Students

Nastaran Alinezhad

nalinezh@vt.edu

• PhD candidate, Biomedical engineering
• M.S. Chemical Engineering, Michigan Tech, 2016
• B.S. Chemical Engineering, Amirkabir University of technology, Iran 2010
• CTE IGEP fellow, 2017
• BioTRANS IGEP Fellow, 2016-present

Research interests: Translational cancer research, Cancer models on chip, Pulsed electric fields for therapeutics

Kenneth Aycock

kna@vt.edu

• PhD Student, Biomedical Engineering
• B.S. Biomedical Engineering, University of South Carolina, 2018
• Pratt Fellow, Virginia Tech, 2018-2019

Research interests:

Josie Duncan

josied@vt.edu

• M.S. Student, Mechanical Engineering
• B.S. Mechanical Engineering, Clemson, 2018

Research interests: Dielectrophoresis

Philip Graybill

pmg1@vt.edu

• B.S. Mechanical Engineering, Grove City College, 2016
• BioTRANS IGEP Fellow, 2016-present

Research interests: Microfluidics, the blood-brain barrier, electroporation

Melvin Lorenzo

mflorenz@vt.edu

• B.S. Aerospace Engineering, 2016

Research interests: Finite element modeling, the blood-brain barrier

Tim O'Brian

tjobrien@vt.edu

• PhD Candidate, Biomedical Engineering
• M.S. Mechanical Engineering, Virginia Tech, 2015
• B.S. Mechanical Engineering, Virginia Tech, 2013
• B.S. Mathematics, Roanoke College, 2011
• World Congress of Biomechanics Student Paper Competition, 3rd Place Oral Presentation, 2018
• Paul E. Torgersen Research Excellence Award, 2nd Place M.S. Oral Presentation, 2014
• Paul E. Torgersen Research Excellence Award, 1st Place M.S. Poster Presentation, 2015

Research interests: Medical Devices, Heat Transfer, Biosensors, BioHeat Transport, Organ Preservation

Elisa Wasson

ewasson1@vt.edu

• PhD Candidate, Mechanical Engineering
• B.S. Mechanical Engineering, University of New Mexico
• NSF Graduate Research Fellow
• Gold Poster Presentation, VT-GSA Symposium, 18
• Walts Fellowship, 17-18
• National Science Foundation (NSF) Fellowship, 13-18
• GEM University Fellow, 13-18
• New Horizon Graduate Scholar, 13-18
• ICTAS Doctoral Scholar, 13-15
• Lawrence Livermore Graduate Scholar
• NanoEngineering for Medical and Biology Conference (NEMB), Honorable Mention (Poster), 15
• ICTAS Doctoral Scholar

Research interests: Microfluidics, calcium irreversible electroporation, tissue engineering

Natalie White(CV)

nbwhite@vt.edu

• Direct PhD Student, Electrical Engineering
• B.S. Electrical Engineering, University of Tennessee-Knoxville, 2016
• William E. Webber Fellow, 2016-present

Research interests: Medical Devices, Bioelectronics, Irreversible electroporation

