People

Principal Investigator

Anita Shukla

anita_shukla@brown.edu
Associate Professor of Engineering
Ph.D. in Chemical Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 2011
B.S. in Chemical Engineering and Biomedical Engineering, Carnegie Mellon University, 2006

Anita Shukla is an Associate Professor of Engineering and a member of the Center for Biomedical Engineering at Brown University. Professor Shukla’s research focuses on designing responsive and targeted biomaterials for applications in drug delivery and regenerative medicine. She is particularly passionate about using these materials for treating infections. Professor Shukla is the recipient of several national and university honors and awards for both her research and teaching, including a Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers (PECASE), a National Science Foundation CAREER Award, an Office of Naval Research Director of Research Early Career Grant, and a Brown University Dean’s Award for Excellence in Teaching. Prior to joining Brown in 2013, Professor Shukla was an NIH Ruth Kirschstein postdoctoral fellow in the Department of Bioengineering at Rice University. She received her Ph.D. in Chemical Engineering from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in 2011 as an NSF Graduate Research Fellow. Professor Shukla also received a Master’s of Science in Chemical Engineering Practice from MIT. She received her Bachelor’s of Science at Carnegie Mellon University in 2006 with majors in chemical engineering and biomedical engineering.

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Postdoctoral Researchers

Akram Abbasi
akram_abbasi@brown.edu
Ph.D. Chemical Engineering, University of Rhode Island, Kingston. 2014-2019
M.Sc. Chemical Engineering-Thermo-kinetics and Catalyst, Sharif University of Technology, Tehran
B.Sc. Chemical Engineering-Process Design, Iran University of Science and Technology, Tehran
Research interest:Developing biomaterials to enhance the mesenchymal stem cell secretome profile toward cell-free therapeutics

Kayla Campbell
kayla_lee@brown.edu
Ph.D., Pathobiology, Brown University. 2016-2020
B.A., Pathobiology, Brown University
Research Interests: Developing in vivo fungal infection models and antifungal delivery systems to treat systemic and localized fungal infections

Graduate Students

Yingying Wang
yingying_wang1@brown.edu
Ph.D. Candidate, Chemistry
M.Sc., Chemistry, Nanjing University, China
B.S., Chemistry, Northwest University, China
Research Interests: Developing novel biomaterials for the treatment of marine bacteria-related diseases

Carly Deusenbery She/her/hers
carly_deusenbery@brown.edu
Ph.D. Candidate, Biomedical Engineering
B.S., Biomedical Engineering, Drexel University
Research Interests: Investigating the formation, prevention and eradication of microbial biofilms

Cassi LaRose

cassi_larose@brown.edu

Ph.D. Student, Biomedical Engineering

B.S., Chemistry, Michigan State University
Research Interests: Developing stimuli-responsive biomaterials for antimicrobial drug delivery and microbial detection

Veronica LaMastro
veronica_lamastro@brown.edu
Ph.D. Student, Biomedical Engineering
B.S., Biomedical Engineering & Chemistry, Rowan University
Research Interests: Developing advanced drug delivery systems for treatment of systemic fungal infections

Zhaowei Jiang
zhaowei_jiang@brown.edu
Ph.D. Student, Biomedical Engineering
M.S., Chemical Engineering, Syracuse University
B.S., Biochemistry, Syracuse University
Research Interests: Developing nanomaterial for the treatment of bacterial infections

Alec McCall
alec_mccall@brown.edu
Ph.D. Student, Biomedical Engineering
B.S., Biomedical Engineering & Chemistry, Arizona State University
Research Interests: Developing advanced detection and delivery platforms for the treatment of microbial infections

Cutler Whitely
cutler_whitely@brown.edu
Sc.M., Student, Biotechnology
B.S., Biological Sciences, Minor Psychology, Drexel University
Research Interests: Utilizing 3D and bioprinting techniques to formulate clinic-ready hydrogels capable of combating localized microbial infections

Alison M Veintimilla She/her/hers
alison_veintimilla@brown.edu
Sc.M., Candidate Biotechnology
B.S., Immunobiology, Brown University
Research Interests: Exploring the use of biomaterials to deliver bacteriophage to treat microbial infections

Olivia Carneiro
olivia_carneiro@brown.edu
Sc.M., Candidate, Biotechnology
B.S., Biology, University of Massachusetts Amherst
Research Interests: Exploring combination therapies to target antibiotic-resistant biofilm infections

