Lab Members


Faculty

D. Kacy Cullen

D. Kacy Cullen

Principal Investigator
 dkacy@pennmedicine.upenn.edu

Google Scholar

Ph.D., Biomedical Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology (2005)

M.S., Mechanical Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology (2002)

B.S., Mechanical Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology (2000)

John C. O'Donnell, Ph.D.

John C. O'Donnell, Ph.D.

Faculty Mentee
 john.charles.odonnell@gmail.com

Projects
Modeling Disorders of Consciousness
Tissue-Engineered Living Scaffolds for Neuroregeneration
Hippocampal Circuitry Disruption Following Mild Traumatic Brain Injury

Awards & Fellowships
NIH NRSA F32 Fellowship, Modeling Disorders of Consciousness(2016-2019)

Degrees
Ph.D., Neuropharmacology, University of Pennsylvania (2016)
M.S., Biology, Towson University (2009)
B.A., Biology, LaSalle University (2004)


Postdoctoral Fellows

Kathryn L. Wofford, Ph.D.

Kathryn L. Wofford, Ph.D.

 kwofford@pennmedicine.upenn.edu

Projects
Understanding and Employing the Innate Immune System to Promote Regeneration Following Traumatic Brain Injury

Awards & Fellowships
Brain Injury Training Grant “Understanding and Exploiting Innate Immune Cell Infiltration into the Brain Following Trauma” NIH NRSA T32.

Degrees
Ph.D., Biomedical Engineering, Drexel University (2019)
M.S., Biomedical Engineering, Drexel University (2015)
B.A., Biophysics and Psychology with Honors, Austin College (2012)

Robert B. Shultz, Ph.D.

Robert B. Shultz, Ph.D.

 bob.b.shultz@gmail.com

Projects
Tissue-Engineered Axon Fusion for Immediate Recovery Following Nerve Injury

Awards & Fellowships
NIH NRSA T32 Fellowship (2019-2021); T32 Title: “Training Without Borders: Translating Research in Regenerative Medicine”, lead organization: Rutgers University (PI: Joachim Kohn)

Degrees
Ph.D., Biomedical Engineering, Drexel University (2019)
B.S., Biomedical Engineering, Rutgers University (2012)

Mike R. Grovola

Mike R. Grovola

 mgrovola@pennmedicine.upenn.edu

Projects
Neuroinflammation and Axonal Pathology Associated with Traumatic Brain Injury in Swine

Degrees
M.S., Drexel University
B.A., University of Richmond

Dimple Chouhan

Dimple Chouhan

 dimple.chouhan@pennmedicine.upenn.edu

Projects
Biofabricatioon of nigrostriatal pathway for the treatment of Parkinson's disease
Tissue-engineered nigrostriatal pathway as test-bed for evaluating axonal pathophysiology in Parkinson's disease

Degrees
Ph.D., Biosciences & Bioengineering, Indian Institute of Technology Guwahati, India (2019)
B.Tech., Electronics and Communication, Rajasthan Technical University, India (2012)


Research Specialists

Kevin D. Browne, B.A.

Kevin D. Browne, B.A.

 kbrowne@pennmedicine.upenn.edu

Projects
Development of a Large Animal Model of Neurointensive Care and Recovery
Plasmalemmal Permeability and Cell Death after Non-Impact Head Trauma and Blast Injury
In Vivo Efficacy Testing of Tissue-Engineered Nerve Grafts for Peripheral Nerve Injury
Micro-Tissue Engineered Neural Networks to Restore Brain Circuitry

Suradip Das, Ph.D.

Suradip Das, Ph.D.

Senior Research Investigator
 suradip@pennmedicine.upenn.edu

Projects
Tissue-Engineered Neural Constructs for Neuromuscular Injury Repair

Degrees
Ph.D., Biosciences & Bioengineering, Indian Institute of Technology Guawahati (2016)

Dan Han


Graduate Students

Erin M. Purvis, B.S.

Erin M. Purvis, B.S.