Lab Alumni

1. Dan Sweeney (PhD, 2018)
• Postdoctoral Research Associate, UNC Eshelman School of Pharmacy, Chapel Hill, NC, 18 - present
• PhD Biomedical Engineering, Virginia Tech, 2018
• B.S. Biomedical Engineering, University of Arizona, 2013
• Texas Instruments Engibous Prize Finalist, 2013
• MultiSTEPS Fellow (NSF IGERT, 2013-present)
2. Andrea Rolong (PhD, 2018)
• PhD Biomedical Engineering, Virginia Tech, 2018
• B.S. Biomedical Engineering, Florida International University
• MultiSTEPS Fellow (NSF IGERT, 2012-present)
3. Alexandra Hyler (PhD, 2018)
• Lead Research Scientist, CytoRecovery, Inc, Blacksburg, VA, 18 - present
• PhD Biomedical Engineering, Virginia Tech, 2018
• Virginia Tech Graduate Student of the Year, 18
• 1st Place Talk Award, SBES Symposium, VT-WFU, 18
• Gold Agent of Change Oral Presentation Award, GSA Symposium, 18
• VT College of Engineering Diversity Fellow, 16-17
• B.S. Chemical Engineering, University of Kansas, 2013
• Fulbright Fellowship to Copenhagen, Denmark, 2015-2016
• NSF Interdisciplinary Program Fellow, 2013-2015
• Gold Poster Presentation, VT GSA Symposium, 2015
• MultiSTEPS Fellow (NSF IGERT, 2013-present)
4. Suyashree Bhonsle (PhD, 2017)
• Electrical Engineer, Abbott, San Francisco Bay Area, 17 – present
• PhD Biomedical Engineering, Virginia Tech, 2018
• David W. Francis and Lillian Francis Research Scholarship, Virginia Tech Graduate School, 15
• Ellen E. Wade Graduate Studies Fellowship, Virginia Tech Graduate School, 15
• M.S. Biomedical Engineering, University of Southern California, Los Angeles,
• B.E. Electronics and Telecommunications Engineering, University of Mumbai, India,
5. Temple Douglas (PhD, Spring 2018)
• PhD Biomedical Engineering, Virginia Tech, 2018
• A.B. Physics, Prinecton University, 2014, with certificates in Biophysics, Materials Science & Engineering
• Herbert A Pohl Student Presentation Award, 16
• MultiSTEPS Fellow (NSF IGERT, 2014-2016)
• College of Engineering New Horizons Graduate Scholar (2016-present)
6. Adwoa Baah-Dwomoh (PhD, 2018)
• Lead Engineer, W.L. Gore and Associates, Newark, DE, 18 - present
• PhD Materials Science and Engineering, Virginia Tech, 2018
• M.S. Materials Science and Engineering, University of Florida, 2012
• B.S. Materials Science and Engineering, Virginia Tech, 2010
• Edwrd A. Bouchet Graduate Honor Society Inductee, 18
• Black Female Graduate Student of the Year, 18
• Outstanding Student Leader of the Year, 18
• MultiSTEPS Fellow (NSF IGERT, 2012-present)
7. Mohammad Bonakdar (Post-Doc, 2016-2017)
• Sr. Research and Development Engineer, Helbling Precision Engineering, Cambridge, MA, 2018 - present
• PhD Mechanical Engineering, Virginia Tech, 2016
• Paul E. Torgersen Student Research Excellence Award: Best PhD Presentation, 2016
• BSc (2004) and MSc (2007) in Mechanical Engineering from Sharif University of Technology, Iran
• M.Sc. Mechanical Engineering, Sharif University of Technology, 2007
8. Eduardo Latouche (MS BME, Spring 2016)
• Senior Engineer, Research and Development Engineer, VoltMed Inc., 2016-present
• M.S. Engineering Science and Mechanics, Virginia Tech, 2015
• B.S. Mechanical Engineering, Virginia Tech, 2013
• Paul E. Torgesen Student Research Excellence Award: Best Masters Presentation, 2015
• Research Interests: Bioelectrics, Medical Devices, MEMS
• BMES-FDA Frontiers in Medical Devices, First runner up podium, 2016
9. Kruthika Kikkeri (BS EE, Spring 2016)
• M.S. Electrical Engineering, Virginia Tech
• NSF Graduate Research Fellow
• Bindiganavele Prasad Fellowship, 2017
• William B. Webber Fellowship, 2016-2017
• Pratt Engineering Scholarship, 2013-2016
10. Matt Dewitt(PhD BME, Spring 2016)
• Senior R&D Engineer, Abbott, Charlottesville, VA, 17 – present
• Cunningham Doctoral Fellowship, 11-16
• ASME Heat Transfer Conference: Invited Panelist on Thermal Medicine, 14
• National Science Foundation (NSF) Graduate Research Fellowship (GRFP), 12-15
• B.S. Biomedical Engineering (University of Texas at Austin, 2011)
11. Jaka Cemazar (Post-Doc, 2013-2016)
    
