People
Principal Investigator
Dr. Jonathan Grasman
Postdoctoral Research: Tufts University, 2015-2019
Ph.D. Biomedical Engineering, Worcester Polytechnic Institute, 2015
B.S. Bioengineering, University of Pittsburgh, 2008
Favorite Food: Okonomiyaki or chicken parmesan
Fun Fact: I lived in Mongolia for a summer
Graduate Students
Natalie Kozan
Degree Pursuing: PhD
B.S. Biomedical Engineering, NJIT 2020
Area of Research: I am researching biomaterial scaffolds to facilitate skeletal muscle regeneration for the healing of volumetric muscle loss.
Favorite Food: Mac and Cheese
Fun Fact: A random fact about me is that I love cooking and baking!
MD Mehadi Hassan Sagor
Degree Pursuing: PhD
B.S. Biomedical Engineering, BUET 2023
Area of Research: I am researching the development of porous scaffolds using freeze-gelation method for spinal cord injury treatment.
Favorite Food: Pudding, Oven baked pasta
Fun Fact: Reverse Engineering in Cooking.
Sydnee Sicherer
Degree Pursuing: PhD
B.S. Biomedical Engineering, NJIT 2020
M.S. Biomedical Engineering, NJIT 2021
Area of Research: I am researching how variations in scaffold materials (bulk and ECM components) will impact myoblast growth and differentiation into myotubes.
Favorite Food: Brisket
Fun Fact: I've been behind the scenes of three Broadway plays.
Undergraduate Students
Karl Chelala Nyssa Nixon
Major: Biology Major: Biology
Graduation Year: 2025 Graduation Year: 2026
Research: Peripheral nerve regeneration Research: Peripheral nerve regeneration
Favorite Food: Favorite Food: Spam Musubi
Fun Fact: Fun Fact: I do graphic design as a boredom hobby
Noor Haque Shreyas Bolla
Major: Mechanical Engineering Major: Biology (BA/MD)
Graduation Year: 2026 Graduation Year: 2026
Research: Myofiber growth and alignment Research: Developing a bioactive scaffold
for skeletal muscle regeneration.
Favorite Food: Pasta and butter chicken Favorite Food: Chicken Biryani
Fun Fact: I'm have two cats Fun Fact: I always take exams with 3 pencils on my
Samwise and Frodo. desk for good luck.
Shree Shruthi Sankar Marlin Abdelmasih
Major: Biomedical Engineering Major: Biology
Graduation Year: 2027 Graduation Year: 2025
Research: ECM extraction for tissue regeneration Research: Enhance muscle regeneration
and alignment after VML
Favorite Food: Chicken and noodles Favorite Food: Nachos
Fun Fact: I did Martial Arts for 4 years Fun Fact: I have two birds named
and earned a black belt. Doritos and Sky.
Alumni
Jarin Tusnim, PhD (Biomedical Engineering), Design and fabrication of single and multi-channel hollow collagen tubes to observe axonal growth and peripheral nerve repair
Sandra Raju, MS (Biomedical Engineering), Effects of mechanical stimulation on myoblasts
Drew Diel, MS (Biomedical Engineering), Effect of endothelial cells when seeded into collagen gel channels
Faith Adams (Biomedical Engineering), Cross-linked collagen scaffolds
Simone Bishara (Biochemistry), Biomaterial scaffolds for muscle regeneration
Karthik Budharaju (Biology, Accelerated BA/MD), Role of extracellular matrix proteins in determining neurite growth
Sean Caswell (Biomedical Engeering), Volumetric tissue regeneration
Neeraja Dave (Biomedical Engineering), Investigating alignment of myoblasts within ECM-hydrogels
Jasmine Guliani (Biomedical Engineering, BS/MD), Skeletal muscle regeneration
Shaikh Hassan (Biomedical Engineering), CNS models of neural regeneration within collagen hydrogels
Hans Pocholo B. Hugo (Biomedical Engineering), Collagen-fibrin composite materials
Peter Kutuzov (Biochemistry), In-vitro models of peripheral nerve regeneration
Aman Mittal (Biomedical Engineering), Silk-collagen composite hydrogels
Vivian Ojeda (Biomedical Engineering), Muscle Regeneration
Sheetal Padhi (Biomedical Engineering), Use of NSAIDs for PNS repair in hollow collagen channels
Yash Parikh (Biomedical Engineering), Myoblast growth and alignment
Milan Patel (Biomedical Engineering), Biomimetic scaffolds for skeletal muscle regeneration
Selma Shifa (Biomedical Engineering), Maintenance and long-term methods for myoblast hydrogel culture
Adrian Sudol (Biomedical Engineering), Investigation of the effects of fibroblasts on axonal growth and repair
Rashmi Venkatarama (Biomedical Engineering), Exercise models that enhance reinnervation
Juliana Yang (Biomedical Engineering), Endothelial cell growth in microfluidic collagen hydrogels
Noah N. Youssef (Biomedical Engineering, BS/MD), Skeletal muscle regeneration