Fall 2026 PEAK Experiences Awardees for Undergrad Research

Several engineering and science students mentored by COE faculty are recipients of the Fall 2026 PEAK Experiences Awards from Northeastern’s Office of Undergraduate Research and Fellowships.

Base Camp Fellows
Developing Quality Control Standards for Proteoform-Level Quantification in Top-Down Mass Spectrometry Awardee: Lucy Anderson, COE’27 Mentor: Owen Skinner, COS, Chemistry & Chemical Biology Individual proteins can take on many different forms, called proteoforms. Top-down mass spectrometry lets scientists measure changes in these forms that may signal disease or biological change. However, the resulting data is messy; duplicate entries, unclear modifications, and missing values make it hard to trust the results. My project goal is to develop a software workflow to clean up this data, filtering out redundant or ambiguous entries and establishing clear rules for handling missing values. This will result in a more reliable, reproducible method for determining whether a given protein is truly increasing or decreasing.
Chemical Characterization and Transformation Products of Tire and Brake Wear Particles Awardee: Anagha Bhumireddy, COE’28 Mentor: Zhenyu Tian, COS, Chemistry & Chemical Biology Road traffic is a major source of non-exhaust emissions (NEEs) which can contain microplastics, metals, and other chemicals that may harm human health and the environment. As these NEEs are often mixed together with other road components, identifying and characterizing their chemical composition remains challenging. In this project, I will study tire and brake wear particles from collected samples and develop methods for separating and analyzing them. Chemical analysis will be used to identify the compounds present and investigate whether new chemicals form when tire and brake particles interact. This research will provide information that can support future pollution control.
Redesign of an Adjustable Hip Exoskeleton to be Open-Sourced Awardee: Shreya Chellu, Provost’- Mentor: Max Shepherd, COE, Physical Therapy, Movement, and Rehabilitation Science I’m helping redesign an customizeable, 3D-printed hip exoskeleton that can be openly shared with other students and researchers. The goal of the redesign is to simplify the exoskeleton enough for other labs to easily build it while preserving the adjustability needed for different users and experiments. To accomplish this, I’m CADding and 3D-printing new parts that fit together more seamlessly and can withstand higher stress without adding additional weight. I’m also working on the exoskeleton’s new electrical system, a simplified version with motor controllers and sensors that collect acceleration and rotation data to track the user’s movement.
Characterization of Nutrient-Rich Solids for Electrochemical Wastewater Remediation Awardee: Ivan Chen, COE’29 Mentor: Damilola Daramola, COE, Chemical Engineering This project will measure digested samples through ICP-OES, which will allow for analysis of their solution concentration to predict the Ca, Mg, K, N, and P compositions of the solids. By doing so, we can better understand how solids are recovered as nutrients from a mixture of aqueous phase ions to improve electrochemical nutrient recovery techniques.
Design and Layout of Mixed-Signal Building Blocks for High-Speed Data Converters Awardee: Eric Gu, COE’27 Mentor: Aatmesh Shrivastava, COE, Electrical and Computer Engineering Data converters are used in everyday modern electronics, including smartphones and medical sensors. Microchips in these devices convert real-world analog signals into digital data that is readable by computers. My goal is to design, simulate, and map out the microscopic transistor layouts for mixed-signal building blocks like high-speed comparators using industry-standard design tools like Cadence Virtuoso. This project will evaluate the impact of real-world electrical wiring and microchip layout choices on device speed, power efficiency, and signal accuracy.
Behavior of Concrete-Filled Steel Tube Structural Systems Awardee: Kathiana Hernandez, COE’28 Mentor: Jerome Hajjar, COE, Civil & Environmental Engineering This project will explore how steel and concrete interact within concrete-filled steel tubes and how their combination affects structural safety. I will review recent research to better understand their structural behavior and how engineers can improve their design. I will also be introduced to the STReSS Laboratory, where I will study structural materials and testing methods, with the goal of contributing to safer infrastructure.
Building a Foundation for Stem Cell and Nerve Regeneration Research Awardee: Amita Mani, COE’29 Mentor: Rebecca Willits, COE, Chemical Engineering This project focuses on developing foundational laboratory skills for research in nerve regeneration using Schwann cells. Schwann cells along with adhesive biomaterials are being implemented into nerve regeneration research to treat peripheral nerve injuries that are too severe to heal naturally. Through this project, the techniques learned here will be utilized to prepare me for more advanced research, with the end goal of helping those with neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s.
