Principal Investigator
Dr. Elizabeth Lipke
Mary and John H. Sanders Endowed
Professor
eal0003@auburn.edu
B.S., Biomedical Engineering & German
Johns Hopkins University (2000)
Ph.D., Chemical Engineering
Rice University (2005)
Postdoctoral Researchers
Dr. Yuan Tian
Graduate Student (2014 – 2019)
B.S., Chemistry & Chemical Engineering
Nankai University &Tianjin University (2014)
Ph.D., Chemical Engineering
Auburn University (2019)
Research Interests: Microfluidic technologies for 3D culture, ECFC delivery for reendothelialization
GRADUATE STUDENTS
Mohammadjafar Hashemi
Graduate Student (2018 – )
mzh0111@auburn.edu
M.S., Chemical Engineering
Sharif University of Technology (2015)
B.S., Chemical Engineering
Iran University of Science and Technology (2013)
Research Interests: Scale up hiPSC-CM production, Disease modeling, Diabetic cardiomyopathy
Justin Harvell
Graduate Student (2020 – )
bjh0076@auburn.edu
B.S., Chemical Engineering
University of South Alabama (2018)
Research Interests: 3D printing for tissue engineering, cardiac development, cardiac regeneration
Shireen Singh
Graduate Student (2021 – )
szs0302@auburn.edu
M.S. Chemical Engineering, Pandit Deendayal Petroleum University, India (2018)
B.S. Chemical Engineering, Gujarat Technological University, India (2016)
Research Interests: Cardiac Tissue Engineering, Modelling Congenital Heart Defects, Heart Organoids
Kwaghtaver Desongu
Graduate Student (2022 – )
B.E., Chemical Engineering
Federal University of Technology Minna (2018)
Research Interests:
Jannatul Ferdous Nipa
Graduate Student (2022 – )
B.S., Chemical Engineering
Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology (2021)
Research Interests:
Undergraduate Students
Former Lab Members
Dr. Nicole Habbit
Graduate Student (2016 – 2022)
Ph.D., Chemical Engineering
Auburn University (2022)
M.S., Chemical Engineering
Auburn University (2018)
B.S., Chemical Engineering
University of New Mexico (2015)
Reserach Interests: 3D cancer models for anti-cancer therapeutic development and disease progression modeling, translational medicine
Dr. Morgan Ellis
Graduate Student (2015 – 2021)
B.S., Chemical Engineering
University of South Florida (2015)
Ph.D., Chemical Engineering
Auburn University (2021)
Research Interests: Cardiac regeneration, cardiac differentiation of hiPSCs, congenital heart disease modeling
Dr. Ferdous Finklea
Graduate Student (2015 – 2021)
B.S., Biochemistry
Auburn University (2013)
Ph.D., Chemical Engineering
Auburn University (2021)
Research Interests: Cardiac tissue engineering, drug-testing platforms, biomanufacturing, cardiomyocyte maturation, stem cells
Dr. Iman Hassani
Graduate Student (2014 – 2021)
izh0008@auburn.edu
B.S., Chemical Engineering
Persian Gulf University (2010)
M.S., Chemical Engineering
Sharif University of Technology (2012)
Ph.D., Chemical Engineering
Auburn University (2021)
Research Interests: 3D cancer models
Dr. Wen Jun Seeto (Aaron)
Auburn University:
B.S., Chemical Engineering(2008)
Ph.D., Chemical Engineering(2014)
Postdoc Fellow, Chemical Engineering(2014-2016)
Research Interests: EPC isolation, characterization & capture technology, microfluidic platforms for 3D culture
Dr. Alexander Hodge
B.S., Chemical Engineering
Ohio State University (2009)
Ph.D., Chemical Engineering
Auburn University (2016)
Research Interests: Cardiac regeneration, cardiac differentiation of mESCs, conductive polymers
Dr. Petra Kerscher
B.S., Chemical Engineering
Clemson University (2011)
Ph.D., Chemical Engineering
Auburn University (2016)
Research Interests: Cardiac differentiation of hIPSCs, 3D cardiac models, biomaterial development
Dr. Shantanu Pradhan
B. Tech., National Institute of Technology, Durgapur, India (2010)
Ph.D., Chemical Engineering
Auburn University (2016)
Research Interests: 3D cancer models, biomaterial development, microfluidic platforms for anti-cancer drug testing
Benjamin Anbiah
