Principal Investigator
Dr. Shuichi (Shu) Takayama, PhD
Professor, GRA Eminent Scholar
Price Gilbert, Jr. Chair in Regenerative Engineering and Medicine
Dr. Shu Takayama earned his BS and MS in Agricultural Chemistry at the University of Tokyo. He earned a PhD in Chemistry at The Scripps Research Institute in La Jolla, California studying bio-organic synthesis with Dr. Chi‐Huey Wong. He then worked as a postdoc with Dr. George Whitesides at Harvard University where he focused on applying microfluidics to studying cell and molecular biology.
Dr. Takayama began his career at the University of Michigan, where led his lab in the Department of Biomedical Engineering and Macromolecular Science & Engineering for over 17 years. In 2017, the lab moved to Georgia Tech where Shu became the Georgia Research Alliance Price Gilbert Chair Professor of Biomedical Engineering in the Wallace H. Coulter Department of Biomedical Engineering.
Dr. Takayama’s research interests are diverse and motivated by clinical and biotechnology needs. He is always interested in hearing from stakeholders in these areas who are seeking engineering collaboration.
Research Scientists and Postdoctoral Researchers
Soojung Lee, PhD
Research Scientist II
Joined: Fall 2018
Research Interests: Organoids, organotypic microenvironments, cancer
Education: BS, PhD
Jamie A.G. Hamilton, Ph.D.
Postdoctoral Researcher
Joined: Fall 2023
Research Interests: Lung transwell models, E-cigarette health effects
Education: BS, PhD
Tas Ahmed, Ph.D.
Postdoctoral Researcher
Joined: 2016
Research Interests: ATPS, bioassays, cell & molecular biology
Education: BS University of Michigan, PhD Georgia Institute of Technology
Graduate Students
Vishwa Vasani, MS
Bioengineering, Mechanical Engineering
Joined: Fall 2019
Research Interests: Microfluidics, cancer mechanobiology, pulmonary physiology
Education: BS, MS Mechanical Engineering, Indian Institute of Technology, Bombay
Katherine Nguyen
Biomedical Engineering
Joined: Fall 2019
Research Interests: Neutrophil extracellular traps, Biomaterials, organotypic microenvironments
Education: BS Bioengineering, University of California San Diego
Eashaan Godbole
Chemical Engineering
Joined: Spring 2021
Research Interests: Aqueous two-phase systems
Coadviser: Dr. Cheung (https://cheunglab.chbe.gatech.edu/)
Fernando Martinez
Bioengineering, Mechanical Engineering
Joined: Fall 2021
Research Interests: Pulmonary fibrosis, aging
Education: BS Mechanical Engineering, The University of Texas at Austin
Coadviser: Dr. Jang (https://www.janglabgatech.org/)
Badiallo Diani
Biomedical Engineering
Joined: Fall 2022
Research Interests: Pulmonary physiology, endothelial organoids, asthma
Education: BS Biomedical Engineering, University of Delaware, Honors College
Coadvisor: Dr. Anne Fitzpatrick
Alejandro de Janon
Bioengineering, Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering
Joined: Spring 2023
Research Interests: Bone marrow organotypic microenvironments, cancer biology, normal and malignant hematopoiesis
Education: BS Chemical Engineering, National Technological University (Argentina), MS Biotechnology, Texas A&M University
Co-advisor: Dr. Graham/Dr. DeRyckere
Amitej Venapally
Biomedical Engineering MD/PhD Program
Joined: Fall 2023
Research Interests: Lung airway organoids, Cystic fibrosis, Post-transplant rejection
Education: BS Biochemistry, Computer Science, Georgia Tech
Kelsey Brew
Biomedical Engineering
Joined: Fall 2023
Research Interests: Air-liquid interface transwell model, Microfluidics, Cystic Fibrosis, Immunology
Education: Biomedical Engineering, Georgia Tech
Co-advisor: Dr. Tirouvanziam
Nathan Ocampo
Biomedical Engineering
Joined: Fall 2023
Research Interests: High throughput lung airway organoids
Education: BS Biomedical Engineering, Columbia University
Yu-Shan (Kelly) Huang
Biomedical Engineering (Masters)
Joined: Spring 2024
Research Interests: Air-liquid interface transwell model
Education: BS School of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Georgia Tech
Mentor: Liang-Hsin Chen
Undergraduate Students
Sindhu Nama
Biomedical Engineering
Joined: Fall 2022
Mentor: Vishwa Vasani
Abigail Sim
Biology
Joined: Spring 2023
Mentor: Vishwa Vasani
Daniel Feng
Puchangxin (Logan) Li
Pranitha Kaza
Biochemistry
Joined: Summer 2023
Mentor: Alejandro de Janon
Zion Thomas
Ayan Guha
Biomedical Engineering
Joined: Summer 2024
Mentor: Liang-Hsin Chen