    • Research Engineer, RenBio, NY, 2016 - present
      
    • Postdoctoral Associate, Biomedical Engineering, 2013 - 2016
      
    • Ph.D. Electrical Engineering, University of Ljubljana, Slovenia, 2013
    • B.S. Electrical Engineering, University of Ljubljana, 2008
12. Paulo A. Garcia (PhD BME, Fall 2010)
• Research Scientist, MIT, 16 - Present
• Postdoctoral Associate, Harvard-MIT, Prof. Cullen Buie, 13-15
• 1st Place Virginia Tech KnowledgeWorks Tech Transfer Challenge, 12
• Paul E. Torgersen Student Research Excellence Award: Best PhD Presentation, 10
• 26th Annual Research Symposium and Exposition Oral Competition: Second Place, 10
• SBES 9th Annual Graduate Student Research Symposium: Best Presentation, 10
• IEEE EMBS Student Paper Competition: North American Finalist, 09
13. Hadi Shafiee (PhD ESM, Fall 2010)
• Assistant Professor, Harvard Medical School
• Post-doctoral, Harvard-MIT, Prof. Utkan Demirci, 11 - 14
• F32 NIH Postdoctoral Fellowship, 12
• Paul E. Torgersen Student Research Excellence Award: PhD Finalist, 10
• 26th Annual Research Symposium and Exposition Poster Competition: First Place, 10
• Liviu Librescu Memorial Scholarship, 09
• GEM4 - Cellular and Molecular Mechanics: U Illinois – Urbana Champaign: Best Poster, 09
14. John Caldwell (MS EECS, Spring 2010)
• Texas Instruments National Design Competition: First Place, 09
• Engineer, Leadership Development Program, Texas Instruments, 10-present
15. Erin Henslee (MS BME, Spring 2010)
• Assistant Professor, Wake Forest University, 18 - Present
• Whitaker International Foundation Fellowship, 10-11
• Ph.D. University of Surrey, Biomedical Engineering
  Advisor: Prof. Michael P. Hughes
16. Mike Sano (MS ESM, Spring 2009, PhD SBES, Summer 2012)
• Assistant Professor, UNC – NC State 17 - Present
• Post-doc, Stanford University, 14 – present
• DoD post-doctoral Fellowship, 15
• 1st Place Virginia Tech KnowledgeWorks Tech Transfer Challenge, 12
• CEO, VoltMed LLC, Blacksburg, VA, 12-present
• Paul E. Torgersen Graduate Student Research Excellence Award, 09
17. Andrea Rojas (MS MSE, Spring 2012)
    • Product Development, Terumo Medical Corporation, Elkton, MD, 16-present
    • Initiative for Maximizing Student Diversity (IMSD) NIH Fellowship, 10-11
    • Engineer, W.L. Gore & Associates in Elkton, MD, 12-present
18. Robert Neal II (PhD SBES, Fall 2011)
    
    • Virginia Tech Outstanding Dissertation Award, 12
    • Whitaker International Foundation Fellowship, 11
    • Paul E. Torgersen Student Research Excellence Award: Best Poster, 11
    • Post-doctoral, The Alfred Hospital, Melbourne Australia, Dr. Ken Thomson
19. Elizabeth Savage (MS BME, Spring 2013)
    
    • MultiSTEPS IGEP Fellowship, 11-12
    • Interdisciplinary Research Symposium Poster Award, 12
    • Spotlight Speaker Chair, Interdisciplinary Research Honors Society, 12-13
    • Consultant, Poly-Med, Inc. in Anderson, SC 13-present
20. Chris Arena (PhD SBES, Spring 2013)
    • Collegiate Assistant Professor, BME, Virginia Tech, 17 - present
    • Assistant Professor of Engineering, Elon University, 15 – 17
    • Elon University Hultquist Award for new faculty research, 16
    • SPIRE Post-doctoral Fellow, Biomedical Engineering, University of North Carolina, 13 - 15
    •  Editor's Choice Award, ASME Journal of Biomechanical Engineering, 13
    • College of Engineering Graduate Student of the Year, 13
    • 2nd Place Podium Ph.D. 12th Annual VT-WFU SBES Graduate Student Research Symposium, 13
    • 1st Place Podium Ph.D. Student Paper Competition, ASME Summer Bioengineering Conference, 12.
    • 1st Place Virginia Tech KnowledgeWorks Tech Transfer Challenge, 12
    • Virginia Tech Graduate Student Assembly Travel Fund Transfer Challenge, 12
    • NSF John Chato Memorial Symposium Travel Award, 11
    • 3rd Place Podium Ph.D. Student Paper Competition, ASME Summer Bioengineering Conference, 11
21. Alireza Salmanzadeh (PhD ESM, Spring 2013)
    • Senior Engineer, BD Biosciences, San Jose,2016 - present
      Working on Microfluidic and Fluidic System Management technologies for Flow Cytometry and Sample Preparation/Handling applications
    • Post-doc, University of California, Berkeley (Luke Lee), 14-15
    • Paul E. Torgersen Student Research Excellence Award: Best PhD Presentation, 13
    • Amir Chand and Dewki Bai Batra Scholarship, 13
    • Virginia Tech Graduate Man of the Year, 12
    • Outstanding Graduate Student Leader Award, 12
    • American Electrophoresis Society: Poster Award, 12
    • American Electrophoresis Society: Poster Award, 11
    • Virginia Tech Cancer Symposium: Co-Chair, 11
    • Manual Stein Scholarship, 10
22. Harsha Kittur (BS BSE, Spring 2011)
• Postdoctoral Associate, UCLA, Prof. Dino Di Carlo, present
• Assistant Coordinator of the High School Summer Research Program, UCLA 12-16
• President of the Engineering Graduate Students Association, UCLA 15-16
• Biological Systems Engineering Outstanding Recent Alumnus, 17
• Biological Systems Engineering Outstanding Senior, 11
• American Society of Agricultural and Biological Engineers Outstanding Junior, 10