools for molecular dynamics; data and image analysis
![](../../images/people_Sebastian_Arias_2019.jpg)
D. Sebastian Arias Roldan, B.S.
Ph.D. Student in Mechanical Engineering (expected 2024)
Sebastian won a GEM Fellowship! He is developing a nano-scale DNA strain sensor.
![](../../images/people_Bolutito_Babatunde.jpg)
Bolutito Babatunde, B.S.
Ph.D. Student in Mechanical Engineering (expected 2024) Co-advised with Jonathan Cagan
Tito won a DoD NDSEG Fellowship! She is exploring the intersection between DNA nanotechnology and automated design.
![](../../images/people_Taryn_Imamura.jpg)
Taryn Imamura, B.S.
Ph.D. Student in Mechanical Engineering (expected 2025) Co-advised with Sarah Bergbreiter
Taryn is an NSF and GEM fellowship awardee, who is developing a hybrid top-down, bottom-up manufacturing process for microswimmers using DNA origami.
![](../../images/people_Vismaya_Walawalkar.jpg)
Vismaya Walawalkar M.S.
Ph.D. Student in Mechanical Engineering (expected 2025)
Studying nano-scale DNA shear sensors.
![](../../images/people_IsabellaFerranti.jpg)
Isabella Ferranti, B.S.
Ph.D. Student in Mechanical Engineering (expected 2026)
Studying how DNA origami nanostructures and nanobiosensors interface with cells
![](../../images/people_Anuhya_Edupuganti.jpg)
Anuhya Edupuganti, B.S.
Ph.D. Student in Mechanical Engineering (expected 2027) Co-advised with Matt Travers (RI)
Investigating the Self-Assembly of Modular Robots Constructed using DNA
![](../../images/people_Zijuan_Liang.jpg)
Zijuan Liang, B.S.
Ph.D. Student in Mechanical Engineering (expected 2027) Co-advised with Burak Ozdoganlar
Studying DNA origami and microneedle arrays.
![](../../images/people_AJ_Vetturini.jpg)
A.J. Vetturini, B.S.E
Ph.D. Student in Mechanical Engineering (expected 2027) Co-advised with Jonathan Cagan
A.J. is exploring the expansion of design methodologies for DNA origami
![](../../images/people_Leah_Dickey.jpg)
Leah Dickey, M.S.
Ph.D. Student in Biomedical Engineering (expected 2026)
Leah is a GEM Fellowship recipient, who is investigating relationships between design parameters and therapeutic outcomes of DNA nanostructures.
![](../../images/people_Karthik_Subzi.jpg)
Karthik Subramaniam, B.E.
M.S. Student in Mechanical Engineering (Expected 2025)
Modelling the forces on and movement of microswimmer robots using LS-Dyna.
![](../../images/people_Jaren_Hubal.jpg)
Jaren Hubal, B.S.
M.S. Student in Mechanical Engineering (expected 2024)
Studying automated preparation of DNA origami using OT-2 pipetting robot.
![](../../images/people_Eladio_Andujar.jpg)
Eladio R. Andujar Lugo
Undergraduate Student in Mechanical Engineering (expected 2025)
Designing DNA-PNA Origami Modeling/Visualization Tools
![](../../images/people_Schleicher_Elsa.jpg)
Elsa Schleicher, B.S.
Postbachelors Researcher in Mechanical Engineering (BS '24)
Automating CAD models for DNA molecules with OnShape’s FeatureScript Program.
