Alumni

alum zoom 2020
Alumni Zoom 2020 (screen 1/2)
Alumni Zoom 2020 (screen 1/2)
Alumni Zoom 2020 (screen 2/2)

Graduated PhD Students

Degree from UCSB

  1. Kerry V. Lane, Mechanical Engineering PhD September 2023, Engineered Platforms to Investigate Effects of Cell-Cell and 3D Adhesions on Structural and Functional Maturity of Human Induced Pluripotent Stem Cell-Derived Cardiomyocytes (hiPSC-CMs). Currently a postdoc at Cal Poly. 
  2. Liam P. Dow, Biomolecular Science & Engineering PhD December 2023, Reduced-ordered in vitro models to study mechanical signaling through cell-cell contacts. Biomaterials Engineer at Reel Foods. 
  3. Orlando Chirikian, Biomolecular Science & Engineering PhD 2024, In Vitro Systems to Investigate the Role of Extracellular and Intracellular Mechanics on hiPSC-derived Cardiomyocyte Health and Function. Currently a postdoc at Caltech.

Degree from Stanford

  1. Kristina Lamers, ME PhD September 2008, Design Methodologies for MEMS - co-advisor Kos Ishii. Currently at Akustica-Bosch, Inc.
  2. Alvin Barlian, ME PhD March 2009, Microfabricated piezoresistive shear stress sensors for underwater applications. Currently at Apple, Inc.
  3. Sung-Jin Park, ME PhD June 2009, Development of Piezoresistive MicroCantilever Based Force Feedback System for Analysis of  Mechanosensation in C. elegans. Currently Assistant Professor, Emory-Georgia Tech Bioengineering
  4. Vikram Mukandan, ME PhD August 2009, Electrostatic Actuators in Ionic Media for Applications in Cell Mechanics.  Currently at Frore Systems
  5. Nahid Harjee, EE PhD August 2011, Coaxial-tip Piezoresistive Cantilever Probes for High-Resolution Scanning Gate Microscopy. Currently at Apple, Inc.
  6. Joseph Doll, ME PhD June 2012, MEMS Force Probes for Mechanobiology at the Microsecond Scale. Currently independent technology consultant.
  7. Bryan Petzold, ME PhD January 2013, The Role of Body Mechanics in Touch Sensation in the Nematode Caenorhabditis elegans. Currently at McKinsey & Co.
  8. Rebecca Taylor, ME PhD April 2013, Microfabricated Tools for Functional Assessment of Immature Cardiomyocytes. Currently an Associate Professor of Mechanical Engineering at Carnegie Mellon University
  9. Chelsey Simmons, ME PhD June 2013, Microsystems and mechanical characterization of myocyte connections. Currently a MedTech Consultant at Bain & Company, Atlanta, GA.
  10. Gadryn Higgs, ME PhD August 2013, Microsystems for Studying Single Heart Cell Mechanobiology. Currently senior product manager at YouTube
  11. Ali Rastegar, ME PhD March 2014, Nanomechanical actuation using molecular forces of amino azo dye. Self-employed consultant.
  12. Joo Yong Sim, ME PhD January 2015, Microsystems to Study the Mechanobiology of Cell Adhesion.Currently an Assistant ProfessorAssistant Professor, Sookmyung Women's University, Korea.
  13. Clifton Roozeboom, ME PhD September 2015, Multifunctional Integrated Sensors for Wireless Sensor Network Applications. Founder and CEO of Myriad Sensor, Inc.
  14. Ehsan Sadeghipour, ME PhD March 2015, A MEMS Actuator and Sensor for the Study of Cell Mechanics and Adhesion. Now at Sutter Hill Ventures, Palo Alto.
  15. Eileen Mazzochette, EE PhD June 2016, An Integrated and Automated System for Assaying Touch Sensation in Freely Moving C. elegans. Currently at Apple, Inc.
  16. Aleksandra Denisin, BioE PhD June 2018, Controlling the Microenvironment to Investigate Single Cell Mechanobiology, Adhesion, and Function. Now Manager of Technology Development Engineering at Guardant Health.
  17. Miguel Garcia, Biology PhD 2018, A mechanics-based approach to understanding the epithelial response to shear force, currently a Neurobiology postdoc at Stanford
  18. Ohi Dibua, ME PhD 2018, co-mentored with Gianlucca Iaccorino and Ali Mani, Modeling MEMS electrostatic actuators in ionic solutions, currently machine learning research engineer at Adobe.
  19. Robin Wilson, ME PhD 2019, Engineering and analysis of 2.5D single cell iPSC-CM models, currently a Product Analyst at 3M.
  20. Adam Nekemkin, ME PhD 2019, Understanding the sense of touch, currently at Inscripta
  21. Joy Franco, ME PhD 2021, Mechanobiology of Touch Receptor Neurons, currently a post-doc at Harvard
  22. Erica Castillo, ME PhD 2021, Matrix interactions with iPSC-derived cardiomyocytes models, recently completed extra year post-doc in Pruitt lab finishing papers.