Modeling Neuro-Endocrine Signalling On Chip Awardee: Leo Murthy, Provost’- Mentor: Abigail Koppes, COE, Chemical Engineering Recent advances in bioengineering allow scientists to build miniature models of human organs in vitro. These analogs typically involve growing cells in the context of the body, such as cells of the adrenal gland, for example, with channels through which cells interact with one another and cofactors. Such analogs capture the biological function of the cell types in structures similar to those found in the body. These tissue analogs can enable large-scale testing of new treatments for disease. My project will examine the design of such systems that combine innervated neurons with adrenal cells.
Designing an EQCM-D Reactor Cell for Real-Time Monitoring of COF Electropolymerization on Liquid Gallium Awardee: Shelby Smith, COE’27 Mentor: Steve Lustig, COE, Chemical Engineering Materials made from ultra-thin, crystal-like polymers called covalent organic frameworks (COFs) could improve efficiencies from water filtration to novel electronics, but current manufacturing methods produce disordered, defect-riddled versions that fall short of their potential. I’m working to design and build a custom lab instrument that grows these materials on liquid metal and tracks their formation in real time, at the nanogram scale. Combining mechanical engineering skills from prior hands-on prototyping experience with new training in electrochemistry, this project aims to reveal how better-quality COFs form, and to build a lasting tool for future research in the Lustig Lab.
Optimizing a Neurovascular Niche on-a-Chip Model for Alzheimer’s Disease Research Awardee: Abby Tremblay, COE’28 Mentor: Guohao Dai, COE, Bioengineering This project will optimize a microfluidic model of the brain’s neurovascular niche to better represent Alzheimer’s Disease. Progress in studying neurodegenerative diseases is currently limited due to a lack of physiologically representative models. Using neurons derived from human induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs), this study will test the impact of various neuron-specific growth factors on cell differentiation, maturation and vessel development in our neurovascular niche on-a-chip. This working model of a healthy brain will serve as the basis for studying Alzheimer’s Disease pathology in the future with the introduction of the mutated gene (PSEN1) associated with the disease.
Summit Fellows
User Preference Optimization of Neuromuscular Electrical Stimulation Awardee: Nubaha Ahsan, COS’26 Mentor: David Sherman, COE, Physical Therapy, Movemnt, and Rehabilitation Science Neuromuscular Electrical Stimulation (NMES) is a common physical therapy technique that applies controlled electrical pulses to a muscle, eliciting contractions that rebuild strength. Finding the right NMES settings for each patient is limited by fatigue, often exhausting the muscle before optimal settings are found. Building on a machine learning model I developed that predicts a contraction’s peak force from its first few seconds, I am validating the model and using it to build a discomfort-aware algorithm that proposes settings maximizing force while keeping pain tolerable. I will present these results at RISE and potentially at a national physical therapy conference.
Frequency Based Backdoor Detection in Deep Neural Networks Awardee: Alan Bao, COE’28 Mentor: Aatmesh Shrivastava, COE, Electrical and Computer Engineering Convolutional neural networks today are being used in tasks such as self-driving cars, face recognition, voice recognition, and more, and targeted attacks on these networks could result in significant consequences. One of these attacks is the backdoor attack: in which the attackers take the original data used to train a clean model, then poisons the data with a trigger that misdirects the model to a false output. The goal of this project is to present a new runtime method of detecting backdoored images based on frequency analysis of activation traces.
Evolution of the Electronic Structure of CsV3Sb5 Awardee: Brennan Bezdek, COE’27 Mentor: Alberto de La Torre, COS, Physics This project proposes the systematic analysis of resonant inelastic X-ray scattering (RIXS) data collected on the kagome metal CsV3Sb5, spanning the charge density wave (CDW) transition. By extracting the electronic structure, we can obtain the orbitals involved in the CDW instability to better understand superconductivity in kagome metals.
Investigating the Kinetics Between Different Coal Tailings for Rare Earth Element Extraction Awardee: Chelsi Cai, COE’29 Mentor: Damilola Daramola, COE, Chemical Engineering This project shares with engineers and environmentalists a sustainable method to extract rare earth elements (REEs) from a readily available source: coal mine tailings. This research supports the development of a circular economy by turning waste into usable products for industries like energy, defense, and technology. Through microwave digestion, two types of tailings will be tested across five different temperatures and hold times, and ICP-OES will be used to analyze elemental compositions. The outcome is to develop a complete dataset comparing the two tailings and to create a validated model to explain the kinetics of the optimized REE extraction process.
