People

Prinicipal Investigator (PI)

Faculty

  • John C. O'Donnell, Ph.D.

    John C. O'Donnell, Ph.D.

    Research Assistant Professor of Neurosurgery
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  • Suradip Das, Ph.D.

    Suradip Das, Ph.D.

    Research Assistant Professor of Neurosurgery
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Lab Management

Research Associates

  • Dimple Chouhan, Ph.D.

    Dimple Chouhan, Ph.D.

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  • Mykhailo Tatarchuk

    Mykhailo Tatarchuk

    Research Project Manager
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Postdoctoral Fellows

  • Jay Dave, Ph.D.

    Jay Dave, Ph.D.

    Postdoctoral Researcher (co-advised by Dr. Suradip Das)
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Doctoral Students

Undergraduate Students

Technicians

Lab Affiliates

Lab Alumni

Prior Predoctoral Trainees:

Kiera Yankson

Bioengineering, UPenn

Optically Controlled Living Electrodes for Biologically-Based Neuromodulation

2020 – 2026

Kyndall Nicholas

Neuroscience, UPenn 

Bioactive Lipid Engineering for Neuroprotection in TBI

2021 – 2026

Melanie Hilman

Bioengineering, UPenn

Role of Innervation in Engineered Muscle

2021 – 2025

Erin Purvis*

 

Neuroscience, UPenn

Directing Immature Neuronal Migration to Investigate Cell Fate Determination

*NSF Graduate Research Fellow 2019-2023

2019 – 2024

Victor Acero*

Bioengineering, UPenn

Tissue Engineered Hippocampal Networks

*NSF Graduate Research Fellow 2018-2021

2018 – 2024

Wisberty J. Gordián Vélez*

Bioengineering, UPenn

Implantable Axon Tracts as “Living Electrodes” for Biologically Based Neuromodulation

*NSF Graduate Research Fellow 2018-2021

2016 – 2022

Michael R. Grovola, PhD

Biomedical Sciences, Drexel

Characterization of Neuropathology and Neuroinflammatory Cascades after Mild TBI in Swine

2016 – 2021

Oladayo O. Adewole*,

PhD

Bioengineering, UPenn

Microtissue Engineered Neural Networks as Optically-Controlled Living Electrodes for Circuit Modeling and Neuroprosthetics

*NSF Graduate Research Fellow 2015-2018

2015 – 2021

Justin C. Burrell*,

PhD

Bioengineering, UPenn

Implantable Micro-Tissue Engineered Nerve Grafts to Maintain Regenerative Capacity and Facilitate Functional Recovery Following Nervous System Injury *T-TERM Fellow

2017 – 2020

Carolyn E. Keating,

PhD

Neuroscience, UPenn

Characterizing and Manipulating Neuronal Plasma

Membrane Mechanoporation in TBI

2015 – 2020

Kathryn L. Wofford,

PhD

Biomedical Engineering, Drexel

Utilizing the Innate Immune System to Mitigate Secondary Injury Following TBI

2015 – 2019

Laura A. Struzyna*#, PhD 

Bioengineering, UPenn

Tissue Engineered Nigrostriatal Pathway

 for Treatment of Parkinson’s Disease

*NSF Graduate Research Fellow 2013-2016

#NIH NRSA T32 Fellow 2016-2018

2013 – 2019

Kritika S. Katiyar*,

PhD

Biomedical Engineering, Drexel

Molecular Mediators of Modality-Dependent Axon Facilitated Axon Regeneration Using Novel Tissue Engineered Nerve Grafts

*NIH NRSA F31 Fellow 2015-2018

2012 – 2018

 

Prior Postdoctoral Trainees:

Dayo Adewole, PhD

Bioengineering, UPenn

Tissue Engineered Living Electrodes for Synaptic-Based Precision Neuromodulation 

2024 – 2026

Cybelle Smith, PhD

Psychology, Univ. of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

Modular Engineered Neural Testbeds Approximating Large-Scale Functional Networks

2023 – 2026

Mykhailo Tatarchuk, MD, PhD

Romodanov Neurosurgery Inst., Nat. Acad. of Med. Sci, Dept. of Reconstructive Neurosurgery, Kyiv, Ukraine

Advanced Neurosurgical Strategies for Peripheral Nerve Repair

2023 – 2025

Justin Burrell, PhD

Bioengineering, UPenn

Regenerative Therapies for Peripheral Nerve Repair

2021 – 2025

Dimple Chouhan, PhD

Biosciences & Bioengineering, Indian Institute of Technology

Advanced Biomanufacturing of Tissue Engineered Nigrostriatal Pathways to Treat Parkinson’s Disease

