People

Sangyoon Han was born in London, UK but raised in Seoul, Korea. He received B.S and M.S. degree from Mechanical Engineering at Seoul National University in 2002 and 2004. He received his Ph.D. with Dr. Nathan Sniadecki from Mechanical Engineering at University of Washington and performed postdoctoral studies with Dr. Gaudenz Danuser in the Department of Cell Biology at Harvard Medical School and University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center. He joined Michigan Tech, Biomedical Engineering from 2017. He is interested in understanding the dynamic nature in force modulation occurring across cell adhesions and cytoskeleton that regulates molecular sensing and downstream signaling response. His lab develops a minimally-perturbing experimental approaches and captures heterogeneity of dynamic mechanochemical states using live cell microscopy, computer vision and inverse dynamics to probe feedbacks between cellular structure and mechanical forces. He enjoys downhill and cross-country skiing with his family in his free time.

Mohanish Kishor Chandurkar was born and raised in small town of Nagpur, Maharashtra, India. He received his Bachelor of Engineering (B.E) at SGBAU Amravati University in Biomedical Engineering. Currently pursuing his M.S in Biomedical Engineering at Michigan Technological University. During his bachelor’s study, he has worked on peristaltic pump used in controlled drug delivery system. Currently, he is working on, as his Master project, in-vitro model to study the shear stresses acting on endothelial cells and changes associated with the mechanobiology of cells using Traction Force Microscopy (TFM). He spend most of his free time reading Ayurveda articles, home remedies and watching science fiction.

Erican Santiago was raised in a suburb of Grand Rapids, MI. He received a B.S. in Biomedical Engineering from Michigan Technological University in the Spring of 2021. He began working with microfluidic devices near the end of his undergraduate studies, and he is now working on using a microfluidic platform to co-culture cancer and natural killer (NK) cells together in vitro. He plans to use this platform to investigate how nitric oxide (NO) affects both the cytotoxic capabilities and migration behaviors & properties against cancer cells. In his free time, he likes to play video games, draw, and listen to music.

Majid Rostami received his B.Sc. and M.Sc. in Mechanical Engineering from Malayer University and Sharif University of Technology in Iran, respectively. With a strong interest in interdisciplinary fields, he focused his M.Sc. thesis on cell mechanics and the elastic responses of cells to external forces. Currently, as a Ph.D. student at Michigan Technological University (MTU), his research is centered around investigating the dynamic and interconnected behavior of various proteins, such as FAK, Talin, and RhoA, which are involved in the structural adaptation of cells in response to mechanical signals from the extracellular matrix (ECM). His project aims to uncover a possible hierarchical or cyclic process by which ECM stiffness and mechanical signals influence cytoskeletal adaptation interactively. This complex and intriguing problem requires a broad range of techniques, including multiple experiments, image processing, finite element methods, and time series analysis. In his personal time, he enjoys reflecting on fundamental and philosophical questions, particularly in the realms of epistemology and the philosophy of science. He is curious about the emergence of complex biological systems and considers religious explanations and classic Darwinism too simplistic to fully account for this phenomenon. Majid hopes to one day discover how local feedback-based interactions form collective and global behaviors, shaping the universe in a way that aligns with the second law of thermodynamics and the irreversibility of processes.

Manli Yang was born and raised in Xinxiang, Henan, China. She received her Bachelor of Medicine at Binzhou Medical University in Preventive Medicine. She holds a master’s degree in Pharmaceutical Science from the University of South Carolina, where she worked on the mutational profiles of ovarian cancer cells by using Illumina sequencing and nanopore sequencing. Her current PhD project focuses on how endothelial cells sense, respond to, and transduce flow shear stress signals into intracellular pathways. Her favorite animal is the dog, and her hobbies are dancing and hiking.

Sam Haarman was born and raised in Minneapolis, Minnesota. He received a BS in Biomedical Engineering and Mechanical Engineering at Michigan Technological University after Fall 2021. His research is focused on improvements to the Traction Force Microscopy process by implementing novel bead tracking and statistical algorithms. These new methods are intended to improve the tracking accuracy of large-scale deformations. Additionally, he is working to implement a novel method of force reconstruction utilizing the Finite Element Method. In his free time, he loves going to the cinema and attending indie film festivals as well as hiking and urban exploration.

Himja was born in a small town of Madhya Pradesh and was raised all over India majorly Pune, Maharashtra. She got her Bachelor's in Biotechnology from Amity University. Currently pursuing her MS in biomedical engineering at MTU. Currently is working on her Master's project in elucidating the role of Collagen type V in cell migration and fibroblast mediated wound healing in vitro. She loves to hike, swim and read dystopia novels in her free time.

Sesha Sai Ramineni was born and raised in Hyderabad, Telangana, India. He received his Bachelor's degree in Pharmacy from MNR College of Pharmacy, Telangana. During his undergraduate studies, he conducted research on the Synthesis, Characterization, and Antimicrobial Activities of Novel Benzimidazole Semi-Carbazide Derivatives, synthesizing and testing new compounds for their effectiveness against various microorganisms. Currently, he is pursuing his M.S. in Health Informatics at Michigan Technological University, where his research focuses on investigating the role of collagen type V (ColV) in fibroblast-mediated wound healing. His project explores how ColV affects cell migration and wound closure in a 3D environment, and how enhancing matrix stiffness through transglutaminase (TG) crosslinking and glycation with ribose can improve wound healing outcomes. In his free time, he enjoys swimming, archery, cooking, and playing the guitar.

Bridget Hemesath was born and raised in Chicago, IL. She is currently in her final year as a biomedical engineering undergraduate student at Michigan Technological University. Her research focuses on using computer vision programming techniques to analyze and extract cell data from images obtained through traction force microscopy experiments. In her free time, Bridget enjoys hiking, playing tennis, and indoor gardening.

Mason Steele was born and grew up in a small town in the thumb of Michigan. He is currently pursuing a B.S. in Electrical Engineering, with a concentration in biomedical applications. He has been working on calibration and operational scripts and procedures for a newly acquired optical tweezing (OT) system in the lab. Implications for this work are the utilization of the system for piconewton scale force measurement experiments such as microrheology studies of cytoplasm. He wishes to continue work in the biomedical field after graduation and in his free time, he enjoys hiking, fishing, crocheting, and yoga.

Sara is a second-year student from the Detroit area working on my BS in Biomedical Engineering with specific interests in stem cell research and tissue engineering. She is working on a project to develop a cheaper alternative to Qgel that our lab can use in cellular research experiments. In my free time, I enjoy reading, sports, piano, and camping