Doctoral Student - Neuroscience
 epurvis@pennmedicine.upenn.edu

Projects
Tissue-Engineered Rostral Migratory Stream for Directed Neuronal Replacement 

Awards & Fellowships
Predoctoral Fellowship, National Science Foundation (GRFP)
Provost's Graduate Academic Engagement Fellowship at the Netter Center, University of Pennsylvania

Degrees
B.S., Biopsychology, University of California at Santa Barbara (2017)

Victor Acero

Victor Acero

Doctoral Student - Bioengineering
 vacero@seas.upenn.edu

Projects
Engineering an In Vitro Model of Hippocampal Networks

Awards & Fellowships
NSF Graduate Research Fellowship, High-Efficiency Kirigami Vase Water Harvester(2018-2021)
Fontaine Fellowship (2017)

Degrees
B.S., Engineering Science, Pennsylvania State University (2017)

Kiera Yankson

Kiera Yankson

Doctoral Student - Bioengineering
 kyankson01@gmail.com

ProjectsLiving Deep Brain Stimulation for For External Control of Striatal Dopamine

Awards & Fellowships
Fontaine Fellowship

Degrees
B.S., Applied Mathematics (Biology)

Kyndall Nicholas

Kyndall Nicholas

Doctoral Student - Neuroscience
 kyndall@pennmedicine.upenn.edu

Projects
The Effects of Neuronal Lipid Constituents on Susceptibility to Plasma Membrane Damage in Traumatic Brain Injury

Awards & Fellowships
University of Pennsylvania Graduate Training in Neuroscience Training Grant (NIH- T32)

Degrees
B.S., Biochemistry, Hampton University (2019)

Melanie Hilman

Melanie Hilman

Doctoral Student - Bioengineering
 mhilman@seas.upenn.edu

Projects
Stretch Grown Tissue-Engineered Muscle for Volumetric Muscle Loss Repair

Degrees
B.S.E., Bioengineering, University of Pennsylvania (2020)
M.S.E., Mechanical Engineering and Applied Mechanics, University of Pennsylvania (2020)

Franco Laimo

Saarang Karandikar

Saarang Karandikar

Doctoral Student - Bioengineering
 saarangk@sas.upenn.edu

Projects
Upscaling of Micro-Tissue Engineered Neural Networks for Sensorimotor "Living Electrode" Applications

Degrees
B.A.S., Neuroscience, University of Pennsylvania (2020)

Dimitris Boufidis

 boufidis@seas.upenn.edu

Connor Wathen

Connor Wathen

 Connor.Wathen@pennmedicine.upenn.edu

Projects
Tissue Engineered Neural Networks for Spinal Cord Injury Repair

Degrees
MD, Cleveland Clinic Lerner College of Medicine
BS, Biological Sciences, University of Notre Dame

 

 


Undergraduate Students

Jerry Gao

Jerry Gao

BSE Candidate - Bioengineering (2023)
 gaojerry@seas.upenn.edu

Projects
Investigating the Colocalization of Damaged Neurons and Perivascular Regions After a Single or Repetitive Diffuse TBI

Sam Lien

Sam Lien

BSE Candidate - Bioengineering (2023)
 samlien@seas.upenn.edu

Projects
Tissue Engineered Nerve Grafts

Ronit Patel

Ronit Patel

BAS Candidate - Neuroscience (2024)
 ronitp@sas.upenn.edu

Projects
Tissue-engineered nigrostriatal pathway as test-bed for evaluating axonal pathophysiology in Parkinson's disease

Adedotun Bello

Adedotun Bello

BAS Candidate - Neuroscience (2023)
 adbello@sas.upenn.edu

Projects
The Effects of Neuronal Lipid Constituents on Susceptibility to Plasma Membrane Damage in Traumatic Brain Injury
The Impact of Traumatic Brain Injury on White Matter Interstitial Neurons 

 