2020 – 2025

Michael Grovola, PhD

Neuroscience, Drexel

Neuroinflammation in TBI

2021 – 2025

Erin Purvis,

PhD

Neuroscience, UPenn

Directing Immature Neuronal Migration to Investigate Cell Fate Determination

2024

Yohannes Ghenbot, MD

Neurosurgery, UPenn

Human Stem Cell Derived Tissue Engineering Spinal Tracts for Treatment of Spinal Cord Injury

2023 – 2024

Kathryn Wofford*#, PhD

Biomedical Engineering, Drexel

Reprogramming Macrophages for Neuroprotection and Plasticity Post-TBI

*Fellowship: NIH NRSA “Brain Injury Training Grant” 2019-2020; #NIH NRSA F32 2020-2022; !NIH K99/R00 2022-2027

2019 – 2024

Connor Wathen, MD

Neurosurgery, UPenn

Tissue Engineering Spinal Tracts for Reconstruction After Spinal Cord Injury

2022 – 2023

Caroline Blevins, DVM

Pathobiology, UPenn

Lipid Engineering to Prevent TBI Associated Neuronal Injury

2020 – 2021

Robert Schultz*, PhD

Biomedical Engineering, Drexel 

Tissue Engineered Axon Fusion for Immediate Recovery Following Nerve Injury  *Training Without Borders NRSA T32 Fellow 2019-2021

2019 – 2021

Elisia Clark*, PhD

Pharmacology, UPenn 

Tissue Engineered Nigrostriatal Pathway to Study the Pathophysiology of Parkinson's Disease*Clinical and Translational Science Award Fellow 2018-2020

2018 – 2020

John O’Donnell*, PhD

Pharmacology, UPenn 

Modeling Disorders of Consciousness in Swine

*NIH NRSA F32 Fellow 2016-2019

2016 – 2021

Suradip Das, PhD

Biosciences & Bioengineering, Indian Institute of Technology 

Motor-Specific Tissue Engineered Nerve Grafts for Major Peripheral Nerve Repair

2016 – 2021

Chelsea Wallace, DVM

Pathobiology, UPenn

Immunosuppressive Therapy to Enhance Efficacy of Tissue Engineered Nerve Grafts

2016 – 2017

Emory Kuo, MD

Medicine, PCOM

Acute Neuroinflammatory Responses in TBI

2015 – 2016

Dmitriy Petrov*, MD

Neurosurgery, UPenn

Micro-Tissue Engineering Neural Networks to Restore Hippocampal Circuitry

*Fellowship: Codman Neurotrauma & Critical Care

2015 – 2016

James Harris*, PhD

Biomedical Engineering, Case Western Reserve

Neurodegenerative and Neurophysiological Sequelae in TBI 

*Fellowship: NIH NRSA “Brain Injury Training Grant”

2013 – 2015

Joseph Frasca*, PhD

Molecular Toxicology, Univ. of Rochester

Alpha-Synuclein Mediated Pathophysiology in TBI

*Fellowship: NIH NRSA “Brain Injury Training Grant”

2012 – 2013

John A. Wolf, PhD

Neuroscience, UPenn

Functional Reorganization of Limbic Circuitry After TBI in Swine

2009 – 2011

 

Other lab alumni:

  • Isha Patel
  • Kammy Purpura
  • Gabrielle Porter
  • Asim Handy
  • Srijan Kalva
  • Eric Muthersbaugh
  • Ronit Patel
  • Adedotun Bello
  • Andrés Garcia-Epelboim
  • Sam Lien
  • Olivia Rivellini
  • Jerry Gao
  • Shavon Coulter
  • Annette Prah
  • Natalia Fedorcza
  • Nicholas Paleologos
  • Kaila Helm
  • Vishal Tian
  • Halimulati Kaisaier
  • Kate Panzer
  • Joseph Maggiore
  • Dan Brown, B.S.
  • Sanford Roberts, B.A.
  • Carla Winter
  • Tina Lulla
  • Carla Hernandez
  • Ryan Zahalka
  • Ellie Boyle
  • Anthony Parisi
  • Joseph Morand, B.S.
  • Constance Mietus, B.A
  • Matthew Weingard
  • Scott Yerganian
  • Janid Kiely
  • Arshneel Kochar
  • Billy Lane
  • Jonathan Yu