Sai Kurapati
sai_kurapati@brown.edu
Sc.M. Candidate, Biotechnology
Sc.B. Biology and A.B. Health Equity & Ethics, Brown University
Research Interests: Exploring the use of bacteriophage to treat microbial infections

Undergraduate Students

Chris Shin
christopher_shin@brown.edu
Sc.B. Candidate, Biomedical Engineering
Research Interests: investigating biomaterials for drug delivery and regenerative medicine

Peter Gonzalez
peter_gonzalez@brown.edu
Sc.B. Candidate, Biological Physics
Research interests: Developing aerosolized nanoparticles containing antifungal medications to combat pulmonary fungal infections

Lab Alumni

Postdoctoral and Graduate Alumni

Jessica Powell
Sc.M., Student, Biomedical Engineering
B.S., Biomedical Engineering, Case Western Reserve University
Current Position: Product Development Engineering at BD

Noel Vera-Gonzalez
Ph.D., Biomedical Engineering, Brown University. 2015-2020
NSF Graduate Research Fellow
B.S.E., Biomedical Engineering, Duke University
Current Position: Biomaterials Scientist at GelMEDIX

Alessia Battigelli
Postdoctoral Researcher, Brown University, 2016-2020
Postdoctoral Researcher, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, 2014-2016
Postdoctoral Researcher, CNRS, 2012-2013
Ph.D., Chemistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Trieste, Italy – University of Strasbourg, France
M.Sc. and B.Sc., Chemistry and Pharmaceutical Technologies, University of Trieste, Italy
Current Position: Associate Professor of Chemistry at University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway

Dahlia Alkekhia
Ph.D. Biomedical Engineering, Brown University. 2014-2020
NSF Graduate Research Fellow
Sc.B., Bioengineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Current Position: Analytical Development Scientist at Rubius Therapeutics

Chao Yu
Postdoctoral Researcher, Shukla Lab for Designer Biomaterials, Brown University, U.S. 2019-2020
Postdoctoral Researcher, Professor Shouheng Sun’s Lab, Brown University, U.S. 2015-2019
Ph.D., Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Nanjing Tech University, China. 2010-2015
B.S., Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Nanjing Tech University, China.
Current Position: Assistant Professor of Environmental and Chemical Engineering at Jiangsu University of Science and Technology, Zhenjiang, China.

Alexis Fairman
Sc.M., Biomedical Engineering, 2020
B.S., Biomedical Engineering, Lehigh University
Current Position: Scientist, Lead Discovery and Optimization at Bristol Myers Squibb

Quentin Altemose
Sc.M., Biomedical Engineering, 2020
B.S., Physics and Biology, Ursinus College
Current Position: Biomedical Engineering Ph.D. student at Cornell University

Christina Bailey-Hytholt
Ph.D., Biomedical Engineering, 2019
NSF Graduate Research Fellow
B.S., Chemical Engineering, Worcester Polytechnic Institute
Current Position: Postdoctoral Fellow in Biologics Drug Product Development & Manufacturing at Sanofi, incoming Assistant Professor of Chemical Engineering at Worcester Polytechnic Institute

Bethany Almeida
Ph.D., Biomedical Engineering, 2019
B.S., Biomedical Engineering and Professional Writing, Worcester Polytechnic Institute
Current Position: Assistant Professor of Biological and Chemical Engineering at Clarkson University

Shashank Shukla
Ph.D., Biomedical Engineering, 2019
Sc.M., Biomedical Engineering, Brown University
B.S., Biomedical Engineering, Worcester Polytechnic Institute
Current Position: Senior Scientist, Drug Delivery at SalioGen Therapeutics

Luke Liu
Sc.M., Biomedical Engineering, 2018
B.S., Biomedical Engineering, University of Rochester
Current Position: Biology Engineer at Bio-Tree Systems

Roya Sheybani
Hibbitt Engineering Postdoctoral Fellow, 2015-2016
Current Position: Director of Clinical Affairs & Clinical Science at CytoVale

Nisha Hollingsworth
Research Assistant, 2014-2016
Current Position: Senior Research Engineer at 3M

Samantha Gates
Sc.M., Biomedical Engineering, 2016
Sc.B., Biomedical Engineering, Brown University, 2015
Current Position: Senior Research Associate of Immune Monitoring at Neon Therapeutics