Postdocs and Senior Researchers

@Stanford

  1. Dr. James Norman, February 2007 - January 2009. Contractility studies in healthy and hypertrophic murine models, co-mentor Dr. Dan Bernstein, Pediatric Cardiologist. Currently an Account Director at SmartLabs, Belmont, MA.
  2. Dr. Keekyoung Kim, January 2009 - July 2010, Microplatforms for contractility studies, atomic force microscopy, and image processing to study healthy and hypertrophic murine models, co-mentor Dr. Dan Bernstein, Pediatric Cardiologist. Currently faculty at University of Calgary.
  3. Dr. Ginel Hill, February 2009 - Dec. 2010, Cantilever design for magnetic resonance force microscopy, co-mentor Dr. Dan Rugar at IBM Almaden. Currently at SiTime, Inc.
  4. Dr. Sung-Jin Park, July 2009 - Dec. 2010, Force clamp systems for analysis of  mechanosensation in C. elegans. Currently postdoc at Harvard-MIT HST.
  5. Dr. Yingning Gao, August 2010 – July 2011. Azobenzene chemical functionalization for chemical sensors. Currently a technology consultant at CARDEA.
  6. Dr. Cindy Chung, October 2009 – August 2012. 3D cell culture scaffolds with mechanical stimulation. Co-mentor Dr. Sarah Heilshorn in Materials Science and Engineering. Currently a senior scientist at Serán Bioscience, Bend, OR.
  7. Dr. Nicolas Borghi, 2007- August 2012. Mechanobiology of cell adhesion. Co-mentor Dr. W. James Nelson in Biology. Currently a CNRS group head at Institut Jacques Monod in Paris, France.
  8. Dr. Alexandre Ribeiro, March 2011-December 2016. Mechanobiology of stem cell-derived cardiomyocyte disease models. Currently staff scientist at Hovione.
  9. Dr. Wendy Altman, June 2012 - June 2014. The role of mechanical environments in cardiomyocyte development and force transduction. Currently at IMT
  10. Dr. Jens Moeller, February 2013 – March 2015. Mechanobiology of cell-cell contacts. Currently group head at ETH Zurich.
  11. Dr. Tom Larsen, March 2013- June 2015. High-speed sensors and actuators for hair cell mechanotransduction. Currently Postdoc at EPFL Microtechnology group.
  12. Dr. Frederic Loizeau, May 2014 – December 2015. Understanding the sense of touch. Currently a Business & Technology Development Manager at CSEM, Switzerland.
  13. Dr. Mahdokht Masaeli, October 2015 – November 2017, Sorting hiPSC-CM for size correlations with phenotype and genotype, T32 funded, co-mentored with Euan Ashley. Co-founder and CEO of Deepcell, Inc.
  14. Dr. Pierre-Alexandre Gross, March 2015 – August 2018. Nanomaterials and Functionalization for Chemical Sensors. France-German DSG Fellowship, Natural Gas Initiative Funding. Physical Chemist at Advanced Energy.
  15. Dr. Ehsan Sadeghipour, November 2016 – December 2018, Cell-cell adhesion and mechanosignaling in shear loading. Now at Sutter Hill Ventures, Palo Alto.
  16. Dr. Leeya Engel, November 2016 – December 2018, Reorganization of cytoskeleton and mechanical signaling at cell-cell adhesions under shear, now Assistant Professor at the Technion - Israel Institute of Technology.

co-mentored during lab transition Stanford to UCSB

  1. Dr. Gaspard Pardon, September 2016 – December 2018, High throughput platforms for correlated functional and genomic analysis of hiPSC-CMs, Primary mentee 2017-2018, after lab moved, became jointly mentored with Helen Blau. Now a research center leader at AGORA, EPFL, Lausanne, Switzerland.
  2. Dr. Alison Schroer, January 2017 – December 2022, The role of myosin mutations in cell level contractility and sarcomerogensis. Primary mentee 2017-2018, after lab moved, became jointly mentored with Jim Spudich and Dan Bernstein at Stanford. Now faculty at University of Michigan.
  3. Dr. Anna Kim, April 2017- December 2021, Mechanobiology of stem cell renewal in Drosophila midgut. Co-mentor Lucy O'Brien. Now a Biocompatibility Specialist @ BK Medical, Copenhagen.

@UCSB

  1. Dr. Yair Kaufman - Project Scientist, AFM of Neurons to study Traumatic Brain Injury, 01/19-04/20. Now a Scientist II at TeraPore Technologies.
  2. Dr. Cheavar Blair, November 2017 – November 2022, Single cell hiPSC-CM models of cardiotoxicity, now a Research Assistant Professor at University of Kentucky.
  3. Dr. Erica Castillo, September 2021-September 2022, The role of extracellular matrix in signaling development and disease in cardiomyocytes.

