Current Research Group
Updated August 2009
Current Group Members
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Mike Armani, Ph.D., Joint with NCI | 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. |
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Zach Cummins, Ph.D. Student | email: zcummins@umd.edu Zach is interested in the use of feedback control and imaging to actively manipulate living biological systems, especially for the development of lab-on-a-chip (LOC) technology. His focus is to optimize techniques to both precisely and tractably control motile microorganisms, which can be easily damaged by the strong actuation needed to control them. Currently, he is working toward the design and optimization of microfluidic devices capable of efficiently steering microorganisms for use in point-of-care analysis and sample preparation. |
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Skye Kim, Ph.D. | email: skyekim@gmail.com Skye Kim, Joint with the Johns Hopkins University and NCI Skye is focused on applying science to improve cancer patient care by developing novel methods of drug delivery. Currently, her research focuses on the characterization of vasculature profiles (routes of< delivery) of clinical breast cancer samples in support of developing a magnetic drug delivery system for metastatic disease. |
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| Arash Komaee, Post-Doc | email: akomaee@umd.edu |
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John Lin, Undergraduate | email: john.lin.john@gmail.com I am interested in active drug targeting that depends solely on forces other than those found in the organism. My current research centers on using external electromagnets to guide magnetic particles with attached drug molecules to the disease location. I am also interested in mineral enhanced implantable polymer scaffolds that elicit tissue regeneration1. 1. http://www.bioe.umd.edu/news/news_story.php?id=3475 |
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Alek Nacev, Ph.D. | email: alek@umd.edu Alek's research interests focus on bio-inspired design to create novel biomedical devices and treatment techniques. Currently he is exploring the behavior of magnetic nanoparticles as they travel throughout the body and the ways to harness the body's transport system to direct particle movement. This research will be soon be incorporated into the more complex in vivo deep tissue tumor targeting project. |
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Roland Probst, Ph.D. | email: rolandp@umd.edu Roland's focus lies in applying control theory to innovative biomedical and quantum information systems. In particular, he is interested in applying optimal control strategies to manipulate individual particles at the micro and nano scale. Arbitrary manipulation of individual particles at the micro and nano scale, including cells, motile microorganisms, quantum dots, and magnetic nano carriers allows new applications in electronics, biology, and medicine. The goal is to develop a system with capabilities to arbitrary manipulate individual particles regardless of their shape, surface charge, or specific dielectric constants. Micro fluidics in combination with electro kinetics and visual feedback control is the basis of this research. 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. |
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Past Group Members
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Satej Chaudhary, Ph.D., on medical leave | 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. |
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Pramod Mathai, Post-Doc, now at NIST | email: ppm@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. |
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Michel Santos,
Graduate | website
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Candidate for PhD. Projects: Spacecraft Reconfiguration, Orbit Determination, Athena Mars Rover 2003, Orbital Simulation, Human Power Laboratory, Active Suspension Design. |
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Shawn Walker, Postdoc at NYU website | email: walker@cims.nyu.edu
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Jason West, Masters | 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. |
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