Andrés Garcia-Epelboim

BAS Candidate - Physics
 garciaan@sas.upenn.edu

Eric Muthersbaugh

Eric Muthersbaugh

BAS Candidate - Neuroscience (2025)
 ericmuth@sas.upenn.edu

Projects
Tissue Engineered Muscular Units and Electrospun Nanofiber Materials

Gabrielle Porter

BAS Candidate - Chemistry
 gaporter@sas.upenn.edu

Olivia Rivellini

BAS Candidate - Neuroscience (2023)
 oriv@sas.upenn.edu

Lab Alumni

Shavon Coulter: Undergraduate Student, Xavier University of Louisiana

Annette Prah: Undergraduate Student, Emory University

Natalia Fedorcza: Undergraduate Student, Dickenson University

Wisberty J. Gordián-Vélez: Graduate Student, Bioengineering, University of Pennsylvania
Projects: Transplantable Axonal Tracts as "Living DBS" for Dopamine Replacement in Parkinson's Disease, Three-Dimensional Human Axon Tracts Derived from Cerebral Organoids

Justin C. Burrell: Postdoctoral Fellow, University of Pennsylvania
Projects: Development of Micro-Tissue Engineered Nerve Grafts to Preserve Peripheral Nerve Regeneration Capacity and Maintain the Distal Nerve Pathway, In Vivo Efficacy Testing of Tissue Engineered Nerve Grafts for Peripheral Nerve Injury, Micro-Tissue Engineered Neural Networks to Restore Brain Circuitry

Nicholas Paleologos: Undergraduate Student, Biological Basis of Behavior, University of Pennsylvania
Project: Neuroinflammation and Axonal Pathology Associated with Traumatic Brain Injury in Swine

Kaila Helm: Undergraduate Student, Biological Basis of Behavior, University of Pennsylvania
Project: Tissue-Engineered Living Scaffolds for Neuroregeneration

Carolyn E. Keating: Graduate Student, Neuroscience, University of Pennsylvania
Project: Acute Permeability & Synucleinopathy in TBI and 3D Neural Cell Culture

Dayo Adewole: Graduate Student, Bioengineering, University of Pennsylvania
Project: The Application of Micro-Tissue Engineered Neural Networks as Living Electrodes for Sensorimotor Information

Fellowship: NIH NRSA T32 Fellowship (2018 - 2020)
NSF Graduate Research Fellowship, Micro-Tissue Engineered Neural Networks as "Living Electrodes" to Relay Sensory Information for a Brain-Machine Interface (2015-2018)

Vishal Tian: Undergraduate Student, Bioengineering, University of Pennsylvania
Project: Optogenetic Stimulation of Motor Neurons in a Tissue Engineered Nerve Graft to Enhance Axonal Outgrowth

Kritika S. Katiyar, Ph.D.: Bioengineering, Drexel University
Projects: Tissue-Engineered Living Scaffolds for Neuroregeneration; Molecular Mechanisms of Axon-Mediated Axon Regeneration; 3-D Neural Cell Culture Techniques

Fellowship: NIH NRSA F31 Fellowship, Mechanisms for Axonal Guidance Using Living Tissue Engineered Scaffolds (2015-2018)

Halimulati Kaisaier: Undergraduate Student, Bioengineering, University of Pennsylvania
Project: Development of Innervated Tissue Engineered Muscle on Aligned Nanofibers for Volumetric Muscle Loss Repair

Laura A. Struzyna, Ph.D.: Bioengineering, University of Pennsylvania
Projects: Tissue-Engineered Biohybrid Neuroprosthetic Interfaces; Micro-Tissue Engineered Neural Networks to Restore Brain Circuitry; Neurophysiological Assessment of Nervous System Repair

Fellowship: NSF Graduate Research Fellowship, Tissue Engineered Constructs for Neural Repair (2013-2016)

Kate Panzer: Undergraduate Student, Bioengineering, University of Pennsylvania
Project: Tissue-Engineered Living Scaffolds for Neuroregeneration