Research Assistant (2016 – 2020)
M.S., Immunology and Microbiology
The American College, India (2010)
B.S., Biochemistry
The American College, India (2008)
Research Interests: Cardiac regeneration, cardiac differentiation of iPSCs, cardiac electrophysiology, lab-on-a-chip, 3D tumor models
Mayra Paez
Graduate Student (2018 – 2021)
map0094@auburn.edu
M.S., Chemical Engineering (2021)
Auburn University
B.S., Chemical Engineering
University of Antioquia (2017)
Research Interests: Equine cell delivery
Skyler Demi
Applied Biotechnology
Auburn University
Kayla Edwards
Biology
Alabama State University
Zuri Rashad
Chemical Engineering
Howard University
Kelsey Henderson
Undergraduate Researcher (2014 – 2015)
klh0038@auburn.edu
Chemical Engineering
Auburn University
Research Interests: 3D cancer models
Sara Head
Undergraduate Researcher (2015 – 2017)
seh0038@auburn.edu
Chemical Engineering
Auburn University
Research Interests: 3D cardiac differentiation
Jennifer Kaczmarek
Undergraduate Researcher (2015 – 2017)
jak0031@.auburn.edu
Chemical Engineering
Auburn University
Research Interests: 3D cardiac differentiation
Nidhi Goel
Undergraduate Researcher (2015 – 2017)
nzg0014@.auburn.edu
Chemical Engineering
Auburn University
Research Interests: 3D cancer models
Sam Chang
Graduate Researcher
changss@auburn.edu
B.S., Bioengineering
Rice University (2009)
M.S. Chemical Engineering
Auburn University (2012)
Chloe Chaudhury
csc0030@auburn.edu
Undergraduate Researcher (Summer 2013)
Biochemistry
Auburn University (2012 – )
Jacob Clary
jmc0040@auburn.edu
Undergraduate Researcher (2013- 2014)
B.S., Chemical Engineering
Auburn University (2014)
Blakely Bussie
Undergraduate Researcher (2013 – 2014)
bsb0008@auburn.edu
B.S., Chemical Engineering
Auburn University (2014)
Katherine DeSimone
katherine_desimone@brown.edu
Undergraduate Researcher
REU Fellow (Summer 2012)
Dr. David Dunn
B.S., Microbiology
Brigham Young University (1999)
M.S., Animal Science
Brigham Young University (2005)
M.S., Pathology
University of Rochester (2006)
Ph.D., Pathology
University of Rochester (2011)
Postdoctoral Fellow, Chemical
Engineering, Auburn University (2013)
Wesley Grove
grovewd@auburn.edu
Undergraduate Researcher (2011 – 2012)
B.S., Chemical Engineering
Auburn University (2012)
Laboratory Technician (2012 – 2014)
Jordan Hamilton
jth0004@auburn.edu
Undergraduate Researcher (2009 – 2011)
B.S., Chemical Engineering
Auburn University (2011)
Stephen Hicks
hickssc@auburn.edu
Undergraduate Researcher (2009 – 2010)
B.S., Chemical Engineering
Auburn University (2010)
Laboratory Technician (2010 – 2012)
Changhee Stephen Lee
czl0064@auburn.edu
High School Volunteer (Summer 2014)
Biomedical Engineering
Columbia University (2015 – )
James Morris
jhm0006@auburn.edu
Undergraduate Researcher (2010 – 0012)
B.S., Chemical Engineering
Auburn University (2012)
John Porter
jlp0027@auburn.edu
Undergraduate Researcher (2013-2014)
B.S., Chemical Engineering
Auburn University (2014)
Casey Rigdon
cnr0004@auburn.edu
Undergraduate Researcher (2014- 2014)
Chemical Engineering
Auburn University
Shasta Nicole Kahi’ila Rizzi
shasta.n.rizzi@vanderbilt.edu
Undergraduate Researcher
REU Fellow (Summer 2013)
Samantha Scott
scottsh@auburn.edu
Undergraduate Researcher (Summer 2011)
B.S., Chemical Engineering
Auburn University (2012)
Ben Spearman
bss0005@auburn.edu
Undergraduate Researcher (2013- 2014)
B.S., Chemical Engineering
Auburn University (2014)
Yangzi (Isabel) Tian
ytian01@students.poly.edu
Undergraduate Researcher
REU Fellow (Summer 2011)
Bianca Williams
baw0008@auburn.edu
Undergraduate Researcher (2010 – 2012)
B.S., Chemical Engineering
Auburn University (2012)
Scott Novack
0000@auburn.edu
Undergraduate Researcher
Auburn University (2010)
Archie the VetDog
Official Lab Lab (2018 – 2020)
America’s VetDogs
Puppy Raiser: Dr. Nicole Habbit
Research Interests: Student stress relief, how to get more kibble, being a very good boy.