![](../../images/people_Chung_Nicholas.jpg)
Nicholas Chung
Undergraduate Student in Mechanical Engineering (expected 2026)
Exploring manufacturing methods to produce and control DNA microswimmers
Directions to the lab
Office Location:5000 Forbes Avenue Driving directions:If you are visiting campus, hourly parking is available in the East Campus Garage: Laboratory Location:Our research laboratory space is located in:
|
Lab Alumni
Name |
Research description |
Graduation info |
---|---|---|
Elsa Schleicher |
Honors Research on Cloud Lab Automation of DNA Origami Pre-Stock Solutions. Junior year project: Automating CAD models for DNA molecules with OnShape’s FeatureScript Program. |
MechE BS Spring '24 |
Sruti Bapatla |
Course Development for Mechanics 1: 2D Design |
MechE/BME BS expected Spring '25 |
Manoj Gupta |
Water-soluble gammaPNA nanostructures |
Postdoc 2020-2023 |
Lawrence Onyango |
Mapping the analytical design space for DNA for 3D lever nanosensors |
MechE BS Spring '24 |
Emma Benjaminson |
Micro-Scale Swimming Robotic Systems Built with DNA Nanotechnology |
MechE Ph.D. '23, now at Novasenta |
Susana Beltrán |
Cellular mechanotransduction and Engineered Molecular Sensors |
MechE Ph.D. '23 |
Bhavya Chopra |
Membrane binding strategies for enhanced cellular uptake of DNs |
BME MS '23 |
Caleigh Goodwin-Schoen |
Creating 3D printed models of biological structures |
Mechanical Engineering UG '22/MS '23, now at HRL Laboratories, LLC |
Ethan Husted |
Designing PNA nanostructures with 2-domain inputs |
Mechanical Engineering UG '22/MS '23, now at Key Tech |
Aparna Nair |
Controlling the length of DNA fabricated nanotubes using a hybridized origami/SST method |
Mechanical Engineering UG '23 |
Peter Sauer |
Creating a Dataset to Predict DNA Origami Formation |
Biological Sciences and Statistics/Machine Learning UG '23, now at the NIH Postbac IRTA program |
Anika Banga |
Remotely operable microscope-based microswimmer test arena |
SCS UG '22 |
Ying Liu |
Biosensing and imaging with structural DNA nanotechnology |
MechE Ph.D. '21, now at Huawei, Inc |
Sriram Kumar |
Self-assembly of synthetic nucleic acid nanostructures for the development of mechanical biosensors |
MechE Ph.D. '21, now at Pacific Biosciences. |
Charlotte Andreasen |
Nanoscale DNA wall shear stress sensor |
MechE UG '21, now Ph.D. student at the University of Michigan in the Arruda Lab |
Kayleigh Boyle |
Designing and modelling 3D PNA and DNA nanostructures |
MechE UG '21, now at Key Tech |
Mitchell Harmatz |
Magnetically actuated microswimmers made from microbeads and DNA |
Research assistant through May 2020, now at Perelman School of Medicine (UPenn) |
Fatima Basit |
Design and fabrication of nanostructures and nano-devices using two photon polymerization |
MechE UG '21 |
Yishun (Daphne) Zhou |
Design and simulation of nanoscale DNA origami shear sensor |
MechE UG '20 |
Rishabh Jain |
Tracking magnetic microswimmers and stretching nanosprings. |
MechE UG '22 |
Taylor Clayton |
Nanoscribe-fabrication templates for bead pocketing self-assembly, now at General Motors in the NextGen Controls Group |
MechE MS '19 |
Benjamin Pavlat |
Micropost tracking analysis |
ChemE UG '21 |
Mitchell Riek |
Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship, Summer 2017 |
MechE UG '19, now at Caterpillar Inc. |
Rachel Sneeringer |
Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship, Summer 2017 |
MechE UG '20 |
Dilhara Jayarathna |
Voice assisted protocol training, PNA, and origami validation |
Postdoctoral Researcher 2018 |
Paula Arambel |
Wrinkling of Silicone Sheets Subject to Partial Clamping and Rationally-designed Perforations |
MechE MS Research '18, now at Insulet Corporation <https://www.insulet.com/> |
Microfluidic Platform for Multimodal Microscopy Studies of Structural DNA Nanotechnology |
MechE MS Research '18, now at Intel |
|
Alexandra Eggleston |
Cell culture for MFI project |
ChemE/BME UG '17 |
Berk Sahin |
BME Carnegie Heart Fellowship, Summer 2017 |
MechE UG '19 |
Will Anstett |
SURG Project Spring 2018 |
MechE UG '18 |
Isabel Roscoe |
Rapid prototyping of molecular models |
MechE UG '18 / Tepper MBA '19 |
Jade Crockem |
Course development for "Modern Manufacturing in Steeltown" |
MechE UG '18 |
Sarah Karp |
Spring 2017 Course development for "Modern Manufacturing in Steeltown" |
MechE UG '18 |
Shivang Chordia |
Spring 2017 Course development for "Modern Manufacturing in Steeltown" |
MechE UG '18 |
Kelly Underwood |
Spring 2018 Course development for "Modern Manufacturing in Steeltown" |
MechE UG '18 |