MS researchers

@Stanford

  1. *Edwin Adhiprakasha, MS MSE 2004, MS thesis option in MSE
  2. Sara Shaughnessy, MS ME 2004
  3. *Vanessa Chial, MS ME 2005
  4. *Andrew Davenport, MS ME 2005
  5. *Sara Zhao, MS ME 2005
  6. *Matt Beasley, MS EE 2006
  7. *Jessica Straalsund, MS ME 2006
  8. *Sarah Coulthard-Bettencourt, MS ME 2006
  9. *Jennifer Blundo, (9/05-12/08), PhD ME 2010
  10. *Gretchen Chua, MS ME 2007
  11. Tony Pettes, MS ME 2007
  12. *Jeff Li, MS ME 2007
  13. *Joseph Mallon, MS EE, 9/07- 6/10
  14. *Niveditha Arumugam, MS ME 2008
  15. *Tracy Fung, MS EE, 2008
  16. Yun Seog Lee, MS ME 2008
  17. *Alex Haemmerli, MS microtechnology EPFL 2008
  18. *Shivonne Haniff, MS ME 2009
  19. *Pierre Ponce, MS EE 2010
  20. *Elizabeth Martin, MSME 2012
  21. Bridget Hill, MSME, 2014

@UCSB

  1. Josh Dolinsky, MS BMSE, 2021

International Visitors and Masters Project Researchers

@UCSB

  1. Maria Tenje, Uppsala University Visiting Professor, AY 22-23
  2. Astrid Olivefors, Uppsala University PhD Student, Spring 2023
  3. Qian Shi, Uppsala University PhD Student, Spring 2023

@Stanford

  1. *Frederic Declercq, EPFL MS, 9/04-3/05
  2. Alexandre Haemmerli, EPFL MS, 6/08-12/08
  3. *Philipp Baechtold, ETH MS, 12/08-6/08
  4. Jonas Schondube, ETH MS, 11/09-4/10
  5. Andrea Cabral, EPFL MS, 3/10-7/10
  6. *Rune Nielsen, DTU MS, 3/10-12/10
  7. Mattias Rudt, ETH MS, 4/12-10/12
  8. Mirjam Bachler, ETH MS, 4/13-6/13
  9. Olivier Schwab, ETH MS, 6/14-12/14
  10. Florian Bienefelt, EPFL MS, 9/15-1/16
  11. Lynn Lin, U Taiwan MS, 10/15-4/16
  12. Joan Taxidor, EPFL MS, 10/15-3/16
  13. Anna Kim, Upsalla PhD, 03/16-04/16
  14. Danahe Mohammed, UMONS PhD, 02/19-05/19

Graduate Rotation and Short-term Project Researchers

@Stanford

  1. Paritosh Ambekar, ME, 9/03-6/04
  2. Yang-Ren Rau, ChE, 6/05-9/05
  3. Amy Lee, ME, 6/05-8/05
  4. *Paul Lim, EE, 6/05-8/06
  5. Asha-Dee Celestine, Aero 4/06-12/06
  6. Sujay Ramachandra, 6/06-09/06
  7. *Heather Chiamori, 6/05-3/06
  8. Nathan Ng, 4/07-06/07
  9. *Holly Butterfield, 6/07-12/07
  10. *Andrew Fried, 6/09-12/09
  11. Yatian Qu, ME, 9/10-3/11
  12. *Alex Gonzalez, 9/10-12/10
  13. *Jian Fung, Biophysics rotation, 1/10-3/10
  14. Kevin Dalton, Biophysics rotation, 1/11-3/11
  15. Ki Wook Jung, ME Graduate Research, 09/11-06/14
  16. *Ohi Dibua, ME rotation, 1/13-4/13
  17. Andrew Kennard, Biophysics rotation, 4/15-6/15
  18. Alice Stanton, Bioengineering rotation, 4/16-6/16

 

@UCSB

  1. Olivia Konttinen, BMSE rotation, Spr 2019
  2. Lourdes Velazquez, BMSE rotation, Spr 2019
  3. Erik Hopkins, MCDB rotation, Win 2019
  4. Yofi Wyle, BMSE rotation, Fall 2019
  5. Rob Piscopio, BMSE , Win 2020
  6. *Gabriela Villalpando Torres, ME, Summer-Fall 2020
  7. Daniella Walter, ME, Winter 2022
  8. Miguel Sanchez Lozano, ME , Spring 2022
  9. Emily Gemmill, BMSE, Spring 2023

BS undergraduate researchers (* co-author on publication/abstract)