Examining the Effects of Oxygen-Free Cold Spray Deposition on the Mechanical Properties of Copper Awardee: Sai Suhruth Choppakatla, COE’29 Mentor: Ozan Cagatay Ozdemir, COE, Mechanical & Industrial Engineering Cold spray is a metal 3D printing process used in aerospace, energy, and defense that works by firing metal powder at supersonic speeds using compressed gasses so it sticks to a surface on impact, building up into a real part. This project investigates whether spraying copper in an oxygen-free vacuum system produces stronger metal than conventional air-based spraying. Using mechanical testing, electron microscopy, and computer simulations, the project also determines why any material improvement may occur. Understanding this could help justify vacuum system’s use for critical repairs and other commercial applications.
Low Cost, Large Form Factor Robotic Quadruped Platform Awardee: Brendan Conover, COE’29 Mentor: Angelina Jay, COE, Mechanical & Industrial Engineering Quadrupedal robots, commonly known as robotic dogs, are a common form factor in the robotics industry, used for many applications where the environment might be hazardous for humans. Although large form factor and low cost robot dogs both exist, a combined open, low cost, large form factor platform for a robotic quadruped doesn’t yet exist. This project will create just that, lowering the floor to robotics research in the large quadrupedal sector through an proven design that will be open sourced and presented at various robotics expos and events in New England and beyond.
Upcycling Walnut Shell Biomass into Cyclohexanone: A Renewable Pathway to Sustainable Nylon 6 Awardee: Katryna Dube, COE’27 Mentor: Courtney Pfluger, COE, Chemical Engineering This project explores a way to develop nylon, widely-utilized material, by converting discarded walnut shells into cyclohexanone, the precursor to nylon. Nylon 6, the most commonly used nylon variant, is reliant on petroleum and produces significant greenhouse gas emissions. Developing a bio-based method to produce cyclohexanone offers a way to reduce environmental impact while using agricultural waste. I will continue to build on my previous research to prove feasibility of my proposed three-step process. Success will be evaluated by measuring product yield and purity. I plan to share my results at RISE and other events such as FLICE.
Toward Sustainable Proton Exchange Membranes: Molecular and Operando Studies of SPEEK Awardee: Michael Early, COE’28 Mentor: Eugene Smotkin, COS, Chemistry & Chemical Biology First a computational study will be conducted on the behavior and characterisitics of the material SPEEK, a potential replacement for the toxic, PFAS material Nafion which is currently the standard membrane material in fuel cells and elctrolyzers. Next, experiments will be conducted on an operating SPEEK fuel cell, to learn about how its structure behaves and influences performance under real world operating conditions.The overarching goal is to gather information about the behavior of SPEEK to hopefully replace Nafion. Results will be published in 1-2 papers, presented at RISE and the Materials Research Society conference in Fall 2027.
Pyroplastic Emissions Research Project Awardee: Alice Goldberg, COE’27 Mentor: Bryan James, COE, Chemical Engineering Pyroplastics or burnt plastic debris, is an understudied environmental threat. With 41% of trash burned annually, pyroplastics emit toxic fumes and leach dangerous chemicals. My project focuses on mitigating this by exploring DNA-lipid complexes as potential bioadditives and surface coatings. DNA is a natural flame-retardant which can trap the pollutants in a carbonaceous char layer. I will create bioplastics with the complex, perform controlled burn tests, and use FTIR analysis to see how the pyroplastics change. I anticipate leachability will decrease as a function of concentration. I am excited to share my results at the 2027 RISE conference.
Characterizing the Impact of Resistance Training in Standardized Stages of the Menopause Transition Awardee: Anna Healey, COE’28 Mentor: Leanne Chukoskie, Bouvé, Physical Therapy, Movement, and Rehabilitation Science Menopause is a key part of the majority of the population’s life experience. Although cycle timing has become a common standardization technique, the impact of menopause on participants’ bodies and experiences is often still ignored in research. We will analyze the few studies available that categorize participants by menopause status to see how resistance training impacts participants across the different stages of menopause. We will then provide recommendations for future researchers on how to effectively and efficiently classify participants by menopause status to allow for a standardized process across research.
