Students, Control of Micro-Scale Systems for Biochemical and Medical Applications, Benjamin Shapiro, University of Maryland

Students (Research Group)
Updated 4/30/2007

PhD Students

Mike Armani | email: mikearmani@gmail.com
Michael Armani is interested in illuminating aging and cancer processes. His current focus is to develop a bioengineering device for studying cellular genetic changes. The device hopes to be the first that can provide researchers with both genetic information about cells and the location where the changes take place within two dimensions of a tissue. Michael is also interested in determining order within complex multivariate processes. Co-advised with: Elisabeth Smela.

Satej Chaudhary

Satej Chaudhary | email: satej7ua@yahoo.com
I am interested in mathematical modelling of microfluidic systems. I am currently working with a team on precisely steering particles in electroosmotically driven microfluidic systems. This technology can potentially be used for developing hand held lab-on-chip devices.

Pramod Mathai | email: ppm@wam.umd.edu
I'm interested in modeling physical systems - in particular, applying control theory and information theory to better understand complex interconnected systems. I've worked on understanding how reduced order models of sub-systems can be interconnected to reproduce whole system behavior in physical (heat conduction in electronic devices) and chemical (protein focusing in capillaries) systems. I'm also interested in systems biology - in particular, inferring gene transcription networks using information theory and predicting the dynamic behavior of such networks - with the final aim of creating targeted genomic drugs.

Roland Probst | email: rolandp@umd.edu
Roland's focus lies in applying control theory to innovative biomedical devices. In particular, he is interested in applying optimal control strategies to control the motion of biological cells in micro-fluidic devices. He also works to develop technologies that may be used for automated visual cell manipulation and sorting in 'Lab on a Chip' environments. In addition, Roland's central project is related to magnetic drug targeting; a project that will someday enable in vivo localized deep tissue cancer treatment. This treatment will be conducted by navigating magnetic chemotherapeutical drugs through the human vascular system to the cancer sight through the wonders of magnetic actuation.

Masters Students

Jason West | email: jwest678@hotmail.com
I am currently interested in understanding the physics behind conjugated polymer actuators through experimentation and modeling. I hope to eventually arrive at a predictive model for the behavior of these materials, which are governed by many coupled physical processes. The aim of the study is to determine which processes are dominant in the actuation regime and to characterize and quantify those processes. Another project that I am working on involves developing actuators based on microfluidic effects. Co-advised with: Elisabeth Smela.

Graduates

Michel Santos | website | email: santos@umd.edu

PhD thesis:

'Improving the Coverage of Earth Targets by Maneuvering Satellite Constellations'

Candidate for PhD. Projects: Spacecraft Reconfiguration, Orbit Determination, Athena Mars Rover 2003, Orbital Simulation, Human Power Laboratory, Active Suspension Design.

Shawn Walker | email: walker@cims.nyu.edu

PhD thesis:	'Modeling, Simulating, and Controlling the Fluid Dynamics of Electro-wetting on Dielectric'
Masters thesis:	'A Hybrid Variational-Level Set Approach to Handle Topological Changes'

I am interested in the modeling and mathematical formulations of physical systems. I have worked on modeling and simulating the motion of liquid droplets driven by Electro-Wetting On Dielectric (EWOD), which is a micro-fluidic MEMS device in CJ Kim's lab at UCLA. Modeling of EWOD involves a two-phase boundary (i.e. liquid-gas interface) driven by Hele-Shaw type flow and modification of the Young-Laplace pressure relation to account for the frictional effects of contact angle hysteresis and contact line pinning. I have developed a simulation method for EWOD-driven droplets that is stable and robust (i.e. well-posed) using finite elements, and it is able to capture pinching and merging of droplets. My work also includes control of particles in EWOD-driven droplets for use in 'lab-on-a-chip' applications. Other interests include fluid-structure interaction problems, such as biomembrane vesicles.