Joseph Maggiore: Undergraduate Student, Bioengineering, University of Pennsylvania
Project: In Vivo Efficacy Testing of Tissue-Engineered Nerve Grafts for Peripheral Nerve Injury

Dan Brown, B.S.: Research Specialist
Projects: In Vivo Efficacy Testing of Tissue-Engineered Nerve Grafts for Peripheral Nerve Injury; Chronic Neurodegenerative and Neurophysiological Sequela in TBI

Chelsea Wallace, D.V.M.: Staff Veterinarian
Project: Effects of FK506 on Host Regeneration Through Tissue-Engineered Allograft and Xenograft Nerve Constructs

Sanford Roberts, B.A.: Medical Student
Project: Evaluation of Polyethylene Glycol as an Agent of Rapid Axonal Fusion Following Nerve Transection

Dmitriy Petrov, M.D.: Neurosurgical Resident
Project: Micro-Tissue Engineered Neural Networks to Restore Brain Circuitry

Fellowship: Codman Neurotrauma & Critical CareResearch Fellowship, Micro-Tissue Engineered Neural Networks to Restore Hippocampal Circuitry (2015-2016)

Carla Winter: Undergraduate Student, Bioengineering, University of Pennsylvania
Project: Tissue-Engineered Living Scaffolds for Neuroregeneration

Tina Lulla: Undergraduate Student
Project: Micro-Tissue Engineered Neural Networks to Restore Brain Circuitry

Jimmy Harris: Postdoctoral Fellow
Project: Chronic Neurodegenerative and Neurophysiological Sequela in TBI & Micro-Tissue Engineered Neural Networks to Restore Brain Circuitry

Carla Hernandez: Undergraduate Student
Project: Histological Techniques to Assess Neurotrauma Pathology and Repair Strategies

Ryan Zahalka: Undergraduate Student
Project: Molecular Mechanisms of Axon-Mediated Axon Regeneration; Environmental Control for Bench-Top Mechanobioreactor

Ellie Boyle: Undergraduate Student
Project: Tissue Engineering Strategies for Nerve Regeneration

Anthony Parisi: Undergraduate Student
Project: Quantitative Neuropathological Analyses of Rodent and Porcine Tissue Following Traumatic Brain Injury

Joseph Morand, B.S.: Research Specialist
Project: In Vivo Efficacy Testing of Tissue Engineered Nerve Grafts for Peripheral Nerve Injury

Emory Kuo, M.S.: Predoctoral Fellow
Project: Tissue Engineering for Neuroregeneration, Chronic Neurodegenerative and Neurophysiological Sequela in TBI

Constance Mietus, B.A: Research Specialist
Project: Neural Cell Biophysical Responses in Blast-Induced Traumatic Brain Injury

Joe Frasca, Ph.D.: Postdoctoral Fellow
Project: Chronic Neurodegenerative and Neurophysiological Sequela of Closed-Head TBI

John A. Wolf, Ph.D.: Postdoctoral Fellow, University of Pennsylvania
Project: Functional Reorganization of Limbic Circuitry After TBI in Swine, Biohybridized Neural Tissue-Engineered Constructs for Electrical Interface with Peripheral Nerve

Matthew Weingard: Medical Student, Tulane
Project: Tissue Engineering with Primary Cortical Neurons

Scott Yerganian: Bioengineering, University of Pennsylvania
Project: Mechanisms of Axon-Mediated Axon Regeneration

Janid Kiely: Biophysics, University of Pennsylvania
Project: Biomechanics of Concussion: Pathobiological Implications of Acute Cellular Damage

Arshneel Kochar: Medical Student, CWRU  
Project: Tissue Engineering Micro-Conduits for Targeted Axonal Tract Reconstruction 

Billy Lane: Pre-Med, Notre Dame
Project: Mechanisms of Axonal Degeneration in a Swine Model of Closed-Head TBI

Jonathan Yu: Biology, Haverford College
Project: Tissue Engineering Micro-Conduits for Targeted Axonal Tract Reconstruction