Open-Source W-Cell: A Reproducible Platform for In-Situ Electrochemical Raman Spectroscopy Awardee: Grace Jansen, COE’27 Mentor: Joshua Gallaway, COE, Chemical Engineering Advancements in battery technology are integral to a cleaner future; however, mitigating battery degradation over time remains a challenge. This project entains refining and documenting the W-Cell, a device invented by the ACES Lab which enables in-situ Raman spectroscopy. The W-Cell enables researchers to track chemical changes inside a battery electrode in real time without disassembling the cell. Using the W-Cell, I will generate an unpublished dataset, produce machnining files and instructions, and detail material procurement information such that another lab can replicate the technology. Results will be shared in an open-access publication and a poster at Northeastern’s RISE expo.
Inference of Intermediate Regulators Mediating between Drug Targets and Response through INDRA CoGEx Awardee: Oscar Ji, Khoury’28 Mentor: Benjamin Gyori, Khoury, Bioengineering Drugs often act on many proteins at once, and it’s usually unclear which connections produce a given outcome, whether it is therapeutic or unwanted. This project builds a computational method using a drug’s known targets and measured cellular response to identify which proteins likely mediate that outcome, without new lab experiments. The method will be tested against a published study with an already-confirmed answer, then validated on a broader public benchmark to see whether such a method can be built and trusted, and whether knowing a drug’s targets specifically helps. Results will be presented publicly and released as open-source software.
Boron Nitride as Support for Palladium Nanocatalyst Awardee: Daphne Karacay, COE’28 Mentor: Hongfei Lin, COE, Chemical Engineering Hydrogen is a clean and energy-dense carbon-neutral fuel. However, a production-storage-release mechanism remains a challenge. This project is an exploration of hexagonal boron nitride to determine its nanomaterial stability and catalytic advantages serving as support for palladium catalysts used to release hydrogen from ammonium formate. Working with Dr. Lin’s IMPACT lab, I will help synthesize and test multiple palladium-boron nitride catalysts to observe their structure and performance throughout each step of the reaction life cycle. Improving the design of the Pd/BN catalyst could lower cost and efficiency of hydrogen fuel systems. I look forward to sharing results at RISE expo.
A Reproducible Pipeline for Multi-Country Social Accounting Matrix Construction Awardee: Benny Lee, COE’29 Mentor: Mikhail Oet, CPS, Business and Social Sciences Simulating the economy of an entire country seems unrealistic. However, a country’s economy breaks down to a web of who buys and sells what. A Social Accounting Matrix (SAM) captures that economic web into a square matrix in order to calibrate economy-wide models and predict how income, employment, and prices shift. Using multiple datasets, I’ve built an automated pipeline that constructs balanced SAMs for three countries, each validated against published benchmarks. Next, I plan to fill data gaps by incorporating tax and household detail into each matrix and display breakdowns of each country’s income by labor, capital, and self-employment.
Modeling Electrolyte Flow in Heterogeneous, Porous Electrodes for Lithium-Ion Batteries Awardee: Nathan Lim, COE’27 Mentor: Juner Zhu, COE, Mechanical & Industrial Engineering This project examines how electrolyte moves through the porous structure of lithium-ion battery electrodes, a process known as wetting or imbibition. Understanding this behavior is crucial to enhancing battery manufacturing efficiency and potentially rejuvenating spent batteries. A custom fixture has been built to deposit liquids onto the electrode surface and uses image processing to measure diffusion phenomena. The next steps will use real electrolyte to develop a predictive model of imbibition. The same physics, in reverse, governs critical mineral mining, where lithium is drawn from brine through porous media. I plan to present at RISE, with potential for academic publication
Engineering Urea Overproduction in Xanthobacter autotrophicus for Stable Nitrogen Biofertilizer Deli Awardee: Lilliana Lum, COS’28 Mentor: Rebecca Sherbo, COS, Chemistry & Chemical Biology Crops require nitrogen nutrients to survive and thrive. Most crops rely on synthetic fertilizers, which have drawbacks including energy-intensive synthesis and application. Biofertilizers are fertilizers that can fix N2 and provide nitrogen nutrients to plants. We aim to modify the microbe X. autotrophicus to create urea, rather than ammonium. The Sherbo Lab has modified X. autotrophicus by installing the arginase gene, thereby increasing the urea titer 50-fold. In this PEAK award, I will culture each strain, quantify urea to determine which strain produces the highest urea yield, and hand off the optimized strain to a collaborating lab for use in plant soil.