@Stanford

  1. *Eerik Hantsoo, 1/04-6/05, MIT PhD
  2. Malcolm Murdock, 1/04-4/04
  3. *Caitlin Quance, 4/04-8/04
  4. Wagahta Semeere, 4/04-6/05
  5. Mela Johnson, 06/06-8/06 (3D REU from GaTech)
  6. Cha Edwards, 6/04-9/04
  7. *Ratul Narain, 1/05-9/05
  8. *Jared Brown, 1/05-9/05
  9. Jenna Perez, 6/05-8/05
  10. *Ambert Ho, 6/05-8/5
  11. *Jeff Li, 6/05-4/07
  12. *Mariana Meyer, 2/06-6/2007, UMD PhD
  13. *Josh Stark, 2/06-9/2006
  14. Jennifer Walz, 6/06-8/06 (AMGEN REU from CCNY), PhD Columbia
  15. Jessica Schlichting, 6/07-8/07 (NSF REU from UWyoming)
  16. Natasha Prats, 4/07-9/07
  17. Nandita Sriram, 4/07-8/07
  18. Maria Suggs, 6/07-4/09 & 5/08-8/08  (NSF REU from Southern Methodist University), PhD student UCB
  19. Erin Dizon, 6/07-9/07
  20. *Subanhu Samarajiva, 1/08-6/09
  21. Purnima Ghale, 7/08-9/08
  22. Indu Premakumar, 4/08-8/09
  23. Rudy Joly, 6/08-8/08 (REU from Miami Dade College)
  24. Sanna Ali, 4/09-8/09
  25. Balaji Chandrasekhar, 04/09-08/09
  26. *Alexander Gonzalez, 06/09-08/09 (3D REU from UPR Mayguez)
  27. *Chloe Powell, 06/10-09/10 (SSRP REU from UMichigan)
  28. Ranjeetha Barath, 06/11-09/11 (NSF REU from MIT), PhD at MIT
  29. Gabriel Guimte, 06/11-09/11
  30. Sanjay Saraf, 12/10-6/12
  31. Sarah Chang, 2/11-9/11 & 6/12-9/12
  32. Lian Wong, 6/12-8/12 (NSF REU from UC Merced)
  33. Rachel Hatano, 6/12-8/12 (NSF REU from UC Merced)
  34. *Fidel Salgado, 6/12-8/12 (NSF REU from Canada Community College)
  35. David Ayala Lindeman, 4/13-8/13
  36. *Brian Huynh, 6/13-9/13
  37. Calista Jerman, 5/13-8/13 (NSF REU from CMU)
  38. *John Whitworth, 6/14-8/14
  39. Priyanka Sekhar, 6/14-8/14
  40. *Veronica Sanchez, 6/15-8/15
  41. Hera Nalbandian, 6/15-6/16
  42. *Sheetal Ramsurrun, 4/16-8/16
  43. Sydney Lance, 4/16-8/16 and 9/17-4/18

@UCSB

  1. Alicia Lynch (summer intern from UC Davis), 6/18-8/18
  2. Bradley Oh, 9/2018-5/2019
  3. *Jeffrey Pham, 9/19-6/22
  4. Lan-Chi Ho, 2019-2021
  5. *Amanda Nguyen, 1/20-6/21
  6. Chrisangela Martin (NSF REU from U Georgia), 6/20-9/20
  7. *Reagan Kennedy, 6/20-6/21
  8. Nicole Impastato, 6/20-6/21
  9. Joseph Campos, 6/20-12/21
  10. Noor Gill, 06/21-12/21
  11. *Katya Morozov, 03/21-06/22
  12. Zach Singh, 3/21-12/22
  13. Akhil Prabhavalkar, 3/21-6/23
  14. Janae Gayle, 6/21-6/23
  15. Chris Muray, 6/21-12/22
  16. Carina Yuen, 6/21-09/22
  17. Sisi Morris-Gavrieli, 9/21-06/22
  18. Stacey Surace, 1/22-6/23
  19. Kyle Kunisaki, 09/22-6/23
  20. Isabel Kaufman
  21. Anela Bautista
  22. Lana Purdy
  23. Janae Gayle

RET – Summer Research Experience for Teachers, K12 teachers

  1. Aaron Keller, summer ‘04 and summer ‘05
  2. Laura Robeck, summer ‘07
  3. Wei Li, summer ‘08 and summer ‘09
  4. Joanne Knecht, summer ‘09
  5. Michael Patterson, summer ‘10 and ‘11

HS student researchers

  1. Maxwell Taylor, TFM code analysis, Summer 2012
  2. Samir Hossainy, Junior Moreau Catholic HS, inkjet printing protein, Summer 2013
  3. Roberto Bolli, Jr., automated microscopy software, Summer 2015
  4. Varsha Raju, remote microscopy data analysis of cell structure, 2021-2022