Effects of Cigarette-To-E-cigarette Exposure on Bone Quality and Mechanical Strength Awardee: Rebecca Magnetico, COE’26 Mentor: Sandra Shefelbine, COE, Mechanical & Industrial Engineering This project investigates how switching from traditional to electronic cigarettes (e-cigarettes) affects bone health. While existing studies have shown that traditional cigarette smoke weakens bones, it remains unclear how vaping affects skeletal health or whether switching to e-cigarettes allows bone to recover from prior damage. During the fellowship period, I will analyze existing bone imaging and mechanical testing data from mice exposed to different smoking conditions. Using image analysis, MATLAB, and statistical methods, I will identify differences in bone structure and strength. I will contextualize my findings within existing literature and submit a manuscript as the first author.
Understanding the Role of Solvents in Optimizing the Yield of PDI-Catalyzed Dehalogenation Reactions Awardee: Katie Marquez-Paz, COS’29 Mentor: Hannah Sayre, COS, Chemistry & Chemical Biology This project investigates how solvent choice affects the performance of perylene diimide (PDI), a simple organic photocatalyst, in breaking carbon-halogen bonds—a key step in synthesizing valuable compounds like biphenyl from 4-bromobiphenyl. PDI harnesses light energy to lower the energy barrier for chemical reactions. In this process, PDI is first converted into a radical dianion using an electrolyzer, then excited with green light to reach unusually high-energy states that enable reactions otherwise inaccessible. Results will be shared through a poster presentation and may inform future sustainable, light-driven synthesis methods for pharmaceutical and materials applications.
Biolability and Toxicity of Plastic-Derived Dissolved Organic Carbon to Marine Bacterial Communities Awardee: Maia Motley, CSSH’28 Mentor: Aron Stubbins, COE, Chemistry & Chemical Biology Plastic pollution doesn’t just harm animals and humans, it may also affect atmospheric carbon. When marine plastic breaks down in sunlight, it leaches carbon into ocean water, where bacteria consume it, affecting the biological carbon pump. My project tests how usable and/or toxic plastic-derived carbon is for bacteria, and whether that changes with polymer type, additives, and sunlight exposure. I’m using a TOC analyzer to track carbon concentrations and flow cytometry to measure bacterial cell counts over time, comparing ten plastic samples. I’ll share results at a research symposium and am working with my mentor toward a possible publication.
The Art of Inquiry Podcast Awardee: Sofia Odeh, COE’26 Mentor: Sarah Finn, CSSH, English As a mechanical engineering student, I host The Art of Inquiry, an interview series now six episodes in, with guests including roboticist Hanumant Singh, speech scientist Rupal Patel, and design theorist Sara Hendren. These conversations reveal researchers making intuitive, aesthetic choices, closer to art than method, that their papers often overlook. This project extends that work with new interviews with scholars across disciplines to trace how experts actually describe this hidden art in their science, sharing those patterns through new episodes distributed across the podcast’s website and major streaming platforms.
Measuring the First Molecular Weight Distribution of a 2D Polymer Awardee: Justin Oliak, COE’27 Mentor: Steve Lustig, COE, Chemical Engineering Two-dimensional polymers are single-molecule sheets with applications in lightweight armor, barrier coatings, and electronics. Their strength and processability depend on the platelet size distribution. No one has ever measured it. This project will make the first measurement on graphamid and graphimine, materials we develop with the Army Research Laboratory. I will separate the platelets by size-exclusion chromatography and measure each fraction with multi-angle light scattering. The results will test the theory Professor Lustig and I derived. They will also guide processing of stronger, lighter films. I will present at RISE and the AIChE Annual Meeting.
Designing a Gesture-Based Wearable–Machine Interface for Robotic Arm Control Awardee: Arnibish Ray, COE’28 Mentor: Scott Julien, COE, Mechanical & Industrial Engineering This project will design and build a six-axis robotic arm that responds to human hand gestures. It explores how mechanical design, electronics, programming, and sensor data can work together in human-machine interaction, with broader relevance to assistive technology, rehabilitation, and teleoperation. I will create the arm in CAD, fabricate and assemble its components, program servo control, and develop a sensor-based glove interface. The anticipated outcome is a functioning robotic arm with at least one axis reliably controlled by live gestures. I will present the project at RISE and share the design files, code, and documentation publicly.
Century-scale Carbon-sequestration in Cross-laminated Timber Composite Bolted-steel Buildings Awardee: Kieran Schwartz, COE’28 Mentor: Jerome Hajjar, COE, Civil & Environmental Engineer I hope to help develop a new structural system that integrates cross-laminated timber floor diaphragms into steel frame structures, using novel wood species that make construction faster, more flexible, and less wasteful of materials, carbon, and energy. This project aims to prove that friction-based steel-timber connections can create strong, resilient structural assemblies while being easily taken apart and reused in future structures, reducing the harmful environmental impact of the construction industry.
Internet Search Patterns Reflect Clinical Disease Progression: Evidence from Flu and RSV Awardee: Imogen Slavin, Bouvé’27 Mentor: Mauricio Santillana, COS, Physics When people get sick, they frequently turn to the internet to look up symptoms, treatments, or home remedies before ever visiting a doctor. This project examines whether these online search habits can help track the spread and progression of influenza and respiratory syncytial virus in communities before hospitals notice an uptick in cases. By analyzing clinician search data, Google Trends, and emergency department records from all 50 states, the study investigates if search topics shift in a predictable way as illnesses move through a population. I plan to share my findings through a peer-reviewed publication.
Engineering N.benthamiana Hairy Roots to Secrete Pesticide Degrading Enzymes Awardee: Logan Small, COE’28 Mentor: Adam Caparco, COE, Chemical Engineering The project has the purpose of exploring the possibility that N.benthamiana roots can be engineered to secrete enzymes capable of degrading persistent pesticides. This is significant as it would prove that plants can be engineered to secrete non-native remediation based enzymes, allowing for a broader impact of establishing an environmentally safe alternative to current soil cleanup processes. This will be achieved by creating a DNA construct including degradation enzymes and a fluorescence reporter, transforming the construct into the roots, then confirming expression using fluorescence microscopy. Results will be shared through a RISE poster presentation and potential scientific paper.
Yank Modulates Corticospinal Output During Voluntary Submaximal Contractions Awardee: Aditi Swamy, COS’27 Mentor: Mathew Yarossi, Bouvé, Physical Therapy, Movemnt, and Rehabilitation Science My research in the Movement Neuroscience Laboratory will investigate how the brain communicates with the muscles involved in gripping and releasing objects. Using the novel combination of transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) and high-density electromyography (HDsEMG), I will study how cortical activity changes with force output of voluntary index finger contractions that mimic grip force release in healthy subjects. This work aims to develop quantitative, noninvasive markers of motor-systems health that could inform clinical monitoring of motor-neurological disease. Findings will be shared through a presentation at Society for Neuroscience this November, preparation of a publishable manuscript, and a poster at RISE.
Mapping the Determinants of the First Cell Fate Decision in Mammalian Development Awardee: Michelle Uvaydov, COE’28 Mentor: Dori Woods, COS, Biology The first cell fate in developing mammalian embryos distinguishes the trophectoderm (TE) from the inner cell mass (ICM): two cell lineages that create the placenta and fetus. While it is known that mitochondria play a role in establishing these lineages, it is uncertain if they drive or assist this process. This project uses a stem cell model to transplant mitochondria onto developing cells and observe if they can specify into the TE. Understanding mitochondrial function has broad applications in regenerative therapies and improvement of assistive reproductive technologies. Results will be shared at RISE and later included in scientific publications.
Comparative Macrophage Recruitment Following FUS-Induced CNS Injury in Axolotl and Mouse Model Awardee: Alexander Vincenti, COS’28 Mentor: Tao Sun, COE, Bioengineering This research tracks and compares immune cell (macrophage) recruitment in axolotls, salamanders known for their pro-regenerative properties, and mammals— which exhibit anti-regenerative properties— after central nervous system injury. Using Focused Ultrasound (FUS), congruent CNS injuries will be produced and histologically validated in both models, enabling a longitudinal study that visualizes and quantifies macrophage recruitment across multiple timepoints. This comparison addresses a fundamental question in regenerative medicine: why do axolotls heal without scarring while mammals do not? Anticipated outcomes may suggest macrophage-engineering strategies to reproduce pro-regenerative kinetics in mammalian models, with results compiled into a peer-reviewed manuscript.

Related Faculty: Adam Caparco , Guohao Dai , Damilola Daramola , Joshua Gallaway , Benjamin Gyori , Jerome F. Hajjar , Bryan James , Angelina Jay , Scott Julien , Abigail N. Koppes , Hongfei Lin , Steve Lustig , Ozan Cagatay Ozdemir , Courtney Pfluger , Mauricio Santillana , Hannah Sayre , Sandra Shefelbine , Max Shepherd , Rebecca Sherbo , David A. Sherman , Aatmesh Shrivastava , Aron Stubbins , Tao Sun , Rebecca Willits , Mathew Yarossi , Juner Zhu

Related Departments:Bioengineering, Chemical Engineering, Civil & Environmental Engineering, Electrical & Computer Engineering, Mechanical